Energy Saving Trust to target leaky landlords

According to the latest reports a government advisory body the Energy Saving Trust will be given additional powers to contact anyone moving into a home with the lowest F or G energy ratings and provide them with information on how they could improve the property and make them more energy efficient. This move is part of an attempt by government to cut domestic carbon emissions by 29% by 2020.

Landlord insurance brokers - widest choice - landlord broker directory
EPC proving contentious

Landlords are already required to obtain an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) before they can market their buy-to-let property for rent.

Buy an EPC NOW online

The EPC has been highly contentious amongst landlords, many of which maintain that their tenants pay little or no attention to the EPC rating when selecting a property to rent.

Thin end of the wedge for landlords.

However, the EPC could prove only to be the thin end of the wedge if latest reports are to be believed.

The government advisory body responsible for domestic energy saving has signalled that it is willing to get tough on homeowners and landlords that fail to improve the efficiency of the most energy profligate buildings.

The power of the Energy Saving Trust to see how landlords owning F & G rated property could be just the start of the potential controls.

A representative for the Energy Saving Trust said that the move was likely to be the first step in a push to effectively eradicate the most inefficient homes.

"We would like to see the authorities use environmental health regulations to tackle the really badly insulated homes," she said.

Her comments echo those of the Trust's director of strategy Marian Spain, who in an interview with The Times raised the prospect of legislation that would effectively block homeowners and landlords from selling or letting homes with F or G ratings until they have invested in improving their energy efficiency.

"We need a powerful incentive to act as a backstop in case other measures do not work," she said. "To sell your home you would need to have done the basics to take it out of the F and G ratings. The final deadline should be 2015."

Such draconian measures may be required to encourage property owners such as landlords to invest the £5,000 to £10,000 it is estimated to cost to upgrade the most inefficient homes to at least an E rating.

However, Spain said that anyone investing in energy efficiency was likely to get the money back in the form of lower energy bills and higher property prices.

To read more

Free property management software, Free tenancy agreements