Landlords need more certainty around paying for improvements to meet planned new energy efficiency standards, the NRLA has warned.

It wants the government to publish a clear roadmap for how reform around Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) will complement other reforms to Energy Performance Certificates, property exemptions, enforcement and financial support.

With the countdown underway for private rentals to reach an EPC C by 1 October 2030, a briefing by the landlord body and Energy Saving Trust explains that continued uncertainty could mean landlords delay investment until closer to the deadline, creating additional pressure on installers, supply chains and enforcement bodies later in the decade.

Lenders

It says the UK government must work with lenders and the wider sector to support early investment and ensure publicly funded improvements deliver fairer outcomes for tenants, while the planned Warm Homes Agency should act as a consistent, national source of impartial and tailored information for both landlords and tenants, working in partnership with existing advice services.

It also wants businesses to have more certainty over future demand to invest in training and apprenticeships, along with clear communication and tailored support, particularly for older and disabled tenants and households at risk of fuel poverty.

Changes

NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle says that while the changes announced by the government earlier this year (after it axed the 2028 deadline requiring landlords signing new tenancies to hit the C target early and also reduced the spending cap from £15,000 to £10,000 per property) have made the proposed framework more workable, the focus now needs to be on making sure it can actually be delivered.

“2030 may sound some way off, but upgrading homes on the scale now needed requires landlords, installers, lenders, local authorities and tenants to start preparing now,” explains Beadle.

“That means providing urgent certainty about what will be required, ensuring the tradespeople and finance that landlords will need are available to carry out the work. Likewise, giving landlords and tenants access to much clearer and reliable advice is essential.”

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