Greening Off-Campus Rental Housinggraham.umich.edu/media/files/campus-course-reports/Greening Off-… · • Frame rental housing energy efficiency as part of home’s overall cost

Greening Off-Campus Rental Housing

Assessing Behaviors and Perceptions of Undergraduate Students at University of Michigan

Meeri Chang Patrick Lau

Zoe Stahl Ben Zukowski

Greening Rental Housing Team

ENVIRON/RCIDIV 391 December 10, 2012

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Table of Contents Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 1

Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 2

Issue Background .......................................................................................................................................... 3

Project Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 3

Methodology ................................................................................................................................................. 4

Part 1: Preliminary Research ..................................................................................................................... 4

Part 2: Primary Research through Survey Data ......................................................................................... 4

Part 3: Primary Research through Focus Groups ...................................................................................... 4

Findings ......................................................................................................................................................... 5

Findings from Preliminary Research ......................................................................................................... 5

Findings from Primary Research ............................................................................................................... 5

Recommendations ........................................................................................................................................ 7

“Student Renters” Tab on a2energy.org Web Page ................................................................................... 7

Partnership with Beyond the Diag ............................................................................................................ 8

Improving the survey for partnering college towns ................................................................................ 10

Shifting Perceptions of Energy Efficiency as a Part of Total Housing Costs ............................................. 10

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 11

Works Cited ................................................................................................................................................. 12

Appendices .................................................................................................................................................. 13

Appendix A: Survey respondents who live off campus ........................................................................... 13

Appendix B: Survey respondents who live on campus ........................................................................... 40

Appendix C: Relevant Qualtrics Reponses for All Respondents .............................................................. 51

Appendix D: Frequently Asked Questions for “Potential Student Renter” ............................................. 60

Appendix E: Take Charge ......................................................................................................................... 61

Appendix F: A2Cribs.com Integrated Housing Map ................................................................................ 62

Appendix G: Specific changes to the Qualtrics Survey Questions .......................................................... 63

Appendix H: Focus Group Questions ...................................................................................................... 65

Appendix I: Current E-peeps page on a2energy.org ............................................................................... 66

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Executive Summary The City of Ann Arbor has recently established “Climate and Energy Goals” as part of a larger Sustainability Framework. Environmental Coordinator Matthew Naud and Sustainability Associate Jamie Kidwell from Ann Arbor’s System Planning Unit have developed a set of goals to improve sustainable energy, energy conservation, and high-performance building efficiency. It plans to achieve these goals using a portion of the $250,000 Greening Rental Housing grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded to the County. The Systems Planning Unit has used this grant primarily to focus on collecting data about Ann Arbor’s non-student renters. Now it plans to address knowledge gaps concerning University of Michigan student renters.

To help achieve the City’s objectives, we assessed current undergraduate student behavior regarding energy conservation and efficiency in off-campus housing. We conducted a survey of 5,000 undergraduate students to gauge awareness of sustainability, cost of utilities, and off-campus housing priorities when selecting a place to live. We also facilitated two focus groups—current renters and potential renters—to gain a more in-depth understanding of these issues.

Through this research, we found that students are largely unaware of official off-campus housing resources. Only 10% of respondents attended the off-campus housing fair, while 49% found housing through a friend. Also, despite prioritizing price in their housing search, students do not make a connection between home energy efficiency, utilities costs, and total rental housing price. Of all students surveyed, 80.3% ranked price as either their first or second priority, while 78.9% ranked energy efficiency as one of their last two priorities (Q. 16, Appendix C). Yet, utilities costs for water, electricity, and heating/cooling each ranged from $0-200. This wide range of responses could indicate significant savings potential or students’ unawareness of true utilities costs (Q. 12 Appendix A).

Given these findings, we provided recommendations as ways to intervene through education and outreach:

• Develop a “student tab” and detailed housing database on a2energy.org, considering students indicated strong preference for web-based material.

• Partner with Beyond the Diag to initiate direct educational programs both for current and potential renters. Focus groups expressed that workshops have been, and would be well-received.

• Make changes to improve the survey, which can then be provided to other colleges and universities as a tool for comparison and trend observation.

• Frame rental housing energy efficiency as part of home’s overall cost in the long term.

The recommendations in this report will help the City of Ann Arbor connect with the off-campus student body through education and outreach concerning energy efficiency and conservation in rental housing.

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Issue Background Current policy and structural problems exist in the City of Ann Arbor’s off-campus housing neighborhoods. An underlying problem is the split-incentive between landlords and a majority of students living off-campus. The economics behind “split incentives” are reflected in two kinds of relationships:

Scenario 1: The student renter does not pay for all utilities, only portions of it. The student faces a zero marginal cost for energy, so for each unit increase in utilities, he or she does not incur incremental cost and thus is not incentivized to reduce use. This is known as an “agency problem,” a conflict of interest where the agent is expected to, but often does not, act in the principal’s best interests. In this scenario, the landlord is the principal and the occupant is the agent.

Scenario 2: The renter pays in full for utilities and does not have control over the energy efficiency of the rental home. For example, only the landlord decides the type of insulation and efficiency of appliances. Economists consider this “asymmetric information,” meaning that the renters paying utilities cannot perfectly observe prior decisions made by the owner. In this scenario, the principal-agent roles are reversed: the renter is the principal because he or she incurs all utility costs, and the owner is the agent who does not act in the renter’s best interests. (Gillingham, Harding and Rapson 2011)

The split-incentive among homeowners and renters allocates utility costs inefficiently. To target these agency problems, the City of Ann Arbor must first acknowledge its coexistence with the University of Michigan and target the off-campus student majority living in rental housing.

Currently, 74% of the University of Michigan student body – 31,024 students – live off-campus. The vast majority of these students live in rental housing in the City of Ann Arbor. While the University has made significant strides to decrease its energy waste, the majority of the students live in housing units not covered by on-campus building regulations, or by city policies targeted towards owner-occupied housing. (Burnstein, et al. 2011)

Consequently, rental housing has remained a gray area without significant influence from the University’s sustainability initiatives and citywide energy efficiency incentives.

Project Introduction The City of Ann Arbor has recently established “Climate and Energy Goals” as part of a larger Sustainability Framework. Environmental Coordinator Matthew Naud and Sustainability Associate Jamie Kidwell of the Systems Planning Unit have developed detailed these goals as follows:

• Sustainable Energy: Improve access to and increase the use of renewable energy by all members of our community

• Energy Conservation: Reduce energy consumption and eliminate net greenhouse gas emissions in our community

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• High Performance Buildings: Increase efficiency in new and existing buildings within our community

These three components the city’s Climate and Energy Goals are pertinent to off-campus student renters. The City of Ann Arbor has already taken measures to increase internal energy and building efficiency, reaching its goal of 20% renewable energy for municipal operations by 2010. However, it is working to reach its goal of 8% savings in greenhouse gas emissions from its 2010 levels by 2015 for the entire community. Considering students occupy 50% of Ann Arbor’s rental housing stock, the City should target students to help reach this goal.

In order to do so, the Systems Planning Unit needs to obtain available data about students, from basic demographics to their awareness of city resources. Therefore, our project assessed undergraduate student behavior and perceptions regarding energy efficiency and conservation in off-campus rental housing. Moreover, our project group acts as a vital liaison between the City and the undergraduate student body.

Methodology We conducted our research in three key parts, outlined below:

Part 1: Preliminary Research The topics of our preliminary research related to various aspects of greening rental housing:

• Key ways to affect behavior change • “Green” student rental housing initiatives at peer institutions • Incentive programs to achieve energy efficiency in rental housing • Leverage points in the complex rental housing system

We chose these topics through discussions with Kidwell and Naud. The individual research provided a baseline understanding of the rental housing issue and the theoretical framework necessary to conduct our primary research.

