Lettings agents are fully supporting landlords who have been warning for some years  that many rented properties in England, and undoubtedly across the rest of the UK, will be unable to reach the mandatory EPC rating target regulation by 2028.

A letting agents trade body backs the landlords’ argument by ‘showcasing’ figures taken from its study of the recent English Housing Survey, and finds that  60 per cent of privately rented homes will reach the minimum EPC C rating by the deadline in four years time and the other 40 per cent will not.

As of yet the government has not responded to its 2020 consultation into how to increase PRS homes’ energy efficiency, however there has been a ‘draft strategy’ that includes a ‘preferred policy scenario’ that any new tenancies must have an EPC C rating or higher by 2025, which will then be mandatory for all tenancies by 2028.

Tory MP Sir Roger Gale, introduced a Private Member’s Bill which had the same requirement earlier in the year, so far there has not been any progress.

The lettings agent body wants the government to do away with its one size fits all stance on energy efficiency proposals, so that there will be provisions made for a property’s condition, age  and size rather than the  ‘one size’ generalisation.

The agents’ body latest report focusses on the variations in retrofitting costs on  individual characteristics and regional property values, as well as proposals for local councils to help engage and work with landlords by setting up ‘one stop shops’ to advise them on the best ‘tailored’ methods for a retrofit of their property; this has also been recommended by the Local Government Association and other such stakeholders.

A spokesperson for the letting agent body, comments: “We knew it would be a huge challenge for the PRS to achieve the proposed 2028 target because the owners of rental properties will not directly benefit from lower energy bills, so where is their incentive? The data in the English Housing Survey shows just how far there is to go.

“The new UK government should take heed of this projected shortfall if it is serious about net zero, and against the backdrop of the huge sums of money it has had to commit in the short-term to help householders with their rising bills amid the cost-of-living crisis.

“Our member agents are already seeing rental properties disappearing from the market for a variety of reasons and there is a real danger more could go with the EPC rating target hanging over them.

“We support moves to improve the energy efficiency of property types and will continue to lobby for a national retrofit strategy with realistic, fair and achievable targets alongside dedicated, long-term grants that consider each property’s individual characteristics.”