Conversations around “green” lifestyles currently focus on things such as hybrid and electric cars. New cars that run purely on petrol or diesel fuels will be banned from sale by 2030. The market for new hybrids will cease by 2035 under current targets for Net Zero by 2050.

But there’s a far closer target that residential landlords need to be homing in on. The Government wants residential lettings properties to be Band C or above for their EPC by 2025 which is closer than many imagine. The current minimum is Band E.

Two years to get everything updated sounds like plenty of time but that’s far from the case. It needs planning now in order to have everything done that can be. There will be exemptions for homes in listed buildings and other structures that can’t be improved, just as now. For instance, running your home on an oil-based system because no gas is available immediately downgrades an EPC rating so a home that could otherwise look good sinks down the charts, quite literally. This particularly afflicts rural homes.

Any landlord letting their home now might presume immunity but the time will come when there’s a need to re-let and that’s when targets suddenly become important. Everyone is aware of energy costs right now and just as we are seeing homebuyers looking for a good EPC rating so we will see the same from tenants concerned about running costs.

Landlords would do well to get current lettings properties re-assessed, particularly where they can add to effective insulation or have already upgraded the heating and hot water systems from older, less efficient installations. It’s worth remembering that EPCs only have a 10 year lifespan before they need to renewed so if you have been letting a property for some time than this is worth bearing in mind.

As the rush to meet the deadline approaches contractors will be busier and prices will rise, as they always do in a competitive market. So my advice to landlords is to check now what can be done – a new EPC assessment is a good way forward as technologies have improved and new methods can give a big lift to EPC ratings.

Bear in mind that the EPC regime will get tougher, so the more that can be done now to lift a home’s rating the better. Potential tenants will also appreciate the offset in running costs and that alone will ensure than improved properties remain highly attractive and competitive.

Colin Shairp,

Director, Fine and Country Southern Hampshire and Town and Country Southern estate agencies, Drayton.<