Wood-burning stove rule changes

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There are said to be over a million British houses using wood burning stoves. Some of these are in rental properties and owners and tenants will want to be aware of the law changes on wood burning which were introduced this year.

You could be penalised if you own or buy a wood-burning stove which is not compliant with the Government’s 2022 Clean Air Strategy and/or you use the wrong type of fuel. Read on to find the key changes you should be aware of to avoid buying a prohibited appliance.

Emissions regulations

Emissions from domestic fossil fuel burning, especially coal, have significantly reduced since the 1950s, but there has been a recent resurgence in the popularity or wood burning stoves and the use of open fires. The cost of living crisis and the surging cost of energy is only going to accelerate the trend, but this becomes a problem for the Government’s environmental targets as these heat sources have become the single biggest factor in particulate matter emissions.

The Government’s target is to reduce particulate matter air pollution by 30 percent by 2030, so with wood and coal-burning stoves producing up to 40% of this particulate matter pollution, it’s not surprising that they have become a key target for Government regulation.

The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) published its Clean Air Strategy in 2019. This stated that the new Ecodesign regulations would come into force in 2022, which now mean that all new stoves will need to meet agreed emissions standards, regardless of where they are used in the country.

The Clean Air Act enables local councils to declare certain regions and districts as smoke control areas. In these zones, using an appliance that emits smoke through a chimney (such as a wood burner) is not allowed unless you’re burning an authorised fuel or using a DEFRA exempt product. Fines of up to £1,000 can be imposed for breaches of these regulations.

Do the regulations include banning wood burning stoves?

There are currently no plans to ban wood burning stoves says the Government. But significantly, one study – Clean Air in London – published the results of its findings for the Climate Change Committee (CCC), concluding that the use of wood burners should be phased out over time.

What is to be banned now are certain types of the most polluting fuels used in wood burners or multi-fuel burners, and only those types of fossil fuel burners which comply with certain design specifications can be sold and used from January 2022.

It means that if you own a wood burning stove, or you are planning to have one fitted, then you must ensure that it complies with the prescribed specifications. As from 1 January 2022 all new wood burning and multi-fuel stoves and fireplaces will have to be manufactured in-line with the strict new guidelines known as Ecodesign.

These new stoves will now carry something called a SIA (Stove Industry Alliance) approved Ecodesign Ready Stove quality assurance tag. As well as it being compulsory for a stove to have the correct specification from 1st January 2022, all wood burning and multi-fuel stoves and fireplaces that are manufactured will have to adhere to the strict new guidelines known as Ecodesign. The clearSkies moniker is a guide and the highest kitemark given to a stove in the domestic fire industry, a design which must be used in smoke control areas.

Stoves and fireplaces with the clearSkies certification produce significantly lower levels of emissions compared to open fires and older stoves. Independent tests have shown a clearSkies stove produces up to 90% less emissions than an open fire and 80% less emissions than the average 10-year-old stove.

If a stove or fireplace is clearSkies certified you can be assured that it meets all the criteria needed to be legally installed and meets the latest environmental standards. You don’t need to look for any other certification.

Appliances conforming to the previous requirements and marketed before January 1, 2022, can still be sold legally and if you have an older stove you can continue to use it. The new legislation will not affect existing appliances that are already installed.

Types of fuels

Wet wood used in wood burners or open fires leads to an increase in smoke and particulate emissions. It produces significantly less heat because you are simply burning water, and it leads to the blackening of the stove glass front with a faster build-up of soot in the chimney.

Wood fuels should have a moisture content below 20%. Legislation introduced in February 2020 banned the sale of wet wood fuel with a moisture content higher than 20% in volumes under 2 cubic meters, with effect from 2021.

It can take between 12 and 36 months, depending on the storage conditions and the species of freshly cut wood, to season (dry out) sufficiently to be legally burned. Freshly cut wood can have a water content as high as 60% to 80%. You can test the moisture content using an approved moisture meter or ensure your wood is ready to burn. Check with the Woodsure website if you are purchasing wood fuel.

In a smoke control area you can only burn fuel on the list of authorised fuels. These depend on the locality in the UK but tend to include: anthracite, semi-anthracite, gas and low volatile steam coal. You can check if you live in a smoke control area with your local authority.

Fitting and maintenance

Wood burners and multi-fuel burners must be fitted and certified by a qualified installer to ensure the stove works efficiently, with minimal emissions. Chimneys and flues must be swept and checked regularly.

