While more than three quarters of landlords are aware of Government plans to introduce a minimum EPC rating of C by 2028, fewer than half believe they can hit the target.
Landlords have particular concerns over the practicalities of the targets, particularly those who have larger portfolios across a mix of property types.
NRLA research, drawn from the NRLA’s soon to be published Quarter 4 survey, found almost two-thirds of landlords have made recent energy saving investments - so are willing to make changes.
However, half of the those surveyed concluded either the age of individual properties and/or the costs to bring the property to a C-band essentially make it impractical to achieve.
The proposals were laid out in the Government consultation document Improving the Energy Performance of Privately Rented Homes in England and Wales, launched last year.
It proposes a 2025 deadline for a C-rating for new tenancies with 2028 the deadline for all.
In its response the NRLA warned the Government not to adopt a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach and that different landlords would be facing different challenges dependent on the type of homes they let.
It is now asking for a financial package for those landlords facing the biggest challenges.
The consultation was announced at the same time the Government unveiled its Green Grants Scheme, offering landlords up to £5,000 to carry out improvement works.
While NRLA data shows 43% of landlords are interested in applying for a grant, just 6% of the budget has been used – with issues over the eligibility criteria blamed for preventing many from accessing it.
The NRLA has now teamed up with the Tenancy Deposit Scheme to investigate how a grant programme could better work for landlords. To share your views on the plans click here.