Government defends EPC C targets for landlords

The government claims the cost and compliance requirements of EPC C targets are “fair and proportionate” for landlords.

In response to a written parliamentary question, Energy Minister Martin McCluskey said a range of exemptions would be available.

The government has proposed that all privately rented properties must meet a minimum EPC rating of C by 2030.

No one-size-fits-all approach

Labour MP for Truro and Falmouth Jayne Kirkham asked: “What assessment has the government made of the number of rural properties that will struggle to reach the minimum EPC C rating by the 2030 deadline for all rental properties?”.

In response, Mr McCluskey said: “Government recognises there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to tackling the UK’s diverse building stock. We have set out a range of provisions to ensure the cost and compliance burden is fair and proportionate for landlords.

“This includes a maximum spend requirement of £10,000 per property, and a range of exemptions for circumstances where the installation of measures is not feasible or appropriate.”

Substantial and costly upgrades

Under the Warm Homes Plan, private landlords will be able to choose between the smart or heat metrics, and the cap on the amount they are expected to invest to meet the new standards will be reduced from £15,000 to £10,000.

The cost cap will be lower where £10,000 would represent 10% or more of a property’s value.

However, Mr McCluskey did not mention that upgrading properties to an EPC C rating will still be costly for landlords.

Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, previously told Property118 that EPC C targets will be hard to meet for older properties.

He said: “While the ambition of the Warm Homes Plan to improve energy efficiency and tackle fuel poverty is acknowledged, the proposals as they stand are deeply concerning for landlords and agents across both the residential and commercial sectors.

“In the private rented sector, landlords are being asked to deliver, in many cases, substantial and costly upgrades to reach EPC C by 2030, yet this is being imposed without clear, long-term funding commitments, realistic delivery timescales, or sufficient flexibility for older, complex, and hard-to-treat properties.”