Would you rent an off the grid house? (sale, apartments)

[hotzcatz]

Aloha Forum Folks!

Everyone has probably noticed now isn't such a good time to sell property so we are going to rent our old house when we move into the new one. Well, "newer" anyway. The house we live in now is off the electric grid but other than that, it's pretty much a "normal" house. Well, except it's a hundred years old. But, we are trying to decide if we should leave the solar electric system in place and rent it as an "off the grid" type house or if we should get it attached to the electrical grid before renting it.

At the moment, it has big solar panels on the roof, an inverter and battery bank with back up gas generator. The solar panels need no maintenance, nor does the inverter, but the batteries occasionally need the water checked and the generator needs to have gas added and the oil checked. Also, being off the grid in the first place, one has to be extremely aware of leaving lights on, using too much power, etc. There is a gauge, but one has to learn to look at it occasionally. Is this too much effort for a renter to make, do you think? Are renters used to their landlords paying for their utilities? Would you rent an off the grid house or would that be a complete "never do it" sort of thing?

I haven't really been a landlord before, I suspect this is going to be an adventure.

A hui hou!

[carmel123]

Hotzcatz:

My husband and I are landlords and I would think off-grid could be an advantage for renters living on a budget or simply green minded. I would suggest a how-to binder with good instructions and photographs of all parts that need upkeep along with a calendar with reminder dates marked to check fluid levels etc.

I am sure you will have to go by occasionally and check on upkeep. We try and do this every other month. We do call at least three days ahead and give the tenants notice, since we like to look under all sinks to check for leaks and other problems. We want to keep everything in good working order to avoid expensive problems that can be caused by neglect, especially plumbing leaks.

You will know within a couple of months if they can't manage the system and then you could choose to hook up to the grid if it isn't working to have the tenants off-grid.

Good luck. I would advertise off-grid and see what happens.

[OpenD]

In general I'm in agreement with Carmel, however two things occur to me...

1. The more "out of the norm" a house is, the more careful you need to be in your selection of tenants, because...

2. Tenants never get complicated systems right. Maintenance never gets handled the way you would handle it yourself. Ever.

If you say "add a cup of bleach once a month" you might get no bleach added for months, a gallon of bleach added all at once after 6 months to "catch up," a cup of vinegar added because that's what they thought you said, etc. etc. etc. The idea of a handbook with pictures is great, but you'll need to make sure they a) understand it and b) will actually do what it says.

I say this because I know that batteries for solar storage are expensive, and batteries are easily damaged if not maintained properly.

I think your best bet will be to advertise the solar as a feature, and find a tenant who is philosophically compatible with you, and sees the solar system (et al) as a great thing, not just as something quaint or different to put up with.

And to answer one of your specific questions, "Are renters used to their landlords paying for their utilities?" No, not at all. It is typically only done when the landlord has no way to have the tenant pay their own utility bills directly, such as having two apartments on the same meter.

[KonaKat]

I know quite a few folks that rent off the grid places and they don't mind it at all. Usually these are MUCH cheaper than houses with all the "usual" utilities and it's really a help to them to find something that they can afford. We don't manage any homes like that but I have even looked at one place that I considered buying and that part of things actually made me want it more. It was on a small acreage of about 3 acres.

I do agree with the other posters who said you should plan on checking your solar system once a month or something like that. Since you do live in Hawaii you can. Just be sure you have a good Lease, be very open and up front w/ your applicants and have every tiny thing in writing, either in your lease or in a handbook which by reference is incorporated into the lease.

Best wishes and have a happy time in your new house, too.

[Slinkygirl]

I would absolutely do it if the landlord gave me clear instructions on how to maintain everything. I'd really like to not have to pay electric bills. In fact, I might be looking for a place in July for a year or so....

[hotzcatz]

Thanks for your advice, folks! This is a new thing for us so we don't have a clue on how renting out the house will be, let alone renting one off the grid. Living off the grid isn't so much about maintaining the system as it is about living with the system, no massive use of electricity and forgetting and leaving the lights on, etc. The batteries are just golf cart deep cycle batteries, they aren't all that expensive, but they aren't cheap either so we'd prefer they not get toasted.

Since most other landlords would expect the renters to pay for power, perhaps leaving the solar here and letting the renters be off the grid would work. But we will still have to chew on it a bit before making a final decision. It's nice to have input while deciding, though!

It's not like the house is off in the boonies or anything. It's even within 1,500 feet of a post office although that's about all the amenities in our little village. There's County water, cable, pavement, all sorts of "normal" things - even a street light, we just aren't connected to the grid. So, it's kinda an odd rental, you'd think the "off grid" sorts of folks would want to live in the boonies, yet this house is off grid and it's at least semi-civilized. At least, I hope so!

Well, we still have several months before it will be ready to be rented, we will be signing the final papers for the other house tomorrow and then we get to shift way too much stuff. Sigh! Ha! If we have a huge garage sale we won't have to move as much stuff!

[smarino]

"I haven't really been a landlord before, I suspect this is going to be an adventure".

Understatement of the year there. LOL. My experiences w/ renters has not been that good. If something can go wrong, it will, and I'd be more concerned about stuff disappearing than breaking. Theft is a huge problem in the outer areas of Hawaii, and unless you are there yourself to keep an eye on things, well. If you get the right tenants, and they exist, then you MIGHT be all right. Bottom line: I would be very concerned about having expensive stuff unattended w/ or w/o tenants. I don't mean your tenants will steal anything, it's about the times when no one is there. I wish I had a dollar for every generator that was "liberated".

[TheKiwi]

There are good renters out there (myself included) that would jump at the opportunity to live in a unique house like yours! Don't be discouraged. It just may take a little extra time to find the right renter, but I think you will!

[mdand3boys]

No,we wouldn't. It would seem too much like camping. Been there. Done that. Don't care for it anymore. Just my opinion...

[OpenD]

Hey Catz,

After sleeping on this question, I think the right approach would be to feature the solar power aspect. Literally. Make it a selling point.

Solar Power House for Lease. That's how I would headline it. That way the people who are interested in sustainability, combating the rising cost of electricity, and supporting alternative energy approaches will have an immediate flag on something that could make it more attractive to them than conventional houses. And those that find the idea less than attractive will also be able to immediately see that it is not for them. That saves time for everyone.

I do think that the rapid rises in energy costs currently being experienced will only make your property more and more attractive to like-minded people as time passes.