Scottish Land & Estates, which represents the majority of private housing providers in rural Scotland, believes that rural housing faces particular challenges in this respect and in its submission to the Scottish Government’s consultation on energy efficiency in private rented housing it calls for this to be taken into account.
In the submission it says that the worst performing housing should be targeted first and the sector given time to gradually improve energy standards.
‘Our consultation response makes clear that there is a risk that the private rented sector could be damaged by well-meaning but ultimately flawed proposals for new energy efficiency standards,’ said Katy Dickson, a senior policy officer at Scottish Land & Estates.
The organisation is calling for the minimum standard to be set at EPC level E and for there to be no back stop date. It says this means the measures will target the worst performing stock and full upgrades can be completed gradually at natural breaks in tenancies.
And ultimately it believes that this will mean all low performing homes will reach a better standard than the current proposals would allow and there would be less disruption to tenants.
‘If the regulations are not manageable or appropriately funded then landlords will consider increasing rents in order to pay for energy efficiency investments or even leaving the sector. Our members are being told there is a rural affordable housing shortage and the Scottish Government is encouraging them to develop new housing to let,’ said Dickson.
‘However, when faced with a new unfavourable tenancy regime and now a proposed minimum energy standard which fails to tackle the issues, landlords are being forced to consider if it viable to continue to let as many properties on a long term basis at affordable rents,’ she pointed out.
The organisation added that problems with accurately assessing energy ratings also created worries for the sector.
‘The Scottish Government has highlighted that the age and location of rural privately let properties means they are more likely to be of lower energy efficiency. Simply being off the gas grid drops the efficiency score,’ Dickson explained.
‘We are one of many stakeholders that has raised concerns about the methodology behind the energy efficiency assessments across the UK. It is not transparent and fails to recognise the reality of many aspects of traditional rural buildings resulting in unreliable assessments. If regulation and funding is to be based on it, there must be improvements as soon as possible,’ she added.
http://www.propertywire.com/news/uk/new-energy-efficiency-standards-scotland-harm-rural-housing/
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