Role of user behavior and maintenance practices in operational performance of green buildings

Purpose There is a lack of awareness and inadequate implementation of maintenance practices in green buildings (GBs), which often result in suboptimal performance or even failures. As a result, this study aims to determine the effects of user behavior and maintenance practices on the performance of GBs with a view to developing holistic, interdisciplinary models that integrate user and maintenance behaviors. Design/methodology/approach This study examines how user behaviors and maintenance practices affect green building (GB) performance. A pilot survey identified 250 GBs, whose users formed the study population. Data analysis involved reliability tests and structural equation modeling to validate the research hypotheses. Findings GBs support sustainable living through smart and eco-efficient systems, yet reactive maintenance dominates over predictive practices. Predictive maintenance significantly drives operational performance, while user behavior has minimal impact–highlighting the critical role of maintenance regimes in sustaining long-term GB outcomes. Research limitations/implications Findings prompt reevaluation of GB certification metrics, emphasizing maintenance behavior. Future research should explore the interaction between smart technologies, maintenance regimes and user engagement in sustaining GB performance. Practical implications Facility managers should prioritize predictive maintenance using smart technologies and integrate system-sensitive schedules. Emphasis on proactive practices ensures operational efficiency, reduces reactive failures and maximizes smart GB performance. Social implications Improved maintenance enhances indoor environmental quality, user comfort and safety. Training users and managers fosters shared responsibility, supporting healthier, smarter and more sustainable living and working environments in GBs. Originality/value This study is original in revealing that maintenance practices, not user behaviors, chiefly influence GB performance. It challenges assumptions about user impact, empirically validates GBs’ functional adaptability and exposes a design-operation gap–highlighting that sustainable operation depends more on maintenance behavior than certification or design intent alone.