Part 2: Primary Research through Survey Data The first step of our primary research was to understand students’ experiences with the off-campus housing search. We sent out a survey through Qualtrics, composed primarily of multiple choice and some open-answer questions. The survey was sent out to a random sample of 5,000 University of Michigan undergraduates, both on-campus and off-campus residents. Students answered questions about demographics, house-finding methods, and priorities when selecting a place to live. The process for developing the survey was thorough. We developed the survey with the help of Mike Shriberg, Lindsey MacDonald, Jamie Kidwell, and Matt Naud. Additionally, we consulted the survey in the previous report titled, “Initiatives to Green Student Rental Housing in Ann Arbor” campus (Burnstein, et al. 2011).

Part 3: Primary Research through Focus Groups After conducting the survey, we facilitated two sets of focus groups—one for students already living off-campus and another for students who are planning to live off-campus. We attempted to recruit participants through the survey; however, because this did not produce the desired yield, we recruited

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friends to participate. The focus groups provided a more in-depth understanding of students’ off-campus housing and sustainability concerns and priorities (Appendix H).

Findings Our findings from primary and secondary research helped us identify the most feasible solutions for initiating behavioral change among students regarding off-campus housing.

Findings from Preliminary Research Social scientists have identified key ways and times to affect behavior change. Before promoting sustainable behavior, environmentalists must attract the audience’s attention. Considering environmental messages are often deemed uninspiring, this task is crucial. Berkeley researchers have identified four key ways to attract attention. We addressed the following two in our recommendations for changes to the a2energy.org website (James 2010):

• Visualizing the message • Featuring stories

After attracting the audience’s attention, the next step is to provide a convincing and lasting message. Researchers at Berkeley and Futerra have established eight specific tactics, and we focused on five of them throughout all of our recommendations (James 2010) (Futerra n.d.):

• Repeating a core message • Establishing reliability through facts, details and examples • Personalizing the message • Making the action a social norm • Focusing on losses, instead of gains from the specific behavior change

The research further indicated that individuals are most receptive during times of transition (Futerra n.d.). Therefore, it may be best to concentrate on students who are potential off-campus renters. Not only does it matter who the audience is, but who the messenger is. Hearing from scientists or “experts of the field” is not always best. Often, intermediaries are needed to “translate” the scientific messages (James 2010). These factors were considered in our recommendation to partner with Beyond the Diag, a student-run group.

Findings from Primary Research The responses we received from the Qualtrics survey proved to be the most valuable research collected. We received just over 700 responses, and the respondents were sufficiently representative of our University’s demographics. 63% said that they currently live in off-campus housing (Q. 1, Appendix C), while previous research stated that 74% of students in Ann Arbor live off-campus (Burnstein, et al. 2011). Since this earlier analysis included graduate students, many who live off-campus, our findings seemed consistent with this study. In addition, we received an even distribution of freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior respondents.

From the survey data, we graphed and analyzed the results (Appendices A, B, and C). Following an initial analysis, we met again with Naud and Kidwell, who provided key insight to pertinent statistics. They also

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suggested that the survey become a standard resource for partnering college towns that have expressed interest in similar off-campus housing issues.

We found that students are largely unaware of the available off-campus housing resources. Only 10% of respondents attended the off-campus housing fair, while 49% found housing through a friend. The three most popular methods for finding a rental home were through a friend, using Google, or by walking around and looking at signs (Q. 14, Appendix C). Also, despite prioritizing price in their housing search, students do not make a connection between home energy efficiency, utilities costs, and total rental housing price. Of all students surveyed, 80.3% ranked price as either their first or second priority, while 78.9% ranked energy efficiency as their last two priorities (Q. 16, Appendix C). Yet, utilities costs for water, electricity, and heating/cooling each ranged from $0-200. This wide range could indicate significant savings potential among homes or the general lack of awareness students have about their true utilities costs (Q. 12, Appendix A). Another possibility is poor wording of the question, which we address in our recommendations (See: Improving the survey for partnering college towns).

The participants in the focus groups helped to paint a fuller picture of the rental housing problem. From potential student renters, the main findings were:

• Students were unaware of available resources. When asked, they had not heard of the UM off-campus housing database or A2Cribs.com.

• Students prioritize the following two aspects of housing: price and location. • Students recommended workshops in the residence halls to educate students about moving off-

campus.

From the off-campus housing focus group, the main findings were:

• Students have limited knowledge about how to find a house and would like to have access to more information.

• Students prioritize the following two aspects of housing: price and location. • Students feel a general sense of anxiety and helplessness during their housing search and are

focused on signing quickly rather than being methodical or thoughtful.

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These primary research findings served as the major drivers of the recommendations, which focused on increasing the quality of educational resources and student outreach. The recommendations include an addition of a “Student Renter” tab on A2energy.org’s website, an expansion of the City’s partnership with Beyond the Diag, and changes to the off-campus housing survey. A long-term recommendation is to adjust students’ perceptions of the energy-savings initiative to include cost savings.

Recommendations

“Student Renters” Tab on a2energy.org Web Page a2energy.org serves to promote energy efficiency in the community and serve as an external communication tool for the City to reach its residents. The City hired a marketing team to develop the site’s modern image, and extensive research has been done to compile reliable links and resources. Considering that 73.2% of all students chose “website” as the best way to find out information about off-campus housing, a2energy.org is a desirable platform to target students (Q. 17, Appendix C).

The site features a “Renters” tab, which indirectly addresses current student renters. However, it lacks helpful resources for potential student renters, who will soon become a large percentage of the rental housing market. Of the 260 students who said they do not currently live off-campus, 65% of them have either already signed a lease or plan to sign one for Fall 2013 (Q. 2, Appendix B). This data led to the recommendation of a “Student Renters” tab on a2energy.org’s current site.

Filtered to those who responded “no” to “Do you currently live off-campus?”

Resources for potential renters By targeting potential renters, the City can put energy-efficiency and cost-savings at the forefront of students’ minds before they sign a lease. Based on an analysis of qualitative survey responses, we created a list of frequently asked questions for potential renters (Appendix D). These questions directly address the most pressing off-campus housing concerns of University of Michigan undergraduates (Q. 18, Appendix A). We also created a new section called “Taking Charge,” which provides potential renters with a checklist of questions to ask prospective landlords (Appendix E). The questions were framed to address cost-savings, which may encourage stronger behavioral change among students (See Shifting Perceptions of Energy Efficiency as a Part of Total Housing Costs).

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Resources for current renters In the Student Renters tab, much of the content from the existing Renters tab can be repurposed. The site provides advice, tips, and links on how to make energy-conserving behavioral changes in the home, which can be applied to busy, cost-conscious students. For example, the site reminds students to set back their thermostats, turn off lights, and hang dry their clothing.

The Student Renters tab should also include content from the current “Be Informed” section. This portion includes personal energy-saving testimonials from members of the community called “E-peeps” (Appendix I). Student testimonials, similar to the existing ones, could be implemented, inspiring other students to follow suit. Further, the name E-peeps should be changed to something less ambiguous and less suggestive.

Housing database on Student Renters tab Currently a variety of resources to help prospective renters’ select off-campus housing exist. However, while these resources offer a wealth of information, they are scattered across the Web. a2energy.org should provide an off-campus housing database, a valuable resource in high demand by students, while simultaneously directing them toward green housing information.

To provide this resource, the City should continue to develop a partnership with a2cribs.com. This site features an interactive map of Ann Arbor with the ability to search individual rental units (Appendix F). When showing this site to the potential renters focus group, the participants were impressed with its capabilities and surprised that this type of resource existed. The City should look to embed a2cribs.com’s housing map on the Student Tab. This acquisition may require compensating or even hiring a2cribs’ founders, who are students at University of Michigan. However, this partnership would benefit both parties: the City would be able provide a valuable resource, while the students’ successful project would be featured on a2energy.org, a legitimate and government-supported site with the highest credibility.

