Below is a partial list of national certification programs and a few links to lists of local programs.

Homes

LEED for Homes 

ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes

PATH (Partnership for Advanced Technology in Housing) maintains a comprehensive listing of local green home certification programs in 24 states. View their list here.

NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) certifies green homes and maintains a list of local green home certification programs in 31 states. View their list here.

Multi-family residential buildings

LEED for Neighborhood Development 

Commercial buildings

LEED for New Construction

Existing buildings

LEED for Existing Buildings

The GreenRenter Score is NOT a third-party certification program like the USGBC's LEED Rating System.

Third-party certification programs like LEED provide independent verification that a building has implemented the green features claimed. The GreenRenter Score is based solely on the information provided to GreenRenter and is not verified by our staff.

There are benefits and drawbacks to this approach.
Third-party programs provide insurance to buyers and tenants that a building actually meets a specified green standard. The GreenRenter Score does not. However, third-party programs impose significant demands on building owners - they can be both costly and time consuming. With the GreenRenter Score there is no charge and the survey form takes less than 30 minutes to complete.

5 - Wow - this building is OTT (over the top)! It's one of the greenest buildings on GreenRenter and has likely won awards in its region. If it hasn't, it should.

4 - A score to be proud of! This building is comprehensive in its approach to sustainability.

3 - Yes! This one's way greener than a conventional building and a good effort by the owner and management team. They've implemented several green features and probably see great potential for more.

2 - Caution - greening in progress! This owner's taken the plunge so check back - there's probably more green upgrades on the way.

1 - Just getting started! This building's few green features got it listed but there's lots more to do.

At GreenRenter we recognize that not all buildings were created equal. That's why we developed our own scoring system for green buildings. The GreenRenter Score provides a snapshot of a building's sustainability using a scale of 1 to 5, the higher the number the greener the building.

This score takes into account a building's green features, its location and the breadth and innovativeness of the measures employed. A building's GreenRenter Score is intended to help potential renters quickly compare buildings and to give owners taking the extra step the recognition they deserve. Remember, each building is unique. The building with the highest score may not be the one that best meets a tenant's needs.

What does a building's score signify?

5 - Wow - this building is OTT (over the top)! It's one of the greenest buildings on GreenRenter and has likely won awards in its region. If it hasn't, it should.

4 - A score to be proud of! This building is comprehensive in its approach to sustainability.

3 - Yes! This one's way greener than a conventional building and a good effort by the owner and management team. They've implemented several green features and probably see great potential for more.

2 - Caution - greening in progress! This owner's taken the plunge so check back - there's probably more green upgrades on the way.

1 - Just getting started! This building's few green features got it listed but there's lots more to do.