The National Residential Landlords Association and Energy Saving Trust have called on the Government to publish a delivery roadmap for proposed 2030 rental energy standards, warning that a late rush to upgrade homes could drive up landlords’ costs.
The joint briefing, published on 28 September after a parliamentary roundtable chaired by Clive Betts MP, sets out five priorities it says are needed to turn the Government’s plans into workable changes for the private rented sector.
With only four years before the proposed deadline, the immediate issue for owners is not simply the eventual EPC target. It is whether installers, finance and clear guidance will be available early enough for landlords to plan upgrades property by property rather than compete for scarce work at the last minute.
Five tests for the 2030 landlord energy plan
The briefing asks ministers to provide certainty that will allow businesses to expand installer and skills capacity, while maintaining quality assurance. It also calls for practical finance, clear advice through the planned Warm Homes Agency, properly resourced enforcement and support for tenants who will use low-carbon technology.
That timing question sits alongside Residential Landlord’s recent report on MEES exemptions, which found that 28% of landlords were unaware that exemptions exist. The proposed framework will need to explain not only the standard expected but also which homes may qualify for an exemption and how evidence should be recorded.
Cost remains the other practical concern. Residential Landlord’s analysis of EPC upgrade costs reported a £11,713 average estimate for landlords facing improvement work. That figure will vary sharply by property, but it illustrates why a clear sequence of requirements and finance options matters more than a headline target alone.
The NRLA and Energy Saving Trust briefing does not announce a new legal duty, grant or final timetable. Instead, it is a call for the Government to set out how its proposed changes to Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, EPC reform, exemptions, enforcement and financial support will fit together.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “2030 may sound some way off, but in retrofit terms it is just around the corner. If investment is left until the final years, we risk a scramble for installers, finance and advice that drives up costs and makes the Government’s targets harder to achieve.”
Early decisions could limit retrofit pressure
The report’s emphasis on capacity is important for landlords with older homes or portfolios containing several lower-rated properties. Waiting for every technical detail may appear cautious, but leaving basic surveys, EPC reviews and financing conversations until the final years could reduce choice when contractors are busiest.
Equally, landlords should not assume the report changes today’s rules. The Government has proposed a higher energy-efficiency standard for rented homes from 2030, but the NRLA and Energy Saving Trust are asking for the delivery detail that has not yet been published. Existing duties, property conditions and local enforcement remain the live considerations.
Owners who know some homes may need work can use the intervening period to establish a reliable starting point: check the current EPC, identify fabric or heating constraints, retain evidence relevant to any exemption and compare funding routes. A staged plan is likely to be easier to manage than a single rush across a portfolio.
Opinion
The call for a roadmap is reasonable. A 2030 standard may be achievable, but it will not be met cheaply or well if landlords, lenders and installers are left to interpret incomplete rules in the final stretch. Ministers should publish the route map soon, including realistic funding and a credible exemptions process, rather than treat the deadline as a substitute for delivery.
