Landlords & tenants

Massachusetts landlords and condo associations may be eligible for as much as 90% off the cost of insulation, plus additional rebates and 0% loans to upgrade heating systems, windows, and appliances through Mass Save or your municipal electricity provider. You must start with a no-cost building energy assessment.

Mass Save offers some great subsidies to help landlords and condo associations with fewer than 4 units to improve their property with energy efficiency upgrades. (Larger buildings are served by Mass Save’s Multi-family Program.) A no-cost whole building energy assessment yields immediate benefits in terms of water and electricity savings and will help you plan your next investments in the property.

Call our office (617-380-4741) if you are unsure about which local agency is the one that can best serve you and we will point you to the right office.

Rhode Island landlords and condo associations may be eligible for a no-cost energy assessment to identify opportunities for maximizing energy savings and may be qualified for incentives and any rebates on upgrades through the Energy Wise program.

Energy Wise also offers some great subsidies to help landlords and condo associations improve their property with energy efficiency upgrades. Energy Wise's program energy efficiency services cover multifamily dwellings such as apartment buildings, condominiums, and housing complexes.

To get more information call (1-888-633-7947) and learn about your options.

1. Make a list of electricity and gas account holders and account numbers associated with the building(s) you want to improve.
2. Get permission from all the residents for Mass Save’s or Energy Wise's Energy Specialist to walk through their units.
3. Call Mass Save at 866-527-7283 to request a Whole Building Assessment if the property has 2-4 units, or a Home Energy Assessment if it has just one. Call Energy Wise at 1-888-633-7947 to request a Whole Building Assessment for 1-4 unit residential properties.
4. Schedule the assessment and plan to spend 3 hours with the Specialist, learning about your building and all the subsidies that might help you make it more efficient.
5. Your Specialist will help you take upgrade action steps.
6. In Massachusetts, you can also start the process for a specific upgrade by contacting a Mass Save-approved contractor listed here. Rhode Islanders, have the option to select a participating contractor or be assigned one through the program.

Massachusetts Residents Note: If your property is located in a municipal utility area, call your town for more information.

Even if tenants pay for their own utilities, there are multiple benefits to landlords if they weatherize the building and increase the efficiency of its equipment, lighting, and appliances:

• Weatherized buildings have lower rates of tenant turnover.
• Weatherized buildings have less need for space heaters that can cause a fire risk.
• Efficient homes are more comfortable for tenants.
• More efficient apartments offer better protection against energy prices spikes and extreme weather conditions — making it easier for tenants to make rent.
• A properly weatherized building is more weather resistant and is in better repair.
• Insulation can lessen the chance of frozen pipes.
• Low-income tenants can qualify the landlord for the Low-Income Weatherization Assistance Program.

Bigger changes don’t have to be expensive and can have desirable effects on the property, whether or not your landlord pays the utility bills. Below are the smartest investments for a landlord, and here are excellent reasons that a landlord should make efficiency upgrades.

Weatherization Assistance is free to single-family and two- or three-family homes if more than half the units have low-income qualifying tenants.  Typically, this program covers air sealing, insulation, appliance management, and heating system repairs (and sometimes even free replacement).  Call our office (800-287-3950) if you are unsure about which local agency is the one that can best serve you and we will point you to the right office.