By Jessica Kraft

If you’re a renter, you probably feel like your options for greening up your living space are limited to cheap, temporary, DIY changes like switching light bulbs, recycling, or setting up a kitchen compost. And as for convincing your landlord to consider making green renovations and installations on your building — fugetaboutit! It’s the rare, enlightened property manager who would willingly undergo the hassle and expense just to save his tenants’ utility expenses.

“This is the split incentive problem that we’re up against,” said Cambridge Energy Alliance consultant Beth Williams, who advises energy efficiency programs for property owners in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “We have to align the interests of both parties if we’re going to reduce residential CO2 emissions.”

One way to do that is by signing a “green lease” — a solution recommended by Williams — which helps renters partner with landlords to make eco-upgrades that will save money for both parties over the long term while decreasing the property’s environmental impact.

Here’s how it works: Say you live in a multi-unit apartment building where all of the tenants and the landlord have agreed to green the property. You and your neighbors then pay one to two year’s worth of utilities and water bills up front to the landlord, who uses the funds to finance green improvements like solar water heaters, rainwater catchment systems, greywater irrigation and solar panels. Then, after the initial investment period has passed, you pay a small monthly fee to the landlord for the maintenance of the new systems instead of paying utilities. The lease can also include provisions requiring the use of eco-friendly cleaning products and low-VOC paints and finishes, in addition to mandatory composting and recycling.

With the housing market in flux and energy prices increasing, the green lease offers a successful platform for low-carbon, low-cost living.