What do changing EPC and heat pump requirements mean for the PRS?

Reply to the comment left by Bryan Smith at 10/11/2021 - 13:28
Those yellow polypropylene gas pipes do need oil to produce, but we have already produced them! And they are about as close to being "immortal" as is possible.

I'm also aware that in Scandinavia households are storing compressed hydrogen generated in summer from photovoltaics. It's not possible for every household but it's being done.

Reply to the comment left by Dr Rosalind Beck at 10/11/2021 - 08:18And by the time this comes is, Ros, the Renters Reform Act will be in force and evicted under Section 21 a thing of the past. If the tenant is paying their rent and not causing a nuisance, then how will a LL evict to enact massive works? The only option would be to sell (possession still possible if genuinely selling), but would you be allowed to complete the works first (to maximise sale price) or is that not considered selling, but a stage in between eviction and sale. Don't even think about re-renting after works as that would be an illegal eviction with no genuine intent to sell. Perhaps sale without completing the works and either a vastly reduced price or a sale to an owner-occupier the only route out...

interesting points...if substantial works were due to have to be done to the property to get to a C rating, am I obliged to rehouse the tenant to do this? What if the tenant refuses entry to allow the work to be undertaken? (tbh I would be on their side if at the end of it all no actual cost benefit via lower bills were the outcome and a rent increase inevitable)
I assume I could not be fined for failing to comply with the C rating by the deadline date, if before then I had issued possession proceedings as a result of the tenant not wanting the work doing/allowing access?

I had a new gas combi boiler fitted in my PPR last year. As a consequence my fuel bills are on the way down. I had a new gas combi boiler fitted for my tenants last year, and their bills are also on the way down despite the increase in wholesale gas prices.

If I were to fund the extra costs of work to replace the gas combi boiler over and above the grants presently available entirely rather than add supplementary heating then the rent would have to go up. The tenant's bills would also be going up.

So I can't see my tenants wanting this.

Heat pumps give a maximum return of 3Kwh for every 1Kwh input. Gas is closer to a quarter the cost of gas. Replacing gas boilers with electric will result in an increased heating cost for tenants. So it looks at the moment that landlords are going to have to find huge funds to pay for the insulation and heat pumps, and the result will be increased costs for the tenants.
Of course, tenants will actually be paying for both the installation and the increased energy costs as no landlord business can run at a loss. Mortgages would get called in by the banks if they even get a whiff of a BTL mortgage running at a loss.
If it was cost effective, we would see the commercial sector advertising on the TV as owner-occupiers would be looking for the cheapest option for themselves. But it isn't cost effective, which is why we don't see any adverts for heat pumps other than in the niche eco build sector.

Reply to the comment left by Dr Rosalind Beck at 10/11/2021 - 08:18
It’s not rocket science to work out what changes need to be made to a property to get an EPC. A GOOD and professional EPC surveyor should be able to use his computerised model of your property to make suggestion of ways you could upgrade your property to reach the required level. But you will pay more than £34 (which seems to be the going rate for the cheapest EPC. Is this likely to be good and professional? Ad below.

Residential EPC - £34.00 - Order your EPC Online!
http://energyperformancecertificates.co.uk
AdNationwide Domestic EPC's.
Track Your Order · 5000+ Clients per Month · Accredited Assessors · Nationwide Coverage
Services: Residential EPCs, Gas Certificates, EICRs, Boiler Services

My notes I've kept before below if u want to digest or ring me on 'em.
I'm biggest Benefit Landlord in Nottingham & these changes are making it impossible for Benefit tenants to move.
And if Landlord gets pushed too far does sell, they really have nowhere to go.
Too many retrospective changes on existing tenants existing Landlords existing houses.
If they want New build standards, go buy a new build.

Like others have said on here, tenants can't move out for 3 months & Govt expect Landlord to spend 30k with heat pump that's gonna' be nicked outside, & external insulation & internal insulation in floors etc. On a house the Landlord don't want anyway.

