The Government’s grand plan to improve energy efficiency in PRS tenancies is “dead in the water”, landlords claim.

A failure to respond to its own consultation on ensuring all new tenancies met a performance rating of at least C, has left the Government’s policy in disarray, the NRLA says.

The consultation, which closed two years ago, proposed the change by 2025, and that all tenancies should comply by 2028.

Now, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is calling on the Government to admit that the target dates are unrealistic

New tax allowance

The Government also suggested that all landlords should be expected to pay up to £10,000 to make the necessary improvements.

The NRLA is calling instead for the amount that the landlords contribution to be linked to average market rents.

Under the NRLA’s proposals this would mean the amount a landlord would need to pay would taper from £5,000 to £10,000, taking into account different rental values across the country.

A new tax allowance for landlords who are undertaking works towards reaching Net Zero, should also be introduced, NRLA says.

“Its plans are dead in the water.”

Ben Beadle, CEO of NRLA, says: “We all want to see properties as energy efficient as possible. However, the Government’s delay in responding to its consultation on energy standards in the private rented sector means its plans are dead in the water.

“In the interests of certainty, the Government needs to admit what we all know, namely that it has no hope of meeting its proposed energy targets for the rental market.”

The Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes consultation closed on 8 January 2021. Details available here