Sustainability in Single-Family Rental and Build-to-Rent

Report Summary: The single-family rental (SFR) and build-to-rent (BTR) sectors are among the fastest-growing segments of residential real estate. They accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic and show continuing signs of growth and demand. This primer introduces real estate professionals to the current picture of sustainability in these much-discussed asset types. With a strong business case, and both climate and biodiversity emergencies heating up and poised to drive significant industry change, real estate professionals need to know the environmental and social risks, impacts, and opportunities in the sectors, and what companies in the SFR space are doing to achieve strong outcomes. Like any asset type, single-family rental sustainability performance has room to improve, and promising approaches are being taken to reduce the sector’s environmental footprint, build more efficient homes, and provide attainable housing to more households, all while enhancing returns.