Partnership with Beyond the Diag Beyond the Diag’s main goal is “to establish a network of off-campus student neighborhoods” in order to create a sense of community and facilitate communication between the University and students living off-campus (Beyond the Diag 2012). Given its mission, Beyond the Diag has the potential to act as a liaison between the student body and the City of Ann Arbor. Since the organization is in its inaugural year, now is ideal time to establish a relationship. The City has already taken the first steps by inviting Matt Lonnerstater, a graduate student in charge of Beyond the Diag, to be an intern for the City. To further develop this partnership, we reached out to Beyond the Diag to propose a draft of the recommendations. They expressed interest in the following recommendations and considered the costs and time commitments to be feasible.

Use partnership to increase traffic on a2energy.org The City has primarily relied on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to inform the citizens and students of Ann Arbor about energy efficiency and conservation. However, students would also be receptive to learning about sustainability through a more traditional and established source. Considering students prefer to learn about the off-campus housing search through a website, Beyond the Diag can encourage students to sign up for email updates from a2energy.org, which provides useful information on ways to save energy and money. Beyond the Diag can increase site traffic through its various mediums of communication, including its monthly email newsletter, off-campus living guide, and social media outlets.

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Furthermore, Beyond the Diag’s webpage provides a list of “Helpful Links”—one of which leads to the “Student Living” section of the Ann Arbor website. Unfortunately, the link does not work. Not only should the link be fixed, but also the link to a2energy.org should be provided.

Direct education of current renters through Beyond the Diag programs From our secondary research, we learned that two ways to effectively convey a message of sustainability are personalization and visualization (James 2010). With this in mind, Beyond the Diag should consider hosting community block parties in the beginning of the school year. Unlike the off-campus housing fair, these block parties could incorporate music, outdoor activities, and free food to establish community and draw students to the events. This fair would also provide the City of Ann Arbor with a welcomed opportunity to disperse information about energy efficiency and conservation, establish face-to-face connections with students, and gauge student interest in sustainability in an informal setting. Sign-ups and promotion of sustainability seminars could also occur during the block party. With the help of Beyond the Diag, the City of Ann Arbor and PitE program could run sustainability seminars for current renters with tips on how to green your house through recycling, insulation, and various other efforts.

Direct education of potential renters through Beyond the Diag programs Both primary and secondary research indicated that individuals are particularly receptive during times of transition (Futerra n.d.). Participants from the potential renters focus group suggested that intervening in the residence halls would be an ideal time to “get students to start thinking” about sustainability. Beyond the Diag should target underclassmen, as 44% of freshmen and 47% of sophomores who currently live on-campus will move off-campus by the end of the year.

An effective intervention method is through residence hall workshops. The potential renters’ focus group informed us that last winter, Stockwell held an event called “Apartment 101” that included tips on how to live off-campus. Over 60 residents attended the event, despite limited promotion of the workshop. If Beyond the Diag could run similar workshops during the first half of the fall semester, it could facilitate the housing search process. Students would feel less stressed, more informed, and hopefully consider energy efficiency in their off-campus housing search.

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Improving the survey for partnering college towns Despite the useful insight gained from the survey, some flaws limited our ability to maximize data collection. We encourage the City to administer this survey again in the future, with the following changes:

• Increase coverage of questions to include commuters, Greek Life residents, and Co-op residents. The survey currently fails to take into account these populations at the University.

• Quantify questions for easier analysis. Open-ended questions that used text input were difficult to analyze. This format is especially important when asking students to report utilities costs.

• Change incentive structure to encourage more focus group participation. While the gift card increased student response rate, free food at the focus groups did not attract enough students.

If the City made these changes, the survey has potential to be used for further research (Appendix G).

Part 1: Repeating the survey on an annual basis to monitor changing trends The City of Ann Arbor can continue to administer the survey on an annual basis to University of Michigan students. By continuing to collect this data, the City can monitor how student behavior has changed over time and evaluate the long-term successes of any interventions.

Part 2: Comparing student behavior with other college campuses Other college towns could also administer this survey. Locally, the Systems Planning Unit has expressed interest in administering the survey to Eastern Michigan University students in order to collaborate with the city of Ypsilanti. Naud and Kidwell have also begun to establish networks with other city governments nationwide, which are interested in addressing energy efficiency in student rental housing. Some of these cities include Portland, Asheville, and Bloomington. By administering the same survey, these cities can compare results and eventually share their most successful interventions.

Shifting Perceptions of Energy Efficiency as a Part of Total Housing Costs The Systems Planning Unit should focus on shifting students’ perceptions of energy efficiency and stressing the importance of energy conservation as a cost benefit. The survey responses revealed that students overlook energy conservation as a factor in their overall housing costs. Of nearly 600 respondents, not a single person chose energy efficiency as the most important factor in selecting a house. In fact, energy efficiency was ranked as one of the two lowest responses by 472 of 598 respondents. Yet, ironically, the most important consideration for 49.7% of respondents was price, and it was in the top two considerations for 80.3% of surveyed students. These results point to a disconnect between the perception of rental price and energy efficiency (Q. 16, Appendix C).

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Additionally, 49% of students’ parents pay for utilities, making the cost-savings and energy efficiency association a particular challenge (Q. 11, Appendix A). As a result, these students may be more detached from the direct cost of their utilities and may care less about their individual energy use.

The City should encourage a stronger association between energy and cost savings. Current regulations already require landlords to disclose energy bills and the rent prices together, but this law is widely disregarded. According to students in focus groups, none of them received a joint-estimate of utilities and rent before signing. Further, not a single participant knew about his or her right to view a combined utility and rent estimate before signing a lease. To increase transparency of a home’s total rental price, the City should encourage students to demand disclosure of utilities costs. Reminding potential renters to “do their homework” through a2energy.org’s “Frequently Asked Questions” and “Take Charge” pages on the Student Tab will put pressure on landlords to increase rental housing energy efficiency by improving appliances and insulation, subsequently reducing student utility costs.

Conclusion Ann Arbor’s Systems Planning Unit has already made considerable progress toward sustainable initiatives in various sectors across the city. To address the misaligned incentives of the rental housing market, the Systems Planning Unit has identified important demographics to target in order to achieve the City’s energy efficiency and sustainability goals. Our recent survey provided critical information about student behavior and perceptions of sustainability issues in rental housing. The recommendations help to close these knowledge gaps and educate students about sustainable practices. Moving forward, the City of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan can further cooperate to maximize sustainable behavior and improve the off-campus housing experience in Ann Arbor.

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Works Cited Beyond the Diag. Beyond the Diag | Student Life. 2012.

http://studentaffairs.umich.edu/studentsupport/dos/off-campus-safety (accessed November 20 2012).

Burnstein, Eric, Christina Carter, Raquel Edwards, Aaron Goodman, and Emily Thompson. "Initiatives to "Green" Student Rental Housing in Ann Arbor." 2011.

Futerra. New Rules: New Game. London: Futerra Sustainability Communications, n.d.

Gillingham, Kenneth, Matthew Harding, and David Rapson. "Split Incentives in Residential Energy Consumption." Yale University. October 2, 2011. http://www.yale.edu/gillingham/Gillinghametal_SplitIncentives_EJ.pdf.

James, Rachel. "Promoting Sustainable Behavior: A Guide to Successful Communication." Berkeley Office of Sustainability. 2010. http://sustainability.berkeley.edu/os/pages/talkinglouder/docs/Promoting_Sustain_Behavior_Primer.pdf (accessed November 20, 2012).

