Landlords are being urged to sign a petition calling for the government to 'play fair' when raising energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector.
Windsor-based landlord Mark Thompson has labelled its plans to force all privately rented properties to meet EPC grade C by 2030 as “unfair and ineffective”.
Owner-occupied properties would not be required to meet the same requirements, but he believes the same energy efficiency standards should be applied to both sectors.
"If the government goes ahead with this, I'm sure that many landlords will think they've had enough and want to jack it in - I know I will - while others might just ignore it. I'm sure the process will be chaotic at the very least," says Thompson.
“As a landlord committed to energy efficiency, I support better EPC ratings - but why are landlords the only ones forced to upgrade?
“Owner-occupied homes contribute just as much to emissions and energy waste yet face no pressure.
“This one-sided policy is unfair and ineffective. Climate action should be shared, not dumped on landlords alone. It’s ridiculous for rented properties to reach an EPC standard while the owner occupiers next door do nothing. It’s just another form of punishment.”
Thompson originally launched the petition in January and despite getting some coverage, this was while it was still being evaluated which meant all the potential votes were lost.
He hopes to get 10,000 signatures - required to get a government response – before the deadline of 12th September.
Under the plans, landlords will need to spend up to £15,000 per property on energy efficiency improvements to meet new government standards, which could be reduced to £10,000 in areas commanding lower rents, or for properties in lower tax bands, where the average cost to landlords whose homes fall below a C is estimated to be between £6,100 and £6,800 per property. The consultation closed in May, and the government is expected to respond to comments later this year.
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