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“Landlords who can afford it must raise energy standards”
Earlier this year, George, a 68-year-old pensioner who rents from a private landlord, sought help from Citizens Advice because his home is freezing cold. There is no double glazing or insulation, the radiators don’t work and the window frames are rotting. When he spoke to his landlord about this, the landlord said he would fix the windows – but nothing was done.
Up to 750,000 private renters live in properties in England with a low F or G energy efficiency rating. These homes are more likely to suffer from damp and less likely to have modern boilers, wall insulation or even central heating. Tenants face paying £1,000 more than the national average bill to heat these homes.
But because tenants normally pay the energy bills, landlords have little financial incentive to make improvements that would bring down the extra heating costs – so many simply don’t.
Despite regulations introduced last year requiring the standard of rented properties to be brought up to a minimum rating of E by 2020, landlords won’t have to make any energy improvements that cost them an upfront fee. With the Green Deal loan scheme no longer supported, landlords can avoid paying for even simple improvements such as loft insulation.
The government should insist that landlords who can afford to raise the energy efficiency standard of their rented properties do so now. A fund paid for out of stamp duty could also be set up to help landlords pay for further upgrades costing over £5,000.
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