New Certification Makes NGBS Compliance Easier for Multifamily Projects

Since 2008, the National Green Building Standard® (NGBS) has provided a pathway toward more cost-effective, durable, efficient buildings, and to date, over 750,000 multifamily units have received NGBS Green certification. By outlining a variety of construction practices that can be incorporated into single-family, multifamily and mixed-use buildings and providing a certification pathway, the NGBS is a leading way for businesses to demonstrate their environmental commitments.

A new compliance option in the 2025 NGBS is designed to make it even easier to showcase how high-performance features have been incorporated into certain multifamily projects. 

To keep up with the market, evolving technology, and environmental goals, and to continue to drive innovation, the NGBS is updated on a regular basis. The 2025 edition, issued in April 2026, includes a number of significant changes designed to do just that. Notable updates include:

• new resiliency opportunities and ventilation mandates;
• updated baselines for energy and water efficiency;
• options for carbon reduction; and 
• a renewed focus on occupant well-being and owner education.

The certification levels remain unchanged, but the new edition provides more flexibility for meeting certification point thresholds and additional options for addressing changing market and consumer demands.

For multifamily, the NGBS can be used for new and existing high- and low-rise apartment buildings and condominiums, the residential portion of mixed-use buildings, accessory structures that are part of a larger residential community (i.e., a clubhouse or recreational facility) and other similarly constructed residential facilities.  

In addition to the above revisions, a new property-level certification path for owners of existing multifamily properties could be a game changer. For the first time, existing multifamily and mixed-use properties can pursue property level certification. That means that instead of certifying one building at a time, owners can now evaluate multiple existing buildings as a single property—as long as they’re under common ownership or management.

Energy performance, water use and prescriptive requirements can be reviewed across the entire site, making certification more realistic for large portfolios and campus style developments. Because the final certification level for the property reflects the lowest performing building, it encourages consistency across the entire project, not just standout upgrades in one place.

The 2025 NGBS continues to raise the bar for green design, construction and building performance  by creating stronger benchmarks and for existing multifamily projects, establishing a new property certification that better reflects how multifamily properties are actually owned and managed. Compliance with, and certification to, the NGBS can facilitate eligibility for grants and more favorable financing, improve asset value, positively impact tenant retention, and demonstrate compliance with evolving climate regulations. Download the new edition for free today.

Home Innovation Research Labs, the sole national certification agency for the NGBS, will be hosting a webinar to introduce the green property certification process and discuss its benefits on Jan. 14, 2027, at 1 p.m. Register here.