Oct

Don’t worry about scaring off landlords with tougher EPCs, JRF chief tells Government

