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UK landlords taking advantage of Advanced Rent's No Deposit Rental Scheme or landlord tenant referencing may be interested to read that 58% of their fellow landlords have reportedly refused requests from their tenants to improve the energy efficiency of their property. Furthermore, more than half of UK tenants have said that their rental property is cold and draughty – a state of affairs that could put many landlords at legal risk. Widespread concern in light of new law The above are findings from a poll conducted by online letting agent PropertyLetByUs, which found that seven in every 10 tenants had indeed requested to their landlord that they make improvements to their property, only for more than half to be refused. The statistics are a particular warning to landlords in light of legislation that took effect from April of this year, enabling tenants living in G and F rated homes to request improvements such as additional insulation. In response to such a request, the landlord is legally bound to bring the property up to at least an E rating on the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) scale. If they fail to comply, they may be forced to pay a penalty notice. Damp walls and leaking roofs among other reported problems The survey also found that 76% of tenants claimed the property they rented had an old, unreliable gas boiler, while 48% said their property lacked double glazing. According to European Union data, an estimated 10 million or so British families live in a property with damp walls, rotting windows or a leaking roof. These issues can lead to damp, condensation and mould, particularly in older, single-glazed homes. Now is the time to take action for your own property PropertyLetByUs managing director Jane Morris expressed her disappointment over the proportion of tenants that had seen their requests for energy efficiency improvements to their property refused. She said that with around one million tenants thought to be paying as much as £1,000 more for their heating each year than the typical annual bill of £1,265, "landlords that are currently renting out F and G rated properties should be looking at the improvements they can make and researching costs". These are sentiments that we can only very much agree with here at Advanced Rent - indeed, help to upgrade property is available from such sources as the Energy Saving Advice Service (ESAS). In any case, ensuring the energy efficiency of your buy-to-let property is not only a legal duty but also a moral and financial one, not least as properties that are less costly to run also stand to attract greater interest from tenants.
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