The National Residential Landlords Association is warning that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s scrapping of revised EPC targets at the end of last week may not be the end of the matter.
The deputy policy director Meera Chindooroy says in a blog on the NRLA website that Sunak’s move is a welcome indication that he has listed to the association’s plea to drop the one-size-fits all approach to finance for undertaking energy efficiency improvements, and to suggest a more realistic timescale.
“The Government has clearly been listening to us” she writes.
But she says the issue is, to some extent, still unresolved and writes: “ The reality is that we are now in the run up to a general election. The Prime Minister evidently believes he will remain in power, but there is a very real possibility that we will have a Labour-led government in a year or so.
“The Labour Party has yet to respond in full to Rishi Sunak’s announcement, but Ed Miliband, the shadow secretary for climate change, has already said he is ‘in favour’ of requiring rented properties to meet a minimum EPC C rating. “
Chindooroy urges landlords to take full advantage of the more generous boiler update grant and to accept that in general, the more energy efficiency a rental property the better it is for all concerned.
She concludes: “In reality this means there is still no clear plan for the sector, something that will only serve to complicate landlords’ investment decisions. Despite the rhetoric this week, Rishi Sunak doesn’t have the last word on this issue. But it’s not yet clear who will.”
You can read the full piece here.
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Angela Rayner (shadow secretary of state for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) has said that she wants to increase the supply of housing in the private rental sector to drive down rents. If that is her aim, then the Labour Party would do well NOT to require rented properties to reach a minimum EPC C rating. There will usually be good reasons why some rental properties have not already been brought to that level - the type of construction of the building etc.
However, Angela Rayner tweeted yesterday:
"Rishi Sunak is condemning families to a £500 hike in energy bills as he abandons energy efficiency.
He’s leaving renters paying the price for his weak leadership - with higher bills and colder homes."
She forgets the at least £1000 a year added to the rent if we have to spend 10k to reduce bills by £250 per year.
She's genuinely, genuinely retarded. It's actually quite unbelievable a western country can have such calibre of politician. The British people have gone braindead. Can they not see what idiots want to run the country?
It’s on a knife 🔪 edge what they will do WHEN they gain power 😱
Shouldn't need more houses. Why do we?
Legal net migration 606k last year =5000 new homes needed every week 😮
Yep, I don’t think Labour likes 8 million poor people living in fuel poverty. Sorting out the remaining energy wasteful PRS houses and flats will be BACK ON after the May’24 election. They will push out the deadline, I’ve read that Grade D by 2028 and Grade C by 2030 is their preference.
Some properties can't be "sorted out" for various reasons, as much as the owner would very much like to raise the energy efficiency of them.
Martin it's all penny wise & pound foolish, save pennies on heating and spend many more pounds on rent. doesn't stack up does it ?
The Government has been clearly listening to you. So why have you been so quiet on THE RENTERS REFORM BILL a much bigger issue the silence is deafening.
I would love to know what Martin Gibbons vested interest is. He clearly has one. Perhaps he could advise how to make a tent more energy efficient for tenants when Landlords sell up.
Ellie, good point. That’s why the Conservative’s 2015 MEES standards have the sensible self-exemption register for landlords who have made reasonable efforts to improve their unit. Many commercial and domestic landlords have used the self-exemption register. It was all working very well and I anticipate it will be again from May’24.
Gibbons... Give it a rest!
If Labour bring it back, I am buying shares in companies who sell Tents 🏕 😂😂 I will be quids in 💵💵
Ah yes. Many Commercial landlords switching to Residential and exempting themselves is very Reasonable and not required as Government have exempted Blocks of Flats not only for this but also from licensing and Section 24.
So they won’t get fined for not having a license or have to pay back 12 months Rent for a breach that don’t exist for them.
Screw us to the wall it all sounds very Reasonable to me.
EPCs and fuel costs aren't as closely linked as politicians would like you to believe.
I live in a detached house built in 2004 with solar panels and an EPC A rating. Even though most of the hot water is provided by solar our gas bill was higher than for a 3 person detached 1950s bills inclusive HMO with a low EPC C rating. Their heating controls were set to a higher temperature than ours so they were warmer than us. The main difference is that house faces North/South whereas ours is East/West.
Mybe Gove has listened too and realised the Renter's Reform Bill will cause even more Tenants to be worse off. I for one will be selling up if a Landlord's Register is implemented. Lisa Nandy claimed on Question Time
that Labour would within their first 100 days in power introduce ALL the things us as Landlords don't want. My advice: Ffs don't vote labour!!
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