Regular maintenance (at least annually) is particularly important in rental properties and landlords must supply a Carbon Monoxide monitor in all rooms where there is a solid fuel appliance.

Regular maintenance includes safety checks to ensure the stove is safe to use including checking the firebox for cracks, that the glass is not cracked, the rope seals are working effectively, the baffle and grate systems are in good working order and all the vents, are supply and airways are clear and working correctly.

Landlords should ensure that their tenants are made aware of the regulations governing the burning of solid fuels where a wood or multi solid fuel burning stove or open fire is provided.

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Are students happy with their accommodation?

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Are students happy with their accommodation?

Being a student at university can be a blast but the properties they rent and the landlords who provide often get a bad press.

But the latest research from www.accommodationforstudents.com shows that overall students are satisfied with their accommodation and academic life.

Despite the challenges of the last two years students score satisfaction with their accommodation seven (out of ten) with over half of respondents an eight or above.

The survey of over 1,000 students also revealed high levels of satisfaction with university life overall with an average score of 7.5.

Keys to satisfaction

The survey revealed that one of the most important criteria for student satisfaction with their accommodation was how well the property was managed by their landlord.

Current students are broadly satisfied with their property management (6.9), however those that experienced the best standard of property management were likely to be most satisfied overall.

Price and location

While our previous research showed that price and location were the two most important criteria for students when searching for accommodation, this research revealed that these factors had little impact on satisfaction levels once the student had taken occupation of the property.

This is highlighted by the fact that students who lived over an hour away from university were just as satisfied with their accommodation as those that live under five minutes’ walk away.

Furthermore, students who were the least satisfied with the amount of rent they paid were just as likely to be happy with their accommodation as those that indicated high satisfaction with rent, once more emphasising the import role of the landlord.

Online house hunting

The research revealed the dramatic rise in online methods, both for searching for accommodation and studying and perhaps most importantly students’ satisfaction with these methods.

This is best illustrated by the fact that students were just as satisfied with property viewings undertaken online as they were with a traditional property tour.

Furthermore, those students who were currently using online or a mix online and in person study methods were as happy with the quality of their teaching experience as those that were on campus in more traditional teaching environments.

Long-term trends

These trends are set to continue and are in fact welcomed by students. 65% of students would like some elements of remote learning to become a standard part of the university experience, while the ability to conduct viewings online in a satisfactory manner benefits both students and landlords.  

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Are students happy with their accommodation? | LandlordZONE.

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What are the pros and cons of managing a rental property yourself?

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With over 400 separate rules and regulations governing the lettings sector, there’s a lot to know about renting a property. Here are the pros and cons of managing a rental property yourself:

The benefits

1. You’re in control

If you manage the let, you’ll always know exactly what’s going on with your property and tenancy as long as you regularly engage with your tenant and make comprehensive maintenance checks, so it’s always legally and safely let.

2. Saving on letting agent fees

Some landlords decide to DIY manage so that they can save on management fees which can range from 10% to 18% of your rent.

However, these fees are tax deductible, so the final cost could be 20 to 45% lower, and the net cost of using a qualified agent may feel a worthwhile investment.

3. It may lead to a rewarding career

If you enjoy investing time and effort in learning every aspect of lettings and management, you might consider making it your full-time career. It could take a while to get to this stage and you might want to work with a qualified agent first, but as long as you invest in certain registrations, training, licensing, accreditation and insurance requirements this might be achievable.

The downsides

1. You’re 100% responsible for legal compliance

When you use an agent that has proper training and legal support, you can be confident that your property is always legally let and managed. During Covid, there were over 40 legal changes, so if you’re handling the let yourself, you’ve got to keep up with all the rules and regulations at a local and national level.

If you fall foul of the law – even unintentionally – it could prove expensive. Your local authority can fine you up to £30,000 for each violation without going to court and, in serious cases, you could receive an unlimited fine, a banning order, or even jail.

2. It can be time consuming

There’s a lot to take care of before a tenancy begins. You must make sure the property is legally compliant, advertise, carry out viewings, and secure a tenant. You need to make referencing checks, draw up the tenancy agreement, get an Electrical Installation Condition Report, and check the tenant into the property – with an inventory and prescribed information.

Each month you have to check rent has been paid and chase up the tenant if necessary. Every 12 months you need a gas safety certificate and you’ve got regular inspections and maintenance to organise.

