Landlord’s EPC deadline: Does anyone else feel conned?

There was always the potential for this to happen, which is why a lot of landlords like myself have not done anything regarding any possible work until something happens where by a repair is needed or something major needs replacing.

With the cost cap requiring evidence to prove any expense for the purpose of meeting the new rating and needing to be date specific, then with no date of EPC rating change, where was the rush?

Unless something is a done deal, then I wont be paying out for anything. U turns a plenty, and it wont be any different under another coloured government! I dont work of 'maybe's these days and certainly not where it involves what could be unnecessary expenditure in the current climate.

"I don’t doubt addressing climate change and reducing energy consumption is essential. As responsible citizens, landlords, like everyone else, should contribute to these noble goals"

You talked about being Conned in the title - "Climate Change" or more emotively "Climate Crisis" is THE BIG Con.

The Climate has been changing for Billions of years, there is no Climate Crisis, the Gov, aided by the MSM is carrying out a Campaign of fear, they learned how successful these campaigns can be with Lockdowns & mask wearing.

Time to wake up people!

Reply to the comment left by DSR at 28/07/2023 - 09:15
I have a block of 4 flats. The 2 ground floor have an EPC of D, the 2 first floor have an EPC of C & E.

They are identical in every respect, just different assessors!!! Until there is some consistency with the EPC rating system then the whole subject is an absolute joke.

Let's remember here that nothing has actually happened except Gove saying 'we should slow down'. What does that actually mean?

Do you think that he might just have said that to try to get voters on board ahead of the next election? There's nothing to say that the improvements won't need to be done - 2025, 2028, whenever - it's still something that will be addressed.

It is in the best interest of HMO landlords in particular that will benefit from lower fuel bills if they are including fuel costs in rents to tenants.

For vanilla BTL landlords, it will be a benefit too especially when it comes to improvements in wall insulation as it will hopefully help against thermal/cold bridging and could help reduce the numerous damp problems that lots of people seem to be seeing in recent times.

Bottom line, carrying out these works will have further far-reaching benefits to landlords on top of just ticking a compliance box - that's just the catalyst.

There is a cost associated to this, I get it, but it's a simple spend to save exercise and everyone needs to look at the longer term picture I think.

Dear Crusader

You make many valid points in particular there are at least three major issues.

Firstly the level of attainment without gas central heating. The C rating is beyond attainment in many pre 1945 solid walled properties. If the D rating was split into D1 and D2 the higher D1 might be achievable.

Secondly, the EPC assessment scheme is often inaccurate. A thorough overall of the means of measurement and the formula they use with the data needs to be achieved.

Thirdly, if the need to provide better homes and the need to reduce a carbon footprint are the objectives why are the proposals merely being imposed on private rented accommodation. All homes both rented (both public and private) and owned need to be subject to the same standards.

I remember talking to a fellow landlord last spring (2022) before the current rental crisis. They felt the government would back down for landlords with existing tenants. If they were to fine the landlord, the landlord would maybe have to evict the tenant to get works done. The tenant may and try to block eviction, which the court may uphold. This is made worse with abolition of no fault evictions; we get a Catch 22 situation. The shortage of properties is far worse now. After a decade of hitting the PRS, and now with higher interest rates, basic economics has kicked in with lower supply leading to higher rents. The EPC initiative will only exacerbate this situation.

I looked at the bill. The dates are there, but not a lot of the other information rumoured in the media. If all we hear is true, the bill is completely unworkable, so I am ignoring it. However, We expect about half our rental income over the next few years will be spent on measures that reduce carbon emissions. Where this is done will depend on repairs and improvements that are needed. We cannot in any case meet the date of 2028 for all three of our buildings, and probably none for 2025. We also expect to make no withdrawal of income from our lettings over the next few years after mortgage costs and tax, as we receive pensions.

An example case (a true one). A 150 year old stone built terraced cottage which I refurbished in 2006 to then full current building regulation standards. This included digging out the ground floor, inserting insulation and re-flooring, roof insulation, new heating system, full duble glazing, new electricals and fittings. It was susequently assessed as C for EPC requirements.
Down the road with the need to renew the EPC it was downgraded to D. The assessor had ticked his box to say it was a suspended timber ground floor and when questioned (although he had been given a copy of the specification for building regulations showing that it had a solid insulated floor) he said he couldn't see it and didn't have a box for that type of floor anyway.
What is the point of doing the work early if assessors are either unable to do a proper job because their ipad app is flawed or are stupid. In addition the rules might change anyway.

Reply to the comment left by DSR at 28/07/2023 - 09:15We are the same - which means that the planned improvements we would have made by now still haven't been actioned - because we were hanging fire to see how much of / or if any of the costs of those improvements we would have (arguably should have) made would be allowable against any threshold the government might decide at some point to set against costs to meet their 'deadline'.
The net result of this debacle for us (and for our tenants) is that our properties are actually LESS energy efficient, LESS warm and/or LESS climate friendly than they would have been without this ill-considered nonsense looming over us for years!

Yes I am completing as we speak on a sale sold partly because of EPC and capital gains tax changes together I may as we sell now.
That’s one sold two years ago £30k loss another sold last year and now one sold this year, this years brought on by the added factor of the capital gains! I didn’t want to sell any more just yet!
I now wonder what will happen next year to make another re-think and sale !!!!