Sustainability promotion through information provision: the perspective of Australian apartment owners and renters

Abstract

ABSTRACT The provision of sustainability information is a crucial step in raising awareness and promoting sustainability in the residential sector. The effectiveness of this information in increasing interest in sustainability depends on its relevancy and suitability for the intended recipients, namely potential buyers or renters. However, the evaluation of such suitability is impeded due to limited research regarding buyers’ and renters’ preferences and priorities for sustainability information. A nationwide survey of 410 respondents living in Australia provided the data to understand the sustainability priorities and information preferences of three apartment stakeholders: owner-residents, investors, and renters. The survey investigated how ownership type and demographics influence sustainability priorities as well as the perceived importance of information across three criteria: comfort, cost and consumption, and layout and location. The results show that current and potential apartment buyers and renters place high importance on receiving information pertaining to all three criteria. The comfort criterion was found to be significantly more important across most of the studied ownership and demographic groups. Findings from this study can assist apartment developers and researchers in determining key sustainability information that aligns with the preferences and priorities of the targeted buyers and renters.