Even with the best planning, unforeseen problems can arise. Whether the issue is with the property or the tenant, it may need to be dealt with immediately and if you have a full-time job, it may be impossible for you to respond. And who will cover you if you’re ill or go on holiday?

3. There’s no ‘buffer’ between you and your tenant

Most tenancies progress smoothly, but every now and then you will run into an issue with a tenant. If you’re not used to handling disputes, it can be very stressful. If things escalate you may sadly need to evict your tenant.

If there are problems during the tenancy, it can be helpful if an agent well versed in dealing with every landlord/tenant issue can act as a buffer.

Not sure whether to property manage yourself or use an agent? Leaders has three levels of lettings services depending on how hands on you want to be. Just contact the Leaders team in your local branch.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – What are the pros and cons of managing a rental property yourself? | LandlordZONE.

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Podcast – how landlords and agents now face 168 rules and regulations

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Hamilton Fraser’s new Property Podcast, ‘Landlords, lettings and deposits’, offers landlords expert property advice on key industry topics across the private rented sector. 

In the latest episode, ‘Legislation – what do landlords and agents need to know?’, Eddie Hooker, CEO of LandlordZONE’s insurance partner, Total Landlord Insurance and Paul Shamplina, Founder of Landlord Action and Chief Commercial Officer at Hamilton Fraser, are joined by leading UK property expert and market analyst, Kate Faulkner (pictured) and Sean Hooker (pictured) Head of Redress at the Property Redress Scheme.

Landlords now have to meet 168 rules and regulations to let a property legally. But what are the latest legislative updates that landlords and agents really need to know about? Kate Faulkner has recently updated Hamilton Fraser’s legislation guide for 2022, and in this legislation special, the team of experts explores this topic from both landlords’ and agents’ perspectives.

Listen to the podcast

A radical rehaul of the lettings sector is on the horizon, with the rental reform White Paper due any day, and the potential opportunity to learn more on the details in the Queen’s Speech next week. But is the sector ready for more reform? And will it be a burden or a blessing?

From Section 21 to landlord redress and regulation, find out the experts’ take on how the sector is evolving: what is really happening behind the headlines? What are the key challenges for the sector? Who are the winners and the losers? Should landlords be worried? What is the most common complaint from landlords about letting agents? What do the team think about rent controls and licensing? And what should you do if your tenant can’t pay the rent?

In this episode, the team cover a lot of ground. So, whether you’re a new or experienced landlord, it’s a must-listen if you’re interested in regulation, the market and all things lettings. 

And you’ll also find out Kate and Sean’s answers the closing question, ‘You’ve got £50k to invest in property – where would you invest, and why?’ Listen to the podcast to find out what the experts would do!

You can read Hamilton Fraser’s comprehensive legislation guide here.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Podcast – how landlords and agents now face 168 rules and regulations | LandlordZONE.

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How long are courts taking to send notices?

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Hi everyone, I have recently been to court and got an order for a tenant who is in arrears with over £15000 of rental payments.

The tenant was given until the 27th of April by the court to move out.

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SHOCK: Just 12% of councils policing EPC certificates for privately rented properties

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Only 12% of councils are enforcing Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rules requiring private landlords to raise standards at their F and G-rated properties.

Freedom of Information requests by Generation Rent revealed that just 13 out of 101 councils had issued enforcement notices following MEES enforcement work in 2020-21, a total of 359. Barnsley Council issued the most notices with 181, followed by Bristol (35) and Thanet (30).

LandlordZONE has previously reported that some landlords who can’t or won’t spend on retrofitting are capitalising on the lax way property listings are regulated by using gaps in EPC and other regulatory systems to make their properties appear legitimate online – simply by declaring that they hold a valid EPC instead of providing physical copies.

Growing financial pressures, particularly the unequal burden of retrofitting in parts of the UK, could also be adding to some landlords’ reluctance to spend money.

upgrade costs

A recent report by think-tank Localis reported that in areas of the North and Midlands, the estimated costs of improving home energy can be about 25% of property values, while in affluent parts of London and the South East retrofitting with heat pumps represents less than 2% of overall property value.

Generation Rent analysed EPC data to assess the scale of the problem in each region in England. It says 201,000 private rented homes are classed as F on their EPCs and 62,000 are classed as G, out of a total of 4,265,000, which by law now need to be raised to at least a D rating.