Meadows, Donella. Leverage points to intervene in a system. Hartland, VT: The Sustainability Institute, 1999.

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Appendices

Appendix A: Survey respondents who live off campus 1. Do you currently live off-campus?

# Answer

Response %

1 Yes

442 100%

2 No

0 0%

Total 442 100%

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 1

Mean 1.00

Variance 0.00

Standard Deviation 0.00

Total Responses 442

2. Have you signed a lease for Fall 2013?

# Answer

Response %

1 Yes

0 0%

2 No, and I don't plan to

0 0%

3 No, but I plan to

0 0%

Total 0 0%

Statistic Value

Min Value -

Max Value -

Mean 0.00

Variance 0.00


Total Responses 0

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3. What kind of property do you currently rent?

# Answer

Response %

1 House

145 34%

2 Duplex

18 4%

3 Small apartment complex (10 units or less)

77 18%

4 Large apartment complex (More than 10 units)

138 33%

5 Other (please specify):

25 6%

6 Condo

6 1%

7 With friends or family who own the residence

14 3%

Total 423 100%

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Other (please specify):

sorority

Sorority House

Not a rental: ICC CO-OP house

Room in house

Live at home

own, condo

coop

Sorority house

co-op

co-op

live with parents

House converted to single room apartments. community showers no kitchen

Sorority House

co op

co-op

Co-op

Apartment in a house

Fraternity

Fraternity House

coop

Coop

Coop

own a house

Co-op

I own a condominium

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 7

Mean 2.89

Variance 2.63


Total Responses 423

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4. How long have you lived in off-campus housing?

# Answer

Response %

1 Less than 1 year

201 48%

2 1-2 years

131 31%

3 More than 2 years

91 22%

Total 423 100%

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 3

Mean 1.74

Variance 0.62


Total Responses 423

5. Following Beyond the Diag’s nine housing regions, where do you live? Please see the last page of:

# Answer

Response %

1 Old West Side

4 1%

2 Old Fourth Ward

28 7%

3 North Ingalls

24 6%

4 Germantown

24 6%

5 South University

57 13%

6 Elbel

42 10%

7 Tappen

49 12%

8 Oxbridge

12 3%

9 Yost

28 7%

10 East Packard

48 11%

11 North Burns Park

18 4%

12 North Campus

37 9%


52 12%

Total 423 100%

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West of Stadium

Beyond North Campus

Dexter Ave

North campus

South of stadium

Ypsilanti

W of Main by the Stadium

At Hill and Main near the Big House (I can't read your map at all)

Near Washtenaw and Huron Pkwy

Woodbury

Washtenaw & Carpenter Area

Ypsilanti

Near intersection of Stone School and Packard

Central

Canton, MI

dexter

Washtenaw Ct.

Eisenhower

Gregory MI

Ann Arbor Saline

Home (Plymouth)

South State

Miller/Maple

Ann Arbor

In washtenaw and hill area., near the rock which might be the oxbridge area. The map was to small for me to read Washtenaw ave.

E WIlliams

On Miller, near Kerrytown

West of the stadium

W. stadium Blvd

Ann Arbor Woods

Ypsilanti

2520 Victoria Ave.

Just south of North Ingalls neighborhood on S. Thayer

Ypsilanti

Haisley

Ypsilanti

Belleville

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Lake Village

Washtenaw

Foxfire

Ypsilanti

further off campus, down packard

Ypsi

Jackson, MI

North campus

Saline MI

Ellsworth

Yes

Ypsilanti Township

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 13

Mean 7.69

Variance 12.21


Total Responses 423

6. How many bedrooms are in your home?

# Answer

Response %

1 1

41 10%

2 2

111 26%

3 3

49 12%

4 4

69 16%

5 5

27 6%

6 More than 5

126 30%

Total 423 100%

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Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 6

Mean 3.73

Variance 3.23


Total Responses 423

7. How many people live in your housing unit total (including yourself)?

Statistic Value

Total Responses 423

20

Text Response

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

21

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

N/A

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

5

Two

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

22

6

6

6

6

6

6

7

7

7

7

7

8

8

9

9

10

10

15

23

29

50

50

52

65

Statistic Value

Total Responses 423

8. Does your landlord pay any of your utilities?

# Answer

Response %

1 Yes

219 54%

2 No

190 46%

Total 409 100%

23

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 2

Mean 1.46

Variance 0.25


Total Responses 409

9. How much do you pay for rent per month (just yourself, not including utilities)?

# Answer

Response %

1 $300 or less

25 6%

2 $301-400

26 6%

3 $401-500

74 18%

4 $501-600

98 23%

5 $601-700

96 23%

6 $701-800

55 13%

7 $801 or more

44 11%

Total 418 100%

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 7

Mean 4.33

Variance 2.57


Total Responses 418

10. Which utilities do you pay (check all that apply)?

# Answer

Response %

1 Water

178 43%

2 Electricity

347 83%

3 Heating/Cooling

205 49%

4 I don’t pay for any of my utilities

67 16%

24

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 4

Total Responses 418

11. How do you pay for utilities?

# Answer

Response %

1 Parents

164 49%

2 Personal income

108 32%

3 Scholarships

16 5%

4 Student loans

35 10%


13 4%

Total 336 100%


Student loans and personal income

A combination of scholarships and personal income

Combo of personal and parents

Grant $

Both parents and student loans. And maybe a few scholarships.

Scholarship and Student Loans

Parents and personal income

Job

Combination of loans and scholarships

Sister's income

Parents and personal

Grants

Combination of scholarships/personal income

25

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 5

Mean 1.88

Variance 1.29


Total Responses 336

12. How much do you pay for your utilities per month?

26

Water Electricity Heating/Cooling

? $35 (w/heating) $35 (w/electricity)

unknown 100.00 34.00

10 20 10

n/a 20 n/a

10 10 15

0 15 0

0 17 0

0 27.00 0

. . .

? 40 ?

10 20 20

??? ??? ???

90 200 170

0 25 0

0 30 0

$50 $50 $75

0 $12 0

0 55 0

0 50 50

50 60 60

10 10 10

$0 $20 $35

125 200 200

. 50 10

50 50 50

$93 $85 $60

0 40 0

0 $40 0

40 60 70

25 35 45

20 60 0

0 7 0

0 20 0

15 30 30

15 30 30

50 130 50

0 25 0

n/a 30 n/a

27

0 25 0

20 30 30

0 $45 0

0 80 0

0 30 50

$30 $50 $20

25 25 0

$0 $20 $30

0 20 0

0 120 0

0 $10 0

10 20 10

0 20 0

55 180 150

100 100 -

60 60 60

0 25 0

0 $40 0

N/A $10-20 N/A

0 20 20

0 40 0

Not Sure $10 $10

about $30 combined DTE electric and heating is about $50

combined DTE electric and heat is about $50

10.00 15.00 5.00

don't know don't know don't know

20 40 15

$15 $10 $20

20 20 20

included in rent 75 in electricity bill

it's every 3 months and I haven't gotten a bill yet $25 not sure

0 23.00 0

Not sure Not sure Not sure

10 10 10

$10 $20 $10

50 50 50

0 15 0

$0 $20-$40 $20-$40

28

25 15 40

0 20 0

0 $40 0

?? ?? ??

