Tina & Javier’s Story: A Win-Win for both Renters and Landlords
A Calgary renter and her landlord could not be happier with the upgrades and benefits they received through the Home Upgrades Program.
Tina and her two school-aged sons moved to Calgary from Chile nine years ago. For the past three years, the small family has been renting a 1980s townhouse in Southwest Calgary from Javier, who lives in Vancouver.
When Javier purchased the property a few years ago, he completed some initial renovations to prepare the townhouse for tenants but knew that the aging building would need bigger upgrades over time.
“I chatted with a few neighbours, and they all told me the same thing: ‘You know, eventually, you may have to replace the windows, because they are not good for energy savings.’ I remember one of them was not able to close properly. My tenant told me, ‘Javier, it gets a bit chilly in the winter because we can feel some air coming in’,” he shared.
After Tina raised her concerns about the drafty windows, Javier arranged for a maintenance worker to inspect them and add air sealing around the frames. Despite his efforts, the townhouse remained cold in Calgary’s harsh winters, and Tina found herself keeping the heat lower to manage her bills.
“I just didn’t heat the house as much as I like,” Tina explained. “I would always keep the temperature fairly low knowing that a lot of our heat was just going out the windows anyway, and I didn’t want to pay a high gas bill.”
To compensate, Tina and her sons wore more layers inside their home. Her interest in reducing her energy use was also shaped by her climate concerns. Tina regularly kept an eye out for energy rebates and other opportunities that could help her family lower their costs and reduce their environmental impact. It was through this search that she came across the Home Upgrades Program online.
“I'm quite aware of a lot of the other City programs, but most of them are for owners and [the Home Upgrades Program] was probably the first one to include renters. As soon as I found out about it, I thought it would be a great thing for this place.”
Tina immediately shared the program with Javier, but he was initially skeptical.
“I thought, what's the catch? Is this for real?”
However, after researching the program and learning that it was funded by the City of Calgary, he decided to apply.
Through the Home Upgrades Program, Tina’s home received new windows, a water-efficient low-flow toilet, and a new hot water tank.
“[Tina] mentioned to me when the windows were installed, ‘Javier, it really made a lot of difference. We can really feel the difference in the temperature in our house’,” explained Javier.
In addition to her family’s improved comfort, Tina also appreciated an unexpected benefit.
“I noticed right away with the new window how much more soundproof our place is,” she said. “We live fairly close to a major freeway, and immediately, with the windows closed, I noticed that, wow, it’s so much quieter in here. That was really nice.”
Javier calls the program a “no-brainer” for landlords:
“Landlords sometimes don't have the capacity to do all those renovations on their own,” he said. “Now I have a happier tenant. It can’t get better than that... If it wasn't for Tina, I had no idea the program existed, so I try to share the information with as many people as possible from Calgary.”
He also believes the continuation of the program could contribute to better housing options for renters across Calgary. Tina echoed this sentiment, adding that renters are the ones who experience the day-to-day benefits of the upgrades.
“I’m really glad that the program is open to renters as wells,” she said. “I just am really thankful that that was an option.”
Across Calgary, many renters living in aging homes can qualify for energy-efficiency upgrades, even when the property owner does not qualify on their own.
“I'm very happy that [my tenant] gave me this idea, honestly, because it was great,” Javier said.
For more information about renters’ eligibility, responsibilities and the upgrade process, check out the Home Upgrades Program’s Guide for Renters & Landlords.
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