Ideal Bite

I have been a landlady since 1974. since I was a college student before that, my goal was to change people's perceptions about "crotchety, etc. landlords" and show people that landlords are people too and that when you respect your tenants you get respect back. It worked and I have had(almost 100%) great relations with my tenants. What really makes me sad is the "politically correct" way that so many people refer to landlords as the so called "enemy", including you. It's press like this that continues the "nasty landlord" myth and makes personl relations between landlords and tenants hard to overcome. There are a lot of us out here that strive to offer nice accomodations that are kept up and we try hard to please our tenants. Your site is enlightened in many ways. Perhaps you should reconsider your position about landlords in the future. Not all of us are bad and not all tenants are bad either. We are all just people. Let's start out with respect...it seems to make relations much nicer that way. Thanks.

The problem with those compact florescent light bulbs is that they contain mercury - which we know is a neurotoxin. Shouldn't go into the landfill. There should be a warning label on the package and instructions for proper disposal.

Hallelujah! About time advice is available to renters. Just about every advice I see about greening homes only apply to homeowners, which isolates a huge percent of Americans who rent. This is a much needed tip and I'll be sure to spread it around to all of my renter friends!

The other problem with compact fluorescents is that when they are power cycled alot - turned off and on - they don't last very long. In high use areas some have lifespans near that of incadescent bulbs. That doesn't really justify the toxic mercury in them. Other options for these areas include LED lights.

Ann, I agree with you. I am a renter myself, but my family has rented apartments to people for about 40 years, and usually it's the renters who are the nightmares. Lots of people have absolutely NO respect for rental properties. All the messes I've seen throughout my life have taught me how to be a renter that I would like to have - I treat the townhouse I'm in now with respect and care, as if I own it.

I was thinking of suggesting a tankless water heater to my landlord since the owner of the building pays for water. I also wish we had one because I waste so much water waiting for the water to be the right temperature. It gets really hot or really cold without warning because so many people use the same plumbing. I wonder if the tankless would solve that problem. Either way, it would save a lot of energy and that would make my suggestion worthwhile.

March 31, 2007, 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM was the first EARTH HOUR. Around the world people were supposed to turn off all things electrical. It didn't get much publicity this time but hopefully it will catch on. My friends & I did our part - it was fun besides giving back to Mother Earth! Go to earthhour.org for the details! Imagine New York dark for an hour.

When thinking about energy efficiency, don't forget your (or your landlord's)outdoor lighting. Replace ugly, energy sucking flood lights with a "Glarebuster" www.theglarebuster.com - Save money and save our precious night sky! Also a little scary... current research shows that loss of a dark sleeping environment can lead to breast cancer, or infertility.

Our compact fluorescent bulbs did come with the "proper disposal required" info on the packaging....albeit in fairly "fine print". I even saved that part of the package to remind me, in case one burns out. I wasn't aware that they were susceptible to shortened life spans in high use areas...good to know. Unfortunately, that's what all the "green guides" tell you to do - replace your most used bulbs with the compact fluroescents! -sigh-