0 45 0

126 for all utilities ^ ^

0 20 0

100 80 100

0 10 25

N/A $20 N/A

0 7.00 0

included in rent included in rent included in rent

0 22.00 0

0.00 12.00 7.00

N/A 50 50

0 Average $20 0

15 15 20

$0 $16 per person $15 per person

0 $60 0

0 $10 0

15 20 10

$20 $20 $0

10 15 15

0 20.00 0

5 15 35

0 25 0

Statistic Value

Total Responses 336

29

13. For a similar-sized residence, do you think your utilities bill is:

# Answer

Response %

1 High

60 18%

2 Average

204 61%

3 Low

34 10%

4 No idea

38 11%

Total 336 100%

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 4

Mean 2.15

Variance 0.71


Total Responses 336

14. Where did you look for off-campus housing information? (Select all that apply)

# Answer

Response %

1 Off-campus housing fair

26 7%

2 U-M’s off-campus housing database

92 23%

3 Other off-campus housing database

39 10%

4 Through a friend

180 46%

5 Google

189 48%

6

Social Media (Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, etc...)

41 10%

7 Walking around and looking at signs

171 44%


34 9%

30

Other off-campus housing database Other (please specify):

recruitment

craigslist

Parents

Parents

Parents own condo

Student organization listserv

Fraternity house

Fraternity

Sorority house

craigslist

I knew that I was living in the sorority house, so I didn't look elsewhere.

Craigslist

Joined a fraternity.

I live at home still1

With family

parents

Sorority

icc.coop

school district for my son, close to bus route for me

Parents

craigslist

realty sites

Realator

Did not look.

Didn't look

rent.com

Its just my fraternity's house

icc.coop

Home

Michigan Daily

I don't

Organization housing site

REFERRALS FROM FRIENDS

Arborweb.com

Craigslist

realtor's websites

31

rent.com

ann arbor apartments

Showmetherent

Doug's Housing

campus realty

Craigslist

friends

apartment.com

Craigslist

arborweb.rentlinx.com

online rental websites

http://www.johnwcooper.com/annarbor/offcampushousing-universityofmichigan.htm

craiglist

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 8

Total Responses 392

15. When did you begin looking for off-campus housing?

# Answer

Response %

1 September

75 19%

2 October

126 33%

3 November

41 11%

4 December

25 6%

5 January

26 7%

6 February

22 6%

7 March

17 4%

8 April

9 2%

9 May

8 2%

10 June

8 2%

11 July

10 3%

12 August

19 5%

Total 386 100%

32

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 12

Mean 3.87

Variance 9.92


Total Responses 386

16. Rank the following aspects of off campus rental housing in the order of importance. (1 is most important)

# Answer 1 2 3 4 5 6

1 Price 174 118 49 23 7 2 373

2 Location 144 173 45 9 0 2 373

3 Type of residence 31 44 127 83 56 32 373

4 Appearance 6 14 57 124 97 75 373

5 Energy efficiency (heating/cooling, appliances, etc...

0 3 19 56 129 166 373

6 Safety 18 21 76 78 84 96 373

Total 373 373 373 373 373 373 -

Statistic Price Location Type of residence

Appearance Energy efficiency (heating/cooling, appliances, etc...

Safety

Min Value 1 1 1 1 2 1

Max Value 6 6 6 6 6 6

Mean 1.87 1.80 3.50 4.39 5.17 4.28

Variance 1.08 0.65 1.80 1.37 0.85 2.05

Standard Deviation 1.04 0.81 1.34 1.17 0.92 1.43

Total Responses 373 373 373 373 373 373

33

17. What is the best way for you to find out more information regarding off-campus housing related issues (e.g. landlord information, legal)?

# Answer 1 2 3 4 5 6

1 Handout 34 142 102 47 15 14 354

2 Website 269 57 25 2 1 0 354

3 Internet tutorial (video)

7 46 109 109 56 27 354

4 In-person workshop 11 11 33 107 111 81 354

5

Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.)

26 92 49 43 109 35 354

6 Beyond the Diag 7 6 36 46 62 197 354

Total 354 354 354 354 354 354 -

Statistic Handout Website Internet tutorial (video)

In-person workshop

Social Media (Facebook,

Twitter, Google+, etc.)

Beyond the Diag

Min Value 1 1 1 1 1 1

Max Value 6 5 6 6 6 6

Mean 2.74 1.33 3.68 4.52 3.63 5.09

Variance 1.38 0.43 1.37 1.46 2.41 1.56


Total Responses 354 354 354 354 354 354

18. What information would you have liked to have known before moving off campus?

34

Text Response

Price of utilities

How horrible the Co-op (ICC) was.

N/A

How long it takes to walk to certain campus buildings from each off campus neighborhood.

safety of different areas

How much some of the apartments rip off the students living there.

How to cook

More information about landlords.

i would have liked to know more about the different landlords with student reviews and different things landlords ovver

n/a

How important the insulation is in the house because it really runs up the bills

I would have like to have known how hard it is to find parking.

How much stuff you actually need around the house (cleaning supplies, bathroom supplies, cooking supplies, etc)

How safe the off campus house is.

More information on parking

How to do laundry

What resources are available to us (Beyond the Diag, Student Legal Services, etc)

Start looking for housing as soon as you get to school in September, know how many people are in you group, find the house that you want and sign it as soon as possible

How energy efficient the house is. How stupid my housemates would be.

Basic cooking stuff, how to talk to landlords, average rental prices

Whether or not living with people or alone is better for me.

Considering most students are forced to live off campus, it would be nice if the university would facilitate more off-campus housing including getting deals for students on apartments.

Bus routes. Transport to Campus.

It matters a lot who you live with

A list of realtors I can call to contact in different areas so I didn't have to walk around.

You can hear the band when they practice

What things to look at when choosing a place to live. What a decent rent is.

Some form of "Angie's List" would be nice to have for all the landlords and realty companies. It's hard to even know which ones are out there, let alone which ones are sketchy.

parking info and fines info

neighbors

The repution of realty companies

Average price per bedroom at give distances from campus

How early you need to start looking, and to make lists and visit the different apartments and make sure you know enough about them to make a decision. Things you need to look in to such as whether or not it is furnished, if it is a Sept-Sept lease or May-May, if you can have pets, etc.

35

Highly rated realtors

How expensive everything is

how the bigger rental companies, like Arch, Prime, CBG, and others take advantage of students and over-charge for rent. I now live in Nob Hill apartments which are not run like these companies at all and am much happier. The Arch house that I lived in was literally falling apart and full of code violations. You should encourage students not to use these big companies to go for smaller ones or even single landlords.

I was able to find all needed information on my own. Maybe just reminders on how early you have to start looking.

A tool for comparing all of my options.

When renewals occur

$$$ utilities

n/a

What to expect in terms of fair prices for rent, etc. What to look for when touring an apartment. Resources for dealing with problems like roommates not paying rent, issues with landlords, and the like. I've had a very positive experience, but know people who have had serious problems with these things.

All the extra fees

I know how to live in places that aren't dorms, so it was pretty easy to adjust. I didn't really need to know much information.

Average prices and info on landlords

nothing

time table of when students start looking for housing

landlord

How early you have to start looking and how important referrals are.

How expensive Ann Arbor is

None

i felt very well prepared

I would have liked to know about the monopolies that the housing agencies have on the student housing outside of the dorms. I wish I had understood that no matter where you live it's going to be ridiculously expensive and still be a shit hole

None

When to start looking for housing.

When I should start looking for housing and what are the averages prices in certain areas

Learning how to budget for food - instead of having a meal plan. It's an expense that most students who move off campus don't really initially anticipate/know exactly how to budget for.

I would have liked to have information about landlords' reputations.

none

None

Rights of tenants. Which landlords are good, which are not

How expensive everything was going to be and how limited availability was.

A large database where I could view all available properties rather than searching a bunch of different databases

Prices

36

I think i found everything I needed just by searching online and talking to the landlord.

Safety beyond locking doors and windows. Safety about careless mistakes i.e leaving stove on, water running, etc. How to save extra on electricity. What to do if there's a problem with your landlord, how to unclog drains and make simple repairs, etc.

