Landlord Retrofit Event, November 2022

A number of landlords came to our Retrofit Awareness Event last month to find out how they could start on the journey to meeting new legislation.

Privately-rented properties must have had an EPC “E” rating or above since 2020, but in 2025 any new tenancies must achieve at least a “C” rating and this applies to all tenancies from 2028. It is unlikely to stop there, with experts at the recent National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) Conference saying these targets are likely to move further in coming years. In addition, some mortgage companies are starting to offer lower interest rates for more energy-efficient (and less greenhouse gas-emitting) properties. This means that improving energy-efficiency could benefit both landlords and tenants.

The event in November, organised by Harrogate College, commenced with a broad-ranging discussion of some of the changes commercial businesses are making to dramatically reduce their energy consumption.

A session about the grant-funding available through Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) followed, which allowed landlords to ask questions about specific properties in their portfolios. The presenters were able to advise on the amount of money available and the particular projects it can be used for. This session also included details of the compliance measures the Council will take to ensure that properties are meeting target EPCs. HBC advised that further funding will be available once the time-period for the current grant ends.

The final session provided a detailed explanation of the support available to landlords from Retrofit Assessors and Retrofit Coordinators. Using such expertise ensures that measures are introduced which contribute directly to energy-efficiency and are not counter-productive*. An Assessor will provide a detailed report listing the measures to improve energy efficiency and the best order in which to carry them out. A Co-ordinator will draw up a specification for contractors, monitor progress and provide certification at the end. Landlords were also told about the free training provided by Harrogate College and Zero Carbon Harrogate, which is available to contractors in the building trade.

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Reports from agents and landlords at the NRLA conference indicate that landlords are being poorly-advised in some instances. There are well-reported cases of installing electric heaters, which are generally felt to be an improvement on alternatives, only to find that these measures reduce the EPC rating of a property. This issue was raised directly with Felicity Buchan, MP (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) at the conference.