Councillors want powers to force private landlords to improve energy efficiency

Glasgow SNP councillors have called for new powers to force private landlords in the city to make their homes more energy efficient, to help tenants and homeowners in fuel poverty, Glasgow Live reveals.

Cllr Ruairi Kelly and Cllr Kenny McLean have written to Scottish Ministers to ask for more flexibility around the Energy Efficient Scotland (EES) fund, which provides grants for measures such as wall insulation.

They said the current rules, which exclude private landlords with three or more properties from accessing the fund, are preventing thousands of households from benefiting from the scheme.

The councillors said many landlords are reluctant or unable to pay the upfront costs for the upgrades, which affects tenants, especially in deprived areas, and neighbouring properties in blocks of flats, where work cannot proceed without the consent of all owners.

Compel landlords to carry out the work

They proposed that local authorities should be able to compel landlords who are holding up EES-supported work to carry it out compulsorily and recover the costs when the properties are sold.

Cllr McLean, the city convener for housing, said: “We need to remove the barrier of landlords having to pay upfront for work to improve homes. We want ministers to allow the council to do the work compulsorily and get the money back when the property is sold. This is similar to what we do with emergency repairs. We do the work and add the cost to the landlord’s deeds.”

He said around 11,000 Glasgow homes have been improved with almost £40m EES support over the past decade, which has made them more energy efficient and reduced their carbon footprint.

Many properties are ineligible for the fund

Cllr Kelly, city convener for neighbourhoods, who represents the Easterhouse area, said many properties in his ward are ineligible for the fund, despite being in one of the most deprived areas in Scotland, with many private tenants being refugees on low incomes.

He said: “We are not letting landlords in places like Easterhouse off the hook for the state of their properties or their lack of investment. We are asking for consideration of the large number of private rented flats in Glasgow, the needs of the tenants and the fact that the current restrictions can stop adjoining homes from getting work done.”

Frustrated by the lack of cooperation from private landlords

Dennis Docherty, from the Easterhouse-based Denmilne Action Group, said he and other homeowners are frustrated by the lack of cooperation from private landlords, who are blocking them from accessing the EES fund.

He said: “We are being denied the chance to make improvements because of private landlords who don’t want to spend money on their properties. It’s not fair that we and the people who live in those houses are suffering and can’t get this support. We want to live in warm homes and save on our energy bills.”

Helping with the upfront costs of improving energy efficiency

A Scottish Government spokesman told Glasgow Live it is helping with the upfront costs of improving energy efficiency ‘for private landlords across Scotland’ via the Private Rented Sector Loan scheme.

They added: “Where it will help fuel poor households to reduce their bills, we provide additional targeted help for some private landlords. Most landlords own fewer than three rental properties.

“Despite pressures on public spending we have maintained our investment in making homes warmer and less expensive to heat for fuel poor households in 2024/5.”

Share This Article