Navigating Energy Mandates in Multifamily Sector: Insights from Apartment Owners and Managers

Mariana Arcaya (), Daniela Morales (), Dongxiao Niu (), Chenhan Shao () and Siqi Zheng ()
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Mariana Arcaya: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Daniela Morales: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dongxiao Niu: University of Cambridge
Chenhan Shao: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Siqi Zheng: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

International Real Estate Review, 2026, vol. 29, issue 2, 175-203

Abstract: The built environment accounts for a substantial share of urban greenhouse gas emissions, and a growing number of U.S. cities have responded by enacting mandatory building performance standards (BPS) that impose energy and emissions targets on commercial and multifamily properties. Multifamily housing, which represents roughly one-third of the U.S. housing stock and an even larger share of building-sector emissions in major cities, sits at the center of this regulatory shift. However, the BPS landscape is highly fragmented across jurisdictions in terms of metrics, targets, and enforcement, thus creating compliance complexity for developers, owners, and asset managers. This report draws on interviews with executives of representative multifamily companies across the United States to document industry perceptions and experiences of municipal energy efficiency mandates. It summarizes the principal compliance challenges, cost and operational implications, and strategic considerations that shape how the multifamily sector is navigating the transition to stricter performance standards.

Keywords: Building performance standards (BPS); Multifamily housing; Energy efficiency mandates; Urban decarbonization; Real estate compliance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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