Eco Clampdown on landlords and fines of up to £5,000

Reply to the comment left by David Price at 04/11/2021 - 12:33Down the tubes probably, led by those who seem to have few principles and no moral compass,
However, since you have raised the issue of democracy, what result would you expect from a vote by the population as a whole on whether landlords should be compelled to comply with the energy efficiency regulations, which is the topic under discussion?

Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 04/11/2021 - 13:35
I would expect that ALL landlords would be expected to comply with energy efficiency, electrical safety and gas safety, I would also expect the vote to indicate that they should be prepared to comply without any financial implications to tenants.

Meanwhile in the real world . . .

As an adjunct surely all owners should be expected to comply when properties change hands?

Reply to the comment left by David Price at 04/11/2021 - 15:54If there are to be no financial implications for tenants, where is the money to come from? The only source of funding for LAs apart from tenants' rent is the taxpayer so landlords would end up paying to upgrade their own properties and contributing to everyone else's costs as well.
There is already talk of mortgages becoming unavailable for properties, whether for owner occupation or BTL that do not meet the required EPC rating.
Government are committed to improving the energy efficiency of all property, probably to band C. They just haven't yet got round to working out how to achieve this in the LA/social housing/owner occupied sectors without bankrupting everyone, causing a house price crash and becoming unelectable in the process.
For the PRS it's easy, we all know that greedy landlords have access to unlimited funds and what does it matter if their passive investment becomes a bit less profitable? Their only choice will be to upgrade their properties as otherwise they will not be allowed to rent them out and will only be able to sell to cash buyers.
We ain't seen nothing yet.

Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 04/11/2021 - 18:59
Great words Seething, that's how I'm seeing it pan out. Many would like to sell now while they can to people who can still get mortgages on 'em.
I'm being loyal to me tenants & not gonna' sell on 'em but I can see it coming back to bite me.

There are going to be so many issues if they go ahead with the C rating for PRS.
Firstly, heat pumps are not suitable for all properties.
Most older properties (which is most properties) will never reach a C
Where do the tenants go while the extensive work is being done?
How can your average landlord afford it? I certainly can't afford to upgrade all my 8 flats. The landlords will not be the ones to gain from lower utility bills (and even the tenant won't see a big gain - it will happen over many years.)
If we have to evict we won't be able to (if tenants won't leave in order for work to be done) with no Section 21, what happens then?
If we do evict, where do the tenants go? Massive increase in homelessness.....
If nobody can get a mortgage and we can't sell except to a cash buyer then there will be empty properties, homeless people and bankrupt landlords.
I wonder if the government will think this thing through before implementing it.

Reply to the comment left by at 05/11/2021 - 10:55
I predict that Government/Local Authorities will step in as cash buyer of last resort, probably with compulsory purchase powers for empty properties (these might already exist). The price paid will obviously take account of the cost of making the property fit for habitation under whatever rules are in place at the time. Beware negative equity if/when this happens.

Well if the LA don't have to have their flats to level C they won't need to do any work. Our flats are probably in a much better state than most of theirs anyway.

Reply to the comment left by at 05/11/2021 - 11:50
Who knows what standards LA flats will have to meet in 9 or 10 years time?

The deprivation of "the aristocracy" of their land by the policy of ever increasing taxes on land is a policy made quite clear at the turn of the 19th to 20th century, as with thoseon £50000 likely to receive state benefits so we see the "aristocracy" encompassing the land "lorded" gentry further down the social scale, all deeply communistic.

Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 25/10/2021 - 10:54If only there was a level playing field where Council / Housing Assoc. Houses / Flats must be maintained to the same standard as Private Rented properties.