Around 34 per cent of landlords plan to make improvements to their lower-rated EPC properties to reach an EPC as soon as possible, research has found.
According to a Landbay survey, this is up from approximately 27 per cent last year who said they planned to reach an EPC C rating sooner rather than later.
Around 39 per cent plan to improve properties to a C but are looking to wait until 2028, which is currently the deadline in government legislation for all tenancies.
The research added that awareness of the government legislation has stayed consistent, with 78 per cent of landlords stating that they were aware of it. This is in line with 79 per cent in the same period last year.
Last month, Secretary of State for Levelling Up Michael Gove, suggested that the government should relax the pace of implementation for minimum EPC rules earmarked for 2028.
‘Further movement to the timeline’
Paul Brett, Landbay’s managing director for intermediaries, said: “The government’s proposal remains just that – a proposal, and the can has been kicked down the road a couple of times already with the change to 2028 being the latest. If Michael Gove’s comments are anything to go by, we could yet see further movement to the timeline.
“In spite of this, it’s very encouraging to see the majority of landlords with lower rated properties planning to make improvements, especially the strong proportion pledging to as soon as they can. If Gove does get his way, it will be interesting to see how these results change – if at all.”
Anna is currently the deputy editor for Mortgage Solutions and editor for Specialist Lending Solutions. She has worked as a journalist since 2019, having secured her Gold Standard NCTJ diploma from News Associates in a fast-track six-month course.
She started her career as a report at specialist publication The Insurance Insider covering a wide range of areas before joining Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions in 2021.
In her role, she helps put together and structure the news agenda for the day and writes up press releases, reports, interviews, analyses and exclusives across both titles. She also commissions blogs for Specialist Lending Solutions and hosts online masterclasses and in-person events across the business.
She has been shortlisted for three journalism awards, which include BIBA Journalist and Media Awards Scoop of Year Award in 2020, Headline Money Mortgage Journalist of the Year Award (B2B) in 2022 and 2023.
Prior to being a journalist, Anna worked in ecommerce across Snow + Rock, Cycle Surgery and Runners Need websites, and before that worked at specialist financial PR firm Rostrum.
In her spare time, Anna enjoys reading, seeing live music, and cooking for friends and family. When she gets a chance, she also enjoys hiking, skiing and indoor rock climbing.
