Chris Waine, director of Hive Projects, was asked recently to share his expert opinions regarding the new mandatory Energy Performance Certificates all landlords are now required to have for all properties.
Chris Waine responded,
“This is another example of the Government trying to buy political capital in the build-up to an election with a climate change and housing sector related intervention without properly thinking it through.
“It is not viable for landlords to pay for these upgrades and they will simply look for a way to pass it on to the tenant or they will sell the property.
“There are obvious benefits for the tenants and environment to be had here, but the Government should be looking at more transitional arrangements by helping landlords to undertake the intervention works, as opposed to this ‘step change’ approach.
“As a landlord and someone who works in the housing sector in the North West of England, I worry this will do more harm than good in the short term and it will have more impact on the more deprived communities, going completely against the Levelling Up Agenda.”
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