Generation Rent has commented on the government’s Net Zero goals, involving phasing out boilers and introducing heat pumps into rental properties.

While rental bodies such as the NRLA and ARLA have questioned issues such as timescales, the effectiveness of retro-fitting and whether grants are sufficient incentive, Generation Rent makes a broader response.

Dan Wilson Craw, deputy director of the activist group, says: “Private rented homes are the hardest to make greener because the tenant pays the bills but has to rely on their landlord paying for the improvements. 

“Raising gas prices might encourage home owners to invest in heat pumps, but on its own that won’t get landlords putting basic insulation in their properties, let alone installing the newest technologies.”

He continues: “As a result more renters will be unable to afford to heat their homes properly. Homes that are harder to heat are more likely to have damp problems, causing health problems for their occupants. 

“The net zero agenda should deliver lower bills and healthier homes for renters, but without a better plan the government will achieve the opposite.”