You may not be surprised to learn that the vast majority of renters want to rent a house or apartment that is loaded with efficient appliances, low VOC paints and finishes and other eco-friendly accoutrements. But you may be surprised to learn that they're willing to pay for it.

New research shows that nearly 9 out of 10 Americans would prefer to live in an eco-friendly home -- and more than half of those surveyed are willing to pay rent to do so.

The survey, conducted by Rent.com found that renters were almost three times as likely as non-renters (11 percent vs. 4 percent) to say living in an environmentally-friendly home is absolutely necessary for them. According to the survey, 42 percent of respondents were willing to pay up to an extra hundred bucks to live in a green apartment, and 13 percent would pay even more than that.

Even though respondents are willing to pay more in rent to live in an eco-friendly apartment, two-thirds said that money was the biggest barrier to making eco-friendly choices.

Photo: Editor B via flickr/Creative Commons