Landlords are bracing for pricier energy performance certificate (EPC) checks and stricter rules under Ed Miliband’s Net Zero drive, with fears that tougher standards could make thousands of homes impossible to rent. The Telegraph has the details:
Under reforms, energy assessors will be expected to use a new data collection system, raising the price of certificates to up to £250 each.
The more stringent criteria could also mean that properties could drop an EPC band, experts said, making them impossible to let under rules set out by Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary.
Under the new methodology, assessors will be required to inspect the size, frame type and glazing of every window in the house more thoroughly, as well as recording any extractor fans and blocked chimneys.
Chris Norris, of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) property body, warned that the price of an EPC certificate, which typically costs between £50 and £120, could rise by £20 this summer as a result of the changes. …
However, Sean Horton, of mortgage adviser Respect Mortgages, said the more intensive assessments could increase the price of certificates “to £150-£250 easily”.
He added: “The window measurements alone are crackers. Instead of just noting ‘typical double glazing’, assessors now need to measure each window individually, record orientations, frame types, glazing gaps, ages, draught proofing – the lot.
“That’s going to make each assessment much longer, with the cost passed on to the landlord.”
From 2030, all rental homes must have an EPC score of at least C, while landlords accepting new tenants will be expected to achieve the required standard by 2028. …
Labour is due to replace the beleaguered EPC system entirely with the much-anticipated Home Energy Model, following years of consultation.
Among other changes, the reforms are expected to favour homes with the “capacity to integrate with smart technology”, which some fear will penalise homeowners who refuse a smart meter. …
Kundan Bhaduri, of the Kushman Group real estate firm, said: “For portfolio landlords, this is death by a thousand clipboard checks.
“Costs will rise sharply, and worse still, homes that previously scraped a C rating could now drop to a D, dragging us into yet another regulatory penalty zone. And this is just the warm-up act before the even more chaotic Home Energy Model arrives.”
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