Utilities bill, security deposit

Utility costs

No more than I had

More about potential off campus meal plans

Better information about locations, average pricing, etc.

More legal rights and responsibilities

What else is available! I would have liked to have more options

I would've liked to know that I wasn't going to have an on-campus option.

Safety of surrounding neighborhood.

What sort of parking was available on-campus

The fact that landlords raise the price even if you resign with them

None

When to start looking for housing.

When to start looking

Comparable prices and when would be the best time to start looking. I would LOVE a comprehensive list of ALL who rent--all companies, people, etc. Googling can only get you so far...

Average utility price and cheapest housing locations

How early you must sign to get what you want

None

I would have liked to have been able to stay in University Housing, but I was forced out due to poor last minute decision making regarding housing priority changes.

Known ineffective companies or landlords to avoid.

How hard it was to commute

I would have wanted help understanding how financial aid works for those who live off of campus. I understood it, but I didn't think it was easy enough to find and get help with.

It's a transition!

Na

A website about average prices for things, how to interact with landlords that don't respond/what action you can take.

no

How to deal with uncooperative landlords

How much I would spend on groceries each week.

average prices of similar properties

How fast you have to find housing for the next school year! It's ridiculous!

Monthly cost of parking for classes.

The cost of purchasing a parking spot. Its outrageously expensive

37

how difficult it was to get involved with on campus activities.

safety&price

What to expect from my land lord and what questions ot ask when looking at houses.

Statistic Value

Total Responses 212

19. What is your residency status?

# Answer

Response %

1 In-State

294 75%

2 Out-of-State

80 21%

3 International

16 4%

Total 390 100%

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 3

Mean 1.29

Variance 0.29


Total Responses 390

20. What is your academic standing?

# Answer

Response %

1 Freshmen

9 2%

2 Sophomore

83 21%

3 Junior

139 36%

4 Senior

155 40%

5 Graduate/Professional School

4 1%

Total 390 100%

38

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 5

Mean 3.16

Variance 0.72


Total Responses 390

21. What is your school/college?

# Answer

Response %

1 Architecture & Urban Planning

5 1%

2 Art & Design

7 2%

3 Business

18 5%

4 Dentistry

2 1%

5 Education

7 2%

6 Engineering

92 24%

7 Graduate Studies, Rackham School of

0 0%

8 Information, School of

0 0%

9 Kinesiology

15 4%

10 Law

0 0%

11 Literature, Science, and the Arts

218 56%

12 Medicine

0 0%

13 Music, Theatre & Dance

7 2%

14 Natural Resources & Environment

2 1%

15 Nursing

13 3%

16 Pharmacy

0 0%

17 Public Health

0 0%

18 Public Policy

4 1%

19 Social Work

0 0%

Total 390 100%

39

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 18

Mean 9.20

Variance 10.57


Total Responses 390

22. Would you be interested in participating a focus group on improving the energy efficiency in off campus housing? (FREE food will be provided)

# Answer

Response %

1 Yes (Please provide your email address)

47 12%

2 No

343 88%

Total 390 100%

*Text responses were removed for confidentiality purposes

23. If you're interested in entering a drawing for the $50 gift card, please leave your email address. (It will not be used for any other purpose)

*Responses were removed for confidentiality purposes

40

Appendix B: Survey respondents who live on campus 1. Do you currently live off-campus?

# Answer

Response %

1 Yes

0 0%

2 No

262 100%

Total 262 100%

Statistic Value

Min Value 2

Max Value 2

Mean 2.00

Variance 0.00


Total Responses 262

2. Have you signed a lease for Fall 2013?

# Answer

Response %

1 Yes

57 22%

2 No, and I don't plan to

90 35%

3 No, but I plan to

113 43%

Total 260 100%

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 3

Mean 2.22

Variance 0.61


Total Responses 260

41


# Answer

Response %


27 17%


36 23%


17 11%

4 Through a friend

88 56%

5 Google

80 51%

6


14 9%


67 42%


7 4%


family helped me look

Sorority

I received emails from apartment complexes like Courtyard and Wolverine Towers, so I learned about different places through email as well.

Craigslist

Fraternity

I don't live off campus

online

co-op website

Trulia.com


realtor's websites

apartments.com

showmetherent.com

42

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 8

Total Responses 158


# Answer

Response %

1 September

40 25%

2 October

85 54%

3 November

21 13%

4 December

4 3%

5 January

1 1%

6 February

1 1%

7 March

1 1%

8 April

0 0%

9 May

1 1%

10 June

0 0%

11 July

2 1%

12 August

2 1%

Total 158 100%

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 12

Mean 2.29

Variance 3.34


Total Responses 158

43


# Answer 1 2 3 4 5 6

1 Price 120 68 19 11 6 1 225

2 Location 65 104 50 4 1 1 225


4 Appearance 5 9 36 76 53 46 225


0 0 16 32 80 97 225

6 Safety 17 16 31 42 54 65 225

Total 225 225 225 225 225 225 -



Safety

Min Value 1 1 1 1 3 1

Max Value 6 6 6 6 6 6

Mean 1.75 2.00 3.46 4.34 5.15 4.31

Variance 1.07 0.70 1.66 1.47 0.84 2.41


Total Responses 225 225 225 225 225 225

44


# Answer 1 2 3 4 5 6

1 Handout 19 90 60 28 11 8 216

2 Website 148 42 19 7 0 0 216


9 29 63 67 32 16 216


5


20 29 24 32 83 28 216

6 Beyond the Diag 0 2 11 23 44 136 216

Total 216 216 216 216 216 216 -


In-person workshop



Beyond the Diag

Min Value 1 1 1 1 1 2

Max Value 6 4 6 6 6 6

Mean 2.75 1.47 3.61 3.79 3.99 5.39

Variance 1.38 0.62 1.50 2.16 2.40 0.87


Total Responses 216 216 216 216 216 216

18. What information would you have liked to have known before moving off campus?

45

Text Response

More websites regarding all possible housing options

-How terrible my last apartment complex was. -The Health/Safety assessment of the building, through the Health Dept, or whatever.

I haven't moved yet, so I don't know!

I wish there was more information about what to look for in a house/apartment. Questions to ask the landlord, questions to ask the current tenants

How the monthly rent works, whether the price listed is for the whole unit or per person

I live on campus...

What all my options are.

That people start leasing so early! I had no idea. I figured it would start much later in the school year and now everything is almost picked over.

I haven't

None

Where to find the best houses

I don't live off campus.

What do I look for? What's good? What's not?

That you need to start looking for off-campus housing for next year immediately, and where the cheapest and best options are. It was difficult to find places that would work with a good price and a good location.

What is the median price and what are some of my options?

When to start looking

n/a

Not sure

Who our neighbors will be

Although technically I still live on campus, I do live in an apartment complex. I guess I would have liked to know more about how much utilities, like gas and electric would cost me if I lived off campus.

Price, location, and safety.

what's available and how do this process efficiently

Pretty much everything

N/A

Where to look for housing

I'm still living on campus but am looking at housing for next year, whether on- or off-campus. I'm looking for any information that can help me make an informed choice - especially a compilation of choices with prices, lease lengths, locations, amenities, etc.

Location, price and if i have roommates

how does sub-leasing work?

I would have liked to have known more about the availability of certain sized houses. For example, I looked for a house with a group of 8 people, and it was very stressful because there aren't very many large houses.

Havent yet

All of the housing options

The safety of the neighborhood, apartment, etc; What is including within the apartment, house, etc; the

46

security deposit; if i have to pay for the summer

Average pricing for off-campus housing. Amentities, etc.

How to compare prices.

prices

The extreme competition and early signing dates. I was largely aware of this but dod not understand the pressure to sign a lease as early as possible.

