Renters
Retrofitting your home can be a great way to save money, reduce health risks, and help the environment! See below for key programs designed for renters and apartment units.
Building upgrades
Improve your home’s resilience to extreme weather, heat, and power outages while repairing health and safety issues through state and local programs and incentives. See each section below for information on the benefits of specific upgrades and the resources and support available for each of them.
Health & safety repairs
If there is anything that needs to repaired that poses a health risk — structural instability, mold and asbestos, leaks and cracks, and broken appliances — the landlord is required to fix it as quickly as possible, at no cost to you with few exceptions. If your landlord is not being responsive, you can contact the City Code Enforcement Division for support as described here, and you are entitled to petition to get a portion of your rent refunded to you (see Petition B). You also cannot be evicted for reporting a building problem -- only the following "just causes" are considered grounds for eviction.
For help in repairing your home for both you and your landlord, there are several local, state, and federal assistance programs to help with costs and repairs.
- PCE Home Upgrade Program — PCE will provide key home repair, insulation, and electric appliance upgrades for free to low and moderate income households (see here for eligibility). The wait-list is open, and the program is planned to restart in Summer 2024.
Extreme temperatures
As climate change increases the number of days of extreme heat in EPA, having good insulation and access to air conditioning (AC) are increasingly important. “Heat pump” systems are highly efficient AC units which can also provide heating. Improving insulation in walls, windows, and doors can help keep homes cool in the summer and warm in the winter, saving money by reducing the need for heating and AC. While most of these upgrades will need to go through the property owner, many smaller AC units can be installed by renters themselves.
Backup power & energy resilience
As risks of severe storms and wildfires increase, power outages may become more common, and having backup power may be increasingly important, especially for residents who depend on power for medical devices, business operations, and transportation needs. Backup power such as battery energy storage can protect electricity access for critical needs and can be especially useful when paired with solar power (see above).
- Battery storage tax credit — Any battery power-storage of more than 3kWh in capacity is eligible to get 20-30% of the cost back as a tax credit with no limit
- Medical battery backup — Residents with power needs for medical devices may qualify for temporary battery backup power during power outages
Appliance upgrades
With the help of government rebates, upgrading to electric appliances (heaters, water heaters, stoves, and more) can be cheaper for both you and the landlord by saving money on utility bills. It is the landlord’s responsibility to replace any old or broken appliances, but letting them know of the following programs can help motivate them to install efficient electric appliances can help both of you. See below for more information on the benefits and incentives for specific appliances:
