9th
Dec 2021
An industry organisation has told the government that it must be more realistic about landlords being able to afford the ‘over the top’ costs to make their properties meet the 2030 target EPC Band C.
The organisation has studied a lender’s survey of landlord which highlights their major qualms and astronomical costs they will be faced with if the future EPC minimum requirement is fully implemented.
According to the survey of 600 landlords, it claims that around 50 per cent are intending to sell one or more properties in the advent of the EPC’s tougher requirements coming into play. The average cost for a property’s upgrade to a Band C requirement is around £15,000.
A spokesperson for the organisation says: “As domestic energy use accounts for 14 percent of overall UK emissions and 90% of homes in England currently use fossil fuels – improving the energy efficiency of the nation’s housing stock is one of the most significant challenges in reaching net zero emissions.
“The private rented sector has its part to play, but in recent years, landlords have faced considerable legislative change, and during a time of financial strain due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which will continue to have lasting effects, the costs of bringing housing stock up to EPC Band C will be a significant challenge for many.
“If the alarming number of landlords who have considered selling up within the lenders report go on to do so, it will have a detrimental effect on not only the UK Government’s ambitions to reach Net Zero, but also for the thousands of renters looking to be housed as stock levels deplete.”
The association says that if the government is interested in keeping the present housing rental stock levels then it must introduce ‘realistic and achievable targets’ that takes into account all of the differing types of housing stock in the UK.
It also says that if the government does not provide sufficient and sustained funding for landlords it is unlikely that energy efficacy target will be met.
News Archive »