Landlords 'ahead on EPC improvements'

Landlords renting out properties with buy-to-let mortgages are ahead of the game in ramping up the green credentials of flats and houses, it was claimed.

The National Landlords Association (NLA) said that landlords across the UK were pre-empting the implementation of new legislation by installing new boilers and loft installation in many rental homes.

By October 2008 all British rental properties will require an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) as part of the Home Improvement Pack (Hips) scheme – meaning that more pressure will be applied for buildings to be made more energy efficient.

NLA chairman David Salusbury said that becoming compliant was not easy: "Letting residential property can be a minefield of regulation – and [EPCs] are yet another consideration.

"With EPCs on the way next year landlords should start looking around now to see what deals might be appropriate for them - it may well give them a market advantage and help attract and retain responsible tenants for longer."

He added that multiple grants and incentives were currently available from energy companies and local authorities, helping landlords to get even further ahead with green improvements.

News posted on 21st December, 2007