Landlords are calling on the Government to be more ambitions when it comes to the energy efficiency of rented housing.

Since April, all new or renewed private sector tenancies require properties to have at least an ‘E’ rating on their Energy Performance Certificate. From 2020 that will apply to all private rented homes.

Whilst the Government is considering raising this target to a C rating by 2030, the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) is calling on policy makers to be more ambitious for the sector. In its forthcoming submission to the Treasury ahead of the Budget, the RLA will call for all private rented homes to be as energy efficient as possible.

To achieve this, it wants all work carried out by landlords that is recommended on an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) to be considered a tax deductible repair. This would encourage a culture of continuous improvements to properties rather than simply meeting set targets and leaving them there.

New research by the RLA’s research body, PEARL, has found that 37% of landlords with properties rated F or G are unable to afford to bring their property up to at least an E rating. On average, such landlords reported that it would cost them almost £5,800 to bring their properties up to the required standard.