A council in a largely-rural area of Suffolk is the latest to have won additional funding to push landlords into making their properties increasingly energy-efficient.Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Council is one of a number in the county to have secured a total of £248,282 in funding from the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy.The council says the money will support “innovative measures including local radio ads, roadshows and workshops with landlords to raise awareness of the rules, free property surveys, as well as enhanced and targeted mail reminders and translation services to reach those not currently complying.”
Councillor Andy Drummond says: “[The money] will develop our existing work of targeting landlords who do not care that their properties are cold and damp. This makes for unpleasant and unhealthy conditions for their tenants.“The project’s messages will focus on the law, the climate emergency and the help available to improve poor performing properties. Our councils will continue to work closely together, combining education with enforcement, appropriately and consistently. “Where enforcement is necessary and leads to fines, they will be pooled to continue the project work after March 2022.”
This is in addition to Bath & North East Somerset Council starting a new campaign will see trading standards officers and housing services working together to identify domestic properties across the area that do not have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of at least band E.
A policy for the enforcement of the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property in England And Wales) Regulations 2015, which would give the council the power to issue financial penalties is being recommended in a report to cabinet member for planning, Councillor Tim Ball.
If approved, the compliance and enforcement project will require landlords who let out private sector domestic accommodation that is below the legal minimum rating to make property improvements and bring the homes up to a rating of at least E or face a fine of up to £5,000 per property.
Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for Planning and Licensing, said: “The council is committed to improving the health and well-being of its residents by reducing the number of people living in cold and damp conditions in homes that are hard to heat and expensive to run.
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