Private tenant's choices between aesthetics, energy efficiency and comfort

The Dutch rental market in the private sector is a rather small market in comparison. About 10% of the housing stock is privately rented. Mainly the people at the end or the beginning of their home career are renting their dwellings in this sector. The rental prices are widely dispersed, with rents about twice as high in the capital compared to the former mining areas in the south. Using 3D-virtual designs of facades, we investigated their preferences for characteristics associated with sustainability (bio facades, bio shading), comfort (glazing), and architectural design characteristics (Shape, Materials) and rents. The questionnaire was filled out by 116 respondents all intending to relocate. Except for shape, all other characteristics were influencing respondents’ choices. The results seem to suggest that rather than choosing for energy efficiency, choices for bio facades and bio shading afforded respondents environmental attitudes.