Financial help for landlords essential to improving energy standards says Welsh Government
The Welsh Government accepts all 29 recommendations of the Senedd’s Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee’s report on decarbonisation of the private rented sector, either in full or in principle. This includes the Committee’s call for them to provide more detail about how regulatory standards will be used to guide retrofit activity across the Welsh private rented sector.
In its response, Welsh Government also concedes that the ageing private rented housing stock in Wales means that many landlords may be forced to take drastic action to meet energy efficiency targets. As a result, many will be forced to sell their rental properties, commission cheaper retrofits which may not be as effective over the long term, or pass the costs of work on to tenants.
Most notably, the Welsh Government accepts that the introduction of revised Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) by the UK Government may necessitate some form of financial assistance for Welsh landlords. Specifically, they explain that “if the UK Government introduces a requirement to meet EPC C and does not provide financial support, there could be a need to look at funding grants and/or loans to support improvements”.
Ben Beadle, Chief Executive at the National Residential Landlords Association, said:
“We welcome the Welsh Government’s response. To say that landlords in Wales are faced with substantial challenges at the moment would be an understatement, so it is pleasing to see that the Welsh Government understands our predicament when it comes to retrofitting rental properties. This follows extensive campaigning from the NRLA on the issue.
“The cost implications of undertaking remedial work on ageing housing stock are extremely prohibitive, with many landlords currently unable to access any kind of financial support for retrofits.
“Although we broadly concur with the Welsh Government’s statement, much more work is needed to offer financial assistance to landlords looking to increase the energy efficiency of their properties."
You can read the Welsh Government’s response to the Committee’s decarbonisation report here.