Wintry weather in mid-November may have come as a surprise at a time when all the talk of a warming planet makes people wonder if they will see snow at all, but it does remind us of a very important aspect of landlord training: understanding energy performance requirements.
All over the Midlands and elsewhere, tenants will be keeping the heating on as they shelter from the cold weather outside, but some will be concerned about how much this will add to their energy bills after the price hikes of the last two years.
Much will depend on a home’s energy performance. This depends a lot on insulation and the absence of major flaws like draughty gaps through which heat can be lost.
Since April 2020, any residential let has had to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E or higher, making it illegal for landlords to rent out any home with a rating of F or G. Following the change of government in July, the new energy security and net zero secretary Ed Miliband outlined plans to raise the minimum EPC rating to C.
Understanding these rules, what you need to do to improve the EPC rating of a property and where you can find and finance the practical means to do so, from budgeting for this to getting the skilled workers in to make improvements, is all part of good and necessary training.
There is plenty of other help out there too; for example, the National Residential Landlords Association has just published a series of hints and tips for landlords for getting properties ready for winter.
These tips were not about having an EPC of E or higher (which will have been issued after a previous inspection), but practical elements like checking that insulation is in good shape, bleeding radiators, having the boiler serviced, protecting pipes from freezing and cleaning out the gutters, which may now be clogged with fallen autumn leaves.
Such help, combined with excellent training, should equip you to discharge your landlord duties well, not only maintaining legal compliance but also ensuring tenant satisfaction.