Energy Efficient Homes and Healthy Living for Renters

The price is right, the location is perfect and the kitchen is huge. Before signing that lease,

That's the advice of government agencies, affordable housing advocates and environmental groups that have grown increasingly concerned in recent years about the condition of the nation's rental housing stock. Some facts:

• According to a survey conducted in 2000 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), 30% of rental housing units contain lead-based paint hazards.
• Studies estimate that 40% of doctor-diagnosed asthma cases among U.S. children are due to home-based hazards such as mold and dust mites. 
• One out of 15 U.S. homes has levels of cancer-causing radon above federal safety levels. 
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emanating from carpet and paint have been shown to cause respiratory and central nervous system problems.
  

"We spend about 90% of our lives indoors, and 65% of that is in our homes," says Jon Gant, director of HUD's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control. "In recent years, we have seen the levels of indoor pollutants creeping up, and we know that there have been significant health hazards caused by our houses."

Green affordable housing
Meanwhile, a growing number of organizations like Global Green, a nonprofit environmental group, have taken up the cause of "green affordable housing" and are encouraging more landlords to provide it and more renters to look for it.

"A green home is a high-performance, high-quality home that is healthier, more comfortable, more durable, more energy-efficient and more environmentally responsible," says Jay D. Hall, program manager for LEED for Homes, a new program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to certify residential buildings according to how healthy they are for people and the environment.

The pilot program has 300 builders nationwide who are vowing to build 4,300 units that meet its strict criteria. Once done, Hall projects those homes will use 30% less energy and water than comparable conventional homes, send half as much waste to the landfill and provide safer indoor air. Hall envisions a day when renters of older homes might also look for LEED certification.

Until then, here's what to look for before renting — as well as how to remedy problems.

Lead paint

• If the home was built before 1978, ask if it contains lead paint. Landlords are required by law to inform you in writing if it does, but that doesn't always happen.
• Even if lead paint is present, it isn't necessarily a problem unless it is chipping and flaking, emitting dust that can spread to surfaces or being ingested. Make sure that windowsills, trim, doors, outside walls and porches have the paint intact. 
• If you already live in a house with lead paint, report any peeling surface to your landlord and hire a professional to repair it. Lead dust can be released by sanding or scraping. Also, keep the house well-dusted, and if you have young children, have their blood lead levels tested annually. 

• If the stove is a gas one, make sure it has a working vent or fan. A gas stove can give off carbon monoxide.
• Make sure the fans in the bathroom and laundry room work. Excess moisture can promote mold growth — which can aggravate asthma.
• Be sure the carbon monoxide alarm works. More than 5,000 people die annually after breathing too much CO. 
• If the place has a fuel-burning furnace, ask how long it has been since it has been inspected and serviced. The EPA recommends this be done annually, before each heating season, to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning.

• Ask if the home has been checked for radon, a natural radioactive gas that can seep in through basement and crawl space walls. Radon causes an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year, making it the second leading cause of lung cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends radon mitigation on homes with levels of 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or more. Test kits are available at hardware stores or from the National Safety Council at (800) SOS-RADON.

Volatile organic compounds

• VOCs are emitted into the air as gases from many chemical-based solid and liquid building materials such as paints, solvents, carpets and composite wood products, particularly after a home is built or remodeled. Depending on the product, those gases can linger for anywhere from 24 hours to several months. Typically, the older the home is, the more they have dissipated. If you are considering renting a new home, ask what, if any, low-VOC products were used.
• Consider painting it yourself with low-VOC paint, and covering up carpets with rugs made from natural materials.
  

Dust and insects

• Ask how long it has been since the heating and cooling ducts have been vacuumed or inspected. While the EPA does not recommend routine air duct cleaning, it does suggest it if there is mold, excess dust or vermin droppings inside the ducts.
• Carpet is a major culprit for collecting dust and emitting VOCs. Try to find a place with no carpet — or if it has it, cover it up with a throw rug and keep it vacuumed.
• Look for evidence of cockroaches and rodents. Cockroach dust and mouse droppings can cause asthma attacks in some people.
• Consider purchasing an air filter that's designed to remove airborne pollutants such as tobacco smoke, pollen and dust from the air. A portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter can be found for about $100.
  

Energy efficiency

• Feel for drafts. A drafty house will cost more to heat and cool and will be less comfortable. (But a house that is too "tight" can hold in air pollution, so make sure there are windows to open when you want fresh air).
• Ask if  appliances are Energy Star-rated. The government rating indicates that they are energy-efficient.
• Look for water savers like low-flush toilets, low-flow shower heads and a front-loading clothes washer.
• Install compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), which last 10 times longer, generate 70% less heat and use one-third the energy of standard lighting.