The Negotiator magazine is reporting that ‘many of the EPC changes are simply ‘not practical, affordable or wanted by many tenants’ and that it’s unfair that the private sector landlords should have to deliver on EPC targets ahead of other housing market sectors.’

The article can be seen here, and quotes Neil Hogbin, Partner at Fisher German’s property management team, who reckons ‘landlords, particularly those with older properties, may need to spend thousands of pounds on their property portfolios to meet the energy efficiency targets so need certainty around any potential reforms.’

Going on to say ‘ Combined with the increase in energy prices because of the war in Ukraine, there is a further threat that rents will continue to rise to cover some of the costs of the EPC improvements being forced upon private landlords as they scramble to meet the new energy efficiency targets being set.”

And he adds: “Decent homes in the private rented sector will no longer be affordable to many. We all want to see properties as energy efficient as possible but the sector needs certainty about how and when this will happen.

“Landlords are looking for a financial package to support improvements in the private rented sector but it is all still very unclear.  Meanwhile, the owner-occupied housing sector has no minimum energy efficiency requirements at all.”

Ending ‘landlords are already taking steps to be more environmentally conscious with low-carbon heating systems and well-insulated homes where sensible and cost-effective to do so and shouldn’t need to be regulated to deliver on this.