If you are a landlord will your property/properties meet minimum energy efficiency rating of C come 2025?

[flashbac]

If not are you planning to do anything about it in light of proposed new legislation?

Currently, domestic private rental properties must meet a minimum level of energy efficiency which is an EPC rating of E. However, beginning 2025, all newly rented properties will be required to have a certification rating of C or above.

I can't help but think many older properties can't be brought up to level C, at least without huge amounts of money being spent on them. I wonder if this will mean many are put on the market.

Mine is a D largely because it’s built from sandstone 🤦🏼‍♀️ I’m not sure what the solution is for a property like mine, I will probably just sell it if this comes in.

We live in military housing and there isn't a hope in hell that this house will ever be classed as a C or above. When I moved in you could see daylight above one of the windows and the house is no warmer since they installed a new roof. Coupled with large vents in the wall, and a pantry that is almost as cold as the fridge (also with a vent in the door to let the cold air filter into the kitchen), the house needs constant heating in the winter via an old gas boiler, which in fairness is checked yearly. I suspect they will make it a C though, or there will be legislation in place stating that it doesn't need to comply.

The escape mechanism there is "newly" OP.

No action required!

@SoundBar

The escape mechanism there is "newly" OP.

No action required!

Only if the tenants never leave!

I don't think this has been thought through (typical of current gov)
Many flats will never reach this category - & as the freeholders controls the structure ? Many flats only have electric heating & even if upgraded? Insulation - if the flat is small would you be even allowed to do internal insulation (which might well make the flat damp) &lets not even start on the tragic debacle of cladding ...
& Victorian terraces even when they are double walled you can't insulated within the walls - & because they can suffer from damp insultation can increase this & again decrease size of already small rooms -
As for increasing use of electric heating - well it might help if they increase power station supply potential first!
& its not as if every house can have solar panels either -

@flashbac if the tenants never leave then you will still have to get it up to a C by 2028. Victorian house, we've done everything possible to scrape it into a D. 2027 I suppose we'll have to serve notice (elderly tenants have been there for over a decade and no intention of moving), and sell up. This really hasn't been thought through.

I cant remember what it was when I did my epic. But if it's not high enough and requires over a few k to get it up to standard I will sell it. Not just for this reason alone.

I have a rental property with an EPC grade of D with the potential of becoming a D! Happy to spend some money making it more energy efficient but won’t be breaking my back or the bank balance if it can’t be brought up to the supposed standard. I am cynical about these things as the assessors can return very different results if they make assumptions. The one for our current house was a complete fiction!
Can’t see it happening due to the impact it will have.

Yes we are going to be screwed. Flat converted from the ground floor of a Victorian house. Massive high ceilings, huge windows. Original floorboards and some (original) single glazed windows... I don't think it's possible to get it to a C even if we spent £10K on glazing and another £10K sealing and insulating the floorboards.

It's such a nonsense policy, our tenants love it there and it's a gorgeous flat. Hey ho.

@Sarjest

I have a rental property with an EPC grade of D with the potential of becoming a D! Happy to spend some money making it more energy efficient but won’t be breaking my back or the bank balance if it can’t be brought up to the supposed standard. I am cynical about these things as the assessors can return very different results if they make assumptions. The one for our current house was a complete fiction! Can’t see it happening due to the impact it will have.

Word is that it will go through but there will be exemptions e.g. property must reach C rating unless its impossible in which case you need to spend at least £x to bring it as near to C rating as possible. Currently the figure of £3k is being mooted. Some are calling for £10k.

3k would be doable for most. But 10k? That would mean remortgaging to release capital. Mine is fixed mortgage for another four years so if it was 10k plus fees to do extensive work around the tennants I'm not sure that's sensible. Better to just sell it on and let a property developer deal with all. I'm sure it will become clear soon enough.

I dont let via agent and I'm letting out about £400 PM under market rate as it has been inflated over the years. But if need to start spending 10k it's no longer self supporting. It's a relatively modern house.

I have just looked mine up and it's a D. To get it to C requires a new boiler or solar panels.

I think nearer the time I will need to get quotes as they are estimating 3-6k for either of these. But maybe that will change over time and that wont be enough or the boiler will need regular replacement. The boiler was new when we bought it. Another consideration is that a rating of A-E was ok a few years ago so maybe C wont be good enough either in a few more years. All things that need a good think about in the longer term.

Interestingly the house we live in right now has no epc rating as its rented via a charity. So how does that work?

Flashbac, where did you hear about the £3k figure and do you know of any timescales? I am about to add some energy efficient measures but I'd rather delay if the £3k expectation is starting soon.

@Sarjest
The exemptions are in the current legislation that requires the rating to be minimum E. It's expected these will remain.

www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-private-rented-property-minimum-energy-efficiency-standard-landlord-guidance#registering-an-exemption

@flashbac, thanks for that, it was very useful. I’ll go ahead with some of them anyway.

Thanks @flashback. Looking at what in place right now if it stays the same that's good. If existing tenancies are ok until 2028 then its plenty long enough to see how this will pan out. I'm going to price up boilers now