Under the legislation, which came into force on 1 April 2016, if a tenant requests a more efficient home and the landlord fails to comply, the landlord could ultimately be forced to pay a penalty notice.
The study, conducted by PropertyLetByUs, shows that one in six tenants have paid for roof insulation, 7% have paid for double glazing and 92% have paid for draft excluders for windows and doors. A further 71% have paid for their boiler to be repaired.
However 88% of tenants want their landlord to install a more fuel efficient boiler, while 78% want their draughty front door replaced, 72% want more loft insurance and 48% want double glazed windows fitted.
Properties with EPC ratings of F and G will be progressively banned from the market, starting with rental homes with new tenancies. The Residential Landlords Association estimates that a total of 330,000 rental homes in England and Wales are likely to be affected.
Government officials have estimated it could cost landlords between £1,800 and £5,000 to bring energy-inefficient properties up to an E rating.
PropertyLetByUs commented: “Our research shows that it is falling on tenants to pay for energy improvements to their rented properties which is simply unacceptable. Many tenants are finding that their landlords are refusing to make improvements to the property, leaving tenants no choice but to dip into their own pockets.
“Tenants should not have to pay for roof insulation and repairs to old boilers when it is the landlord’s responsibility. The Government has recently given guidelines on the costs with a typical package of measures for a small semi. Gas central heating and low energy lighting is estimated at £4,000, loft insulation at £300 and cavity wall insulation at about £500. The Government will need to put measures in place to ensure that landlords are compliant – or the financial burden on tenants could be even greater.
“Landlords should comply with the current legislation that requires them to make energy efficiency improvements and they also should start improving their properties, if they have an EPC rating of F or G, so they are brought up to the required standard by 2018.”