The pressure group has called on councils to commit to using publicly accessible data on EPCs to identify tenants in cold homes and all their enforcement powers, including improvement notices, to protect them.

Director Alicia Kennedy (pictured) adds: “The government needs to act much faster to ensure that private landlords insulate their properties, including by reforming tenancies to give tenants more confidence to exercise their rights.”

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – SHOCK: Just 12% of councils policing EPC certificates for privately rented properties | LandlordZONE.

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NRLA open letter answering unbalance Shelter press release

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The NRLA has sent an open letter to the Chief Executive of Shelter, Polly Neate CBE, looking to redress the imbalance of the latest Shelter press release:

Dear Polly,

I write following the publication of Shelter’s research: “Every seven minutes a private renter is served a no-fault eviction notice despite a government promise to scrap them three years ago.”

As you know

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BREAKING: NRLA takes Shelter to task over one-sided ‘anti-landlord’ campaign

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The NRLA has today published an open letter to Shelter taking apart its recent but widely-criticised research which gave the impression the entire landlord community is busy ejecting tenants without any reason.

Last week its press release claimed that “every seven minutes a private renter is served a no-fault eviction notice despite a government promise to scrap them three years ago”.

But the Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) Ben Beadle (main picture) says in his missive that the campaign represented a “disappointingly one-sided picture, which has the potential to create needless anxiety for tenants that their landlord is about to evict them for no reason”.

“There are, as we know, a small number of irresponsible landlords who have no place in the market and bring the wider sector into disrepute.

“Your press release, however, gives the misleading impression that most landlords fall into this category which is far from the case.”

Section 21 campaign

Beadle goes on to accuse Shelter of selectively using industry and government data to embellish its ongoing campaign to have ‘no fault’ Section 21 notice evictions banned.

Beadle says Shelter omitted to mention key facts within its press release including how 75,000 Section notices being issued every year is just 0.7% of total tenancies; that the overall trend in evictions is downward and that Section 21 evictions are used by many landlords because the Section 8 process is broken.

He also highlights how landlords can easily be refused a Section 21 notice application for minor admin breaches – for example not issuing a ‘How to Rent’ booklet correctly at the start of a tenancy.

“The NRLA is not opposing the Government’s plans to end Section 21,” says Beadle.

“However, as our proposals for a new system make clear, Section 21 cannot simply be scrapped without the associated reforms needed to ensure that a new system is fair and workable for both tenants and landlords.”

Read the letter in full here.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – BREAKING: NRLA takes Shelter to task over one-sided ‘anti-landlord’ campaign | LandlordZONE.

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Leaked Boris proposal to let tenants buy their homes criticised as ‘hare brained’

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Renters could be offered the chance to buy their homes from housing associations under a new pilot scheme being considered by Boris Johnson.

In a move which could reduce demand from private renters as more tenants become homeowners, The Telegraph reports that the Prime Minister has told officials to revive plans which first appeared in David Cameron’s 2015 Conservative manifesto.

It aimed to give the 2.5 million households in England who rent properties from housing associations the ability to buy their homes at a discount of up to 70%.

It cited a source saying Johnson was “very excited” about rejuvenating Thatcher’s original right-to-buy policy.

However, questions remain about how housing associations would be compensated and how their stock would be replenished.

The Telegraph suggested another idea being considered is for government spending on housing benefit to be used to help recipients get mortgages.

More than one million households are already on social housing waiting lists in England according to Shelter.

Chief executive Polly Neate (pictured) criticised the “hare-brained idea” as “the opposite of what the country needs”, while housing experts warned that the policy amounted to the sell-off of affordable homes during the cost-of-living crisis and called instead for an increase in housebuilding.

“Right to buy has already torn a massive hole in our social housing stock as less than 5% of the homes sold off have ever been replaced. These half-baked plans have been tried before and they’ve failed,” said Neate.

Lisa Nandy (pictured), Labour’s shadow communities secretary, called the plan “desperate” and added: “Millions of families in the private rented sector with low savings and facing sky-high costs and rising bills, need far more ambitious plans to help them buy their own home.”

Read more: Why have the Tories turned on landlords?

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BTL Insurance refusals after fire damage claim?

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Does anyone have the same issues with insurers as I have? My insurance company has refused to renew my policy and every broker I have contacted since then comes back with the same reply – The Underwriters are unable to cover me.

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