Rental property website SearchSmartly is thought to be the first in the world to display air quality ratings on every listing.
In a partnership with Addresspollution – an initiative by the Central Office of Public Interest to tackle inaction on air pollution – the site will display a rating system for air quality, using a system similar to the EPC energy ratings for homes.
The rating system using data from King’s College London provides the annual average levels of air pollution at an address, and shows the potential effects of long-term exposure on human health. It also makes it clear if the property exceeds the World Health Organization’s annual legal limit for toxic air.
SearchSmartly is a PropTech platform that helps match tenants to the neighbourhoods and homes that best meet their personal location and lifestyle needs; it says it “generates highly motivated and pre-qualified leads for agencies.”
Hesseltje S. van Goor, the chief operating officer at the site, says:“We’re proud to provide an unparalleled degree of transparency to those looking for a home. It’s all part of our mission to help people search smarter. But it’s also the right thing to do – everyone has a right to know what they’re breathing. We call on other property websites to integrate air quality ratings into their listings urgently as a matter of public health.”
The COPI claims that in normal conditions, over two million Londoners live with air pollution levels far exceeding legal limits.