There’s been a lot of “over-dramatisation” around the likely targets for private rental properties to have improved energy efficiency, says a prominent lettings agent.

The most recent Conservative government had a target of EPC rating C, or better, for all private rental properties by 2030, but this was abandoned a year ago by then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Now the Labour energy secretary, Ed Miliband, has suggested the target is back on the agenda for the new government with legislation likely in the near future. 

Now Kristjan Byfield, who runs the base lettings agency in London and is the co-founder of PropTech platform The Depositary, says in a video interview that while the headline target talks of rental properties reaching EPC rating C or better, the past proposals – and possibly future ones – are far more nuanced.

“There were a myriad of exemptions: if your head lease didn’t allow it, if you had a conservation area or a listed building. There was also a spend cap. It was hyped around the media like it was some never-ending liability with people spending £50,000 or £100,000 on a house to meet that energy efficiency rating. Nonsense!”

He says the cap was much lower, and probably will be in future, and that landlords should in any case be reinvesting in their property.

EPCs have been the centre of heated debate in recent months. Propertymark and consumer body Which? have quire their accuracy, while Rightmove and industry organisations such as Landmark have calculated how landlords, and owner occupiers, could work towards improved EPC ratings.

Byfield – who sits on Zoopla’s lettings advisory board, suggesting improvements for the rental sector – makes his point in a video interview with Angels Media’s Lee Dahill. 

You can see an extract below and the full video podcast is here.