Landlords condemned by think tank over energy efficiency

Landlords condemned by think tank over energy efficiency

10:45 AM, 4th April 2023, About A year ago 16

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A think tank has warned that landlords’ unwillingness to spend money on rental properties to boost their EPC ratings is a ‘significant obstacle’ to Britain’s Net Zero-carbon agenda.

The cross-party Social Market Foundation (SMF) revealed in a survey that 60% of landlords are unwilling to commit more than £250 towards the costs of improving the energy efficiency of a rented property.

The SMF said that government targets to decarbonise homes are likely to fail if politicians are unsuccessful in discovering ways to make sure landlords better insulate their rented homes.

Significant threat to Britain’s carbon reduction targets

Niamh O Regan, a researcher at the SMF, said: “Too many British homes have poor energy efficiency, so the people who live in them are poorer and colder than they should be.

“And too many of those homes are rented out by landlords who aren’t willing to make their properties less drafty.”

She added: “Given the continuing growth of the private rented sector, the reluctance of many landlords to take action on energy efficiency is now a significant threat to Britain’s carbon reduction targets.

“The politicians who rightly see Net Zero as key to our future should be working urgently on new measures to ensure rented properties become warmer and cheaper and more energy efficient.”

Some landlords have spent nearly £9,000 on improvements

Under current government regulations landlords are not expected to spend more than £3,500 on upgrades to meet the current EPC requirements for a rating of E.

However, some landlords have spent nearly £9,000 on improvements to meet proposed EPC requirements.

And the recent findings from Shawbrook Bank revealed that landlords have spent an average of £8,900 so far on improvements – which is almost 50% more than they had expected they would need to spend.

Over half of renters dislike being unable to make energy efficient improvements

Previous surveys from the SMF revealed that more than half (52%) of renters dislike being unable to make energy efficiency improvements to their home, rising to 60% among parents.

The survey also found that more than half (54%) of homeowners do not believe they need any – or any more – insulation, but a majority (74%) would be willing to contribute towards investing in insulation measures along with a government subsidy.


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Comments

Anne Nixon

23:01 PM, 4th April 2023, About A year ago

Another think tank criticising landlords, what a surprise, not.

The government's English Housing Survey, estimates that between 2018 and 2021 the number of privately rented homes fell from 4.8 million to 4.3 million (although Niamh O Regan talks about "the continuing growth of the private rented sector"), and she says "the reluctance of many LANDLORDS to take action on energy efficiency is now a significant threat to Britain’s carbon reduction targets", and "The politicians who rightly see Net Zero as key to our future should be working urgently on new measures to ensure RENTED properties become warmer and cheaper and more energy efficient".

It seems really strange that the PRS which represents just 19% of total housing, is the focus of the push for Net Zero instead of the other 81%, the owner occupiers where there is scope to make a more significant difference to the country as a whole.

Why is it I wonder, that "the reluctance of many landlords to take action on energy efficiency is now a significant threat to Britain’s carbon reduction targets" but the reluctance of the rest of the country ie the 81% is not an even MORE significant threat?

Hmmmm, strange.

JB

9:19 AM, 5th April 2023, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Anne Nixon at 04/04/2023 - 23:01
I agree very strange. And the poorer people - tenants - will have their rents increased to pay for it

Maybe the 81% of owner occupiers should be told to spend £10,000 on their property and if they don't they can't live in them?

Churchills Tax Advisers

10:21 AM, 5th April 2023, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Paul Power at 04/04/2023 - 12:03
So in reality they should be criticising the government for not legislating to ensure that homeowners are making their homes energy efficient

Most landlords do not run their BTLs as a business, they are often a form of pension for retirement, etc.

Mick Roberts

8:09 AM, 8th April 2023, About A year ago

When they gonna' ask the tenants what they would like out their cheap rent?

I'll keep repeating this, as applies to many attacks on us lately.

It's still not happening.

They/we not gonna' be able to retrofit these 1920 houses while tenant is living there & on the cheap rents a lot of tenants are paying.

Govt has to stop penalising tenants AFTER they’ve moved into their home.

Who’s paying for this then?
Cause if tenants are paying cheap rent ie. Landlord looking after em, & then maybe £5000 or £30,000 to upgrade from E to a C, Landlord then says I can no longer look after u with cheap rent. Cheap rent doesn’t pay for these outgoings, I’ve now got to charge u what the Landlord is charging his better off tenants up the road who’s paying more to live in that New build.

I’ve got to start telling tenants soon You can’t live here past 2028 anyway, Govt say u can’t if EPC not a C. And your rent doesn’t pay for a C.

Has anyone asked the tenants what they want? We know they want the better house, but when u give them choice I can give u New build for £1000pm or EPC C for £900pm, or still decent house EPC D but not New build standards for £700pm or £550pm I know what all my tenants say.

Accommodation Provider

10:05 AM, 8th April 2023, About A year ago

Why are landlords singled out and discriminated against, as the only ones that must get more energy efficient ? Why not force everyone with a home to do more about energy efficiency. As for me - endless insulation, double glazing everywhere, solar panels everywhere for the planet and against Putin - which green energy I am giving away to tenants at zero cost. Tens of thousands spent - to get more media-bullying from a government working as hard against landlords as they possibly can and giving bad headlines for them at any opportunity. Sunak loses 30 billion of our money on fraudulent covid business loans (not a penny given to landlords as help, remember covid - tenants not paying as the government broadcasted landlords had a "mortgage holiday" and provide for a shit slow "justice" system where judges just side with the tenant and order the landlord to be santa claus to tenants - those losses mean lots of landlords simply cannot afford more on energy efficiency, being bullied to pay any and all costs, endless certification cost with shorter periods of validity each year, making electricians rich for doing nothing, not having the ability to exit tenants in the rare moment that is needed)

Freda Blogs

18:40 PM, 8th April 2023, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Accommodation Provider at 08/04/2023 - 10:05
Excellent post

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