The prices of some of the properties. Lots of the websites have very little information and the Realtor wouldn't give us the price until the Ann Arbor ordinance was up.

How soon to start looking

n/a

Am I really going to be able to afford to live off campus.

What do people normally pay for off-campus housing?

How pricing compares to on campus housing, bus schedules/transportation.

I have not yet moved off campus but it seems like an overwhelming process.

None

n/a

N/A

Average price

None I am pretty set, thanks for your help!

Have not moved off campus yet.

I did not move off campus

I actually need a lot of information and have nowhere to look... so would appreciate more information on how to connect with people who also want to find off campus housing and what companies to use.

N/A

financial aid coverage

where it is

where is it

N/A

I would have like to known the different locations, prices, and size.

table of comparing costs

How soon to actually start looking for an apartment

Buses

Local Realtors

The law about signing leases, where the most secure area is, and companies that cater to larger groups.

N/A

I'm not moving off campus.

That you need to sign as soon as you like a house, and have a hose in mind before anyone else starts looking. Also that housing companies have no patience or sympathy if you make a single mistake.

All possible north campus options and when it's the best time to start looking and signing a lease. I was overwhelmed that people were already deciding where to live next year in October.

47

How the timing and bus scheduling will work getting to/from classes, etc.

All realtors in town... their contact information, number of houses, reputation, rating.

Will my financial aid package be tampered with? Who can be my roommate? What options do I have as far as meal plans, library usage, and parking on campus?

other people's experiences

How Financial aid works for off campus housing.

How much money would I receive from the campus if I chose to live off campus than a dorm if I'm fully covered by financial aid?

N/A

There is nothing really I would have liked to know, but I wish the deadline would be extended (unless it hasn't reached yet)

How to lease out the place for the summer when I won't be in Ann Arbor.

Where to look for off-campus housing.

Nothing, it was pretty easy for me

I would have liked to have known about all housing options and prices for dorms and off campus living

Not sure because I haven't been off yet

The prices.

The cost of food per month


To start as early as possible for looking

The best way I get information about off campus housing is from people who live off-campus. Having people who live off campus talk about how they choose the place they live in or how they like it or any advice would be super helpful

How much do utilities typically cost

Start looking as early as possible

ease of living

How to go about acquiring off-campus housing in the first place-the different options, an approximate timeline, the different areas of the campus you could live in.

How much utilities and food cost

I don't live off campus?

I would have liked to know which houses are going to be re-leased for the following year. I started my search early for an off-campus house, but a lot of the houses I saw online and liked were going to be re-leased, but the website did not say that.

When to sign a lease, rights as a renter ect.

more information about on campus housing earlier

whether or not financial aid covers apartments

Cheapest places to rent, safest places to live

Statistic Value

Total Responses 95

48


# Answer

Response %

1 In-State

162 69%

2 Out-of-State

67 29%

3 International

5 2%

Total 234 100%

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 3

Mean 1.33

Variance 0.26


Total Responses 234


# Answer

Response %

1 Freshmen

126 54%

2 Sophomore

83 35%

3 Junior

18 8%

4 Senior

7 3%


0 0%

Total 234 100%

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 4

Mean 1.60

Variance 0.58


Total Responses 234

49


# Answer

Response %


0 0%

2 Art & Design

6 3%

3 Business

7 3%

4 Dentistry

0 0%

5 Education

0 0%

6 Engineering

55 24%


0 0%


0 0%

9 Kinesiology

3 1%

10 Law

0 0%


150 64%

12 Medicine

1 0%


9 4%


0 0%

15 Nursing

2 1%

16 Pharmacy

0 0%

17 Public Health

0 0%

18 Public Policy

1 0%

19 Social Work

0 0%

Total 234 100%

Statistic Value

Min Value 2

Max Value 18

Mean 9.47

Variance 8.13


Total Responses 234

50

22. Would you be interested in participating a focus group on improving the energy efficiency in off campus housing? (FREE food will be provided)

# Answer

Response %

1 Yes (Please provide your email address)

18 8%

2 No

216 92%

Total 234 100%

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 2

Mean 1.92

Variance 0.07


Total Responses 234 *Reponses have been removed for confidentiality purposes

23. If you're interested in entering a drawing for the $50 gift card, please leave your email address. (It will not be used for any other purpose)

Statistic Value

Total Responses 220 *Responses have been removed for confidentiality purposes

51

Appendix C: Relevant Qualtrics Reponses for All Respondents 1. Do you currently live off-campus?

# Answer

Response %

1 Yes

442 63%

2 No

262 37%

Total 704 100%

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 2

Mean 1.37

Variance 0.23


Total Responses 704


# Answer

Response %


53 10%


128 23%


56 10%

4 Through a friend

268 49%

5 Google

269 49%

6


55 10%


238 43%


41 7%

52


recruitment

craigslist

Parents

Parents

Parents own condo

family helped me look

Student organization listserv

Fraternity house

Sorority

I received emails from apartment complexes like Courtyard and Wolverine Towers, so I learned about different places through email as well.

Fraternity

Craigslist

Fraternity

Sorority house

craigslist

I knew that I was living in the sorority house, so I didn't look elsewhere.

Craigslist

Joined a fraternity.

I live at home still1

With family

parents

Sorority

icc.coop

school district for my son, close to bus route for me

Parents

craigslist

realty sites

Realator

Did not look.

Didn't look

rent.com

Its just my fraternity's house

icc.coop


Home

53

online

Michigan Daily

I don't

Organization housing site

REFERRALS FROM FRIENDS

Arborweb.com

Craigslist

realtor's websites

rent.com

ann arbor apartments

Showmetherent

co-op website

Doug's Housing

Trulia.com


campus realty

Craigslist

friends

apartment.com

realtor's websites

apartments.com

Craigslist

arborweb.rentlinx.com

online rental websites

showmetherent.com


craiglist

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 8

Total Responses 550

54


# Answer

Response %

1 September

115 21%

2 October

211 39%

3 November

62 11%

4 December

29 5%

5 January

27 5%

6 February

23 4%

7 March

18 3%

8 April

9 2%

9 May

9 2%

10 June

8 1%

11 July

12 2%

12 August

21 4%

Total 544 100%

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 12

Mean 3.41

Variance 8.51


Total Responses 544

55


# Answer 1 2 3 4 5 6

1 Price 294 186 68 34 13 3 598

2 Location 209 277 95 13 1 3 598


4 Appearance 11 23 93 200 150 121 598


0 3 35 88 209 263 598

6 Safety 35 37 107 120 138 161 598

Total 598 598 598 598 598 598 -



Safety

Min Value 1 1 1 1 2 1

Max Value 6 6 6 6 6 6

Mean 1.82 1.88 3.48 4.37 5.16 4.29

Variance 1.08 0.68 1.75 1.40 0.84 2.18


Total Responses 598 598 598 598 598 598

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# Answer 1 2 3 4 5 6

1 Handout 53 232 162 75 26 22 570

2 Website 417 99 44 9 1 0 570


16 75 172 176 88 43 570


5


46 121 73 75 192 63 570

6 Beyond the Diag 7 8 47 69 106 333 570

Total 570 570 570 570 570 570 -


In-person workshop



Beyond the Diag

Min Value 1 1 1 1 1 1

Max Value 6 5 6 6 6 6

Mean 2.75 1.38 3.66 4.25 3.76 5.21

Variance 1.38 0.51 1.42 1.84 2.43 1.32


Total Responses 570 570 570 570 570 570

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# Answer

Response %

1 In-State

456 73%

2 Out-of-State

147 24%

3 International

21 3%

Total 624 100%

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 3

Mean 1.30

Variance 0.28


Total Responses 624


# Answer

Response %

1 Freshmen

135 22%

2 Sophomore

166 27%

3 Junior

157 25%

4 Senior

162 26%


4 1%

Total 624 100%

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 5

Mean 2.57

Variance 1.24


Total Responses 624

58


# Answer

Response %


5 1%

2 Art & Design

13 2%

3 Business

25 4%

4 Dentistry

2 0%

5 Education

7 1%

6 Engineering

147 24%


0 0%


0 0%

9 Kinesiology

18 3%

10 Law

0 0%


368 59%

12 Medicine

1 0%


16 3%


2 0%

15 Nursing

15 2%

16 Pharmacy

0 0%

17 Public Health

0 0%

18 Public Policy

5 1%

19 Social Work

0 0%

Total 624 100%

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 18

Mean 9.30

Variance 9.66


Total Responses 624

59

60

Appendix D: Frequently Asked Questions for “Potential Student Renter”

How early should I begin looking for housing? Unlike living on campus, there is no universal housing application or deadline when signing a lease off-campus. In a study done by University of Michigan students, 21% of current and potential renters began looking in September, 39% began looking in October. That number dropped to 11% by November, and no greater than 5% of students began looking in each subsequent month (Q. 15, Appendix C).