My previous notes:

And I've now got to start telling all tenants we need solution, as they know I no longer want their homes any more & am keeping the houses for them. However the Govt bringing in the EPC to a C to 2028 for existing tenants is pushing me/us too far & I'm not prepared to spend 10k on external insulation on a house I don't want. Landlord has Mental Health feelings too & needs to retire at some point. Govt are making that many homeless whereby before Landlord could have managed.

I'd like to know selfishly what is happening to me? I don't want my houses any more, only keeping them for the tenants. So in 2028 which flies by, what then? I'm older, need to retire one day, do I give tenant notice? Don't tell me to spend 10k on external insulation on a house I don't want but tenant can't get anywhere anymore cause of the idiocy retrospective changes Councils & Govts keep bringing in.

My notes on your EPC mention.

100% agree. And that's coming from I that has managed mine for 23 years, worked with tenants, have a lot of same tenants for 20+ years, & it used to be from about 2007, you'd have a new rule every 2 years the Govt or Councils used to bring in, so you'd have to go visit all your tenants, get some'at signed.
In 2020, it seems like new rule reg law being bought in every month to trip Landlord up. Letting Agent may be on top of this more with eager new staff abreast of the regs that keep getting chucked at us & they can have all the latest software to notify the tenants with proof.

I've had many tenants over 20 years, some 24 years & 7 years to 2028 for existing tenants is no time at all.

Out of all my houses, I've got a lot of 1970's. And many of them are EPC rating D. And they have latest combi boiler, UPVC, loft insulation, I'm sure I have many E's.
So to get to C if anything more can be done, this is gonna' cost & who is paying for this? I can give tenant a brand new house if Govt wish, but we all know New-Builds cost more to buy & rent.
I think this C rating if comes in will be the final nail. I reckon supply will reduce then more than now, & remaining rents will rocket.

The latest rule they are now proposing to bring in in 2025 is EPC to a C. I've already got the Combi boiler, UPVC etc., so it's external wall insulation. Approximately £10,000 each house, but they not bringing it in for Council houses or Owner houses-Only to Private Landlords.

You've had £100,000 of mine & tenants money on Licensing that they got nothing in return. 100k on houses that I don't want any more, all cause I've got loyalty to tenants.

If some Landlords only make £1000 pa, spending £10000 on insulation that then puts the landlord losing money for 10 years, why would a non charitable Landlord keep the house?

Constantly changing rules retrospectively is decimating long term Benefit tenants lives & homes.

This Govt & Councils have made it much more expensive for tenants to rent. Roll on EPC rating C in 2025. Rents are gonna' rocket more.

Wait till EPC to a C maybe comes in, in 2025, and existing tenants 2028. That's when we gonna see Mega homeless. 2028 is no time at all on existing tenants. I've had tenants 24 years and many tenants over 20 years. This is their homes for maybe life. But for me to spend £30,000 on a house I don't want and am only keeping for them when new laws coming in that could potentially put me in prison if they take batteries out smoke alarm. I've had enough. Is the EPC to C a law? A reg? Anyone know? My houses have got latest combi in, latest composite doors, they wanted electric heating out for years now they want it back in.
Be interesting if anyone could follow the stats on EPC to E enforcement they starting now and see how homeless is going with that. There again the Council Homeless don't actually ring the landlord up to ask why evicting and selling. So the public never know the shock horror just as with Selective Licensing and Universal Credit, the colossal homeless them two cause.

Reply to the comment left by Malcolm Ratcliffe at 13/11/2021 - 10:41
As far as I can make out the information gets put into a computer which runs a program that then spews out the rating. The usual recommendations are heatpump, insulation, solar panels. The problem is when you cannot do any of the suggested things because you are a flat in a block etc.

Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 13/11/2021 - 11:10
Well said Mick. As regards the external wall insulation on the older brick built houses it will cause condensation and mould because they need to breathe, so not something that should be done if you want to have a healthy house to live in.

I really recommend watching this video exploring both sides of the heat pump debate.
"Installers react to Skill builders video on heat pumps (part 1)| FIRST TIME WATCHING!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P22W-4mXrbw