Does the landlord pay for utilities, and are these included in the stated rent price? It depends on the unit you rent! For approximately half of all students, their landlords pay for some or all of their utilities (Q. 8, Appendix A). For those who pay their own utilities, 42% pay for water, 83% pay for electricity, and 49% pay for their heating/cooling bills (Q. 9, Appendix A). Additionally, reducing water use has the potential to lower gas/electric costs due to savings in water heating.

Some rent prices include utilities, while others don’t. What is important is that you have a discussion with your prospective landlord that addresses these concerns (See Appendix E: Take Charge).

Where can I compare different off-campus housing options, including their number of rooms, utilities costs, parking availability, amenities, etc.? a2energy.org is in the process of integrating this resource on our Student Renters tab! But until then, the following links provide available housing data, though we cannot confirm the accuracy of these postings:

• http://www.offcampus.housing.umich.edu/lt/index.cfm • http://www.a2cribs.com • http://annarbor.craigslist.org/hhh/

What is the schedule for trash, recycling, and compost pick up? Trash and recycling are picked up every week in Ann Arbor. Additionally, trash and recycling bins should be available for every unit in Ann Arbor. Compost bins can be purchased from the city for $50. More information about city composting regulations can be found here:

• http://www.a2gov.org/government/publicservices/fieldoperations/solidwasteunit/Compost/Pages/Compost.aspx

How do I make sure I don’t end up hating my housemates? Sorry, we can’t help you with that one!

http://www.offcampus.housing.umich.edu/lt/index.cfm

http://www.a2cribs.com/

http://annarbor.craigslist.org/hhh/

http://www.a2gov.org/government/publicservices/fieldoperations/solidwasteunit/Compost/Pages/Compost.aspx

http://www.a2gov.org/government/publicservices/fieldoperations/solidwasteunit/Compost/Pages/Compost.aspx

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Appendix E: Take Charge What you should know before signing a lease

Hey students! Before signing a lease, it is crucial to have a discussion with your landlord about anything that may be of concern to you. You’ll want to make sure you know about the utilities costs. You may not have known that landlords are required to disclose heating costs and should provide all utility costs along with rent. Here are some questions that can help you gauge the cost-savings potential of a rental home, and the reliability of your landlord:

“Which utilities (water, electricity, heating/cooling) are included as part of the rent price?”

“Can you provide me with last year’s monthly utilities bills of this particular unit? Where can I get the information if you do not have it?”

“Can I speak with a previous tenant (or another tenant if the units are similar) about any concerns I may have with the unit?”

“If there is a problem with the windows, heating, air conditioning, insulation, etc., how quickly do you agree to respond and fix it?”

“Is parking available and/or included in the rent? If I choose not to have a car, where are the nearest public transportation stops?”

“When was the last time you updated the appliances to Energy Star?”

“Is there a programmable thermostat in the home?”

“Would you be willing to replace all current light bulbs with more efficient, long-lasting CFL or LED bulbs?”

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Appendix F: A2Cribs.com Integrated Housing Map

Screenshot from www.A2Cribs.com

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Appendix G: Specific changes to the Qualtrics Survey Questions The following questions should be changed according to the following (Green denotes an addition):

Q1: Do you currently live off-campus? 1. Yes 2. No 3. Yes, but I commute

Q3: What kind of property do you currently rent? 1. House 2. Duplex 3. Small apartment complex (10 units or less) 4. Large apartment complex (More than 10 units) 5. Condo 6. Greek housing 7. Co-op housing 8. With friends or family who own the residence 9. I don’t rent (i.e. I live with my parents) 10. Other (please specify):

The following two questions should be changed from free-response to multiple choice (as shown):

Q7: How many people live in your housing unit total (including yourself)? • 1 • 2 • 3 • 4

• 5 • 6 • 7 • 8

• 9 • 10-20 • 20+

Q12: What is the most that you’ve had to pay for your utilities per month (per month, per person) in the fall semester? Water

• 0-5 • 6-10 • 11-15 • 16-20 • 25-30 • 30+ • I Don’t Know

Electricity

• 0-5 • 6-10 • 11-15 • 16-20 • 25-30 • 30+ • I Don’t Know

Heating/Cooling

• 0-5 • 6-10 • 11-15 • 16-20 • 25-30 • 30+ • I Don’t Know

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Additional Question:

Q13: What is the most that you’ve had to pay for your utilities per month (per month, per person) in the winter semester? Water

• 0-5 • 6-10 • 11-15 • 16-20 • 25-30 • 30+ • I Don’t Know

Electricity

• 0-5 • 6-10 • 11-15 • 16-20 • 25-30 • 30+ • I Don’t Know

Heating/Cooling

• 0-5 • 6-10 • 11-15 • 16-20 • 25-30 • 30+ • I Don’t Know

The following questions should be changed from the existing wording (shown first) to the revised wording (shown second)

Existing Revised Q22: Would you be interested participating a focus group on improving the energy efficiency in off campus housing? (FREE Food will be provided)

Q22: Would you be willing to attend a focus group at 00:00 on MM/DD? (There will be a chance to win a gift card!)

Q23: If you're interested in entering a drawing for the $50 gift card, please leave your email address. (It will not be used for any other purpose)

Q23: If you're interested in entering a drawing for the $25 gift card (separate from the focus group), please leave your email address. (It will not be used for any other purpose)

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Appendix H: Focus Group Questions

Current renters: • How would you define “energy efficiency” in your unit? • How would you rate the energy efficiency in your unit? • What have you done to improve the energy efficiency? • What has your landlord done to improve energy efficiency in your homes (installed new

appliances, light bulbs, and insulation)? • How important to you were energy and cost-efficient utilities when you first started looking for

housing? Has that priority changed for you since then? • If it was important to you, how did you obtain information about it? • Is there anything else that you would like us to know?

Other possible questions: • What is your level of interest in learning about sustainability in your off-campus home? • What would be the most convenient way for you to obtain more information about how to be

more energy efficient in your homes?

Potential renters: • How would you define “energy efficiency” in off-campus housing units? • How have you obtained information about off-campus housing? • How important to you are energy and cost-efficient utilities in your off-campus housing search? • If this is important to you, how do you obtain information about it or how would you go about

obtaining information about it? • Did you know that U of M has its own off-campus housing database? • Have you ever heard of A2Cribs.com? • Is there anything else that you would like us to know?

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Appendix I: Current E-peeps page on a2energy.org

Documents

Greening Off-Campus Rental Housinggraham.umich.edu/media/files/campus-course-reports/Greening Off-… · • Frame rental housing energy efficiency as part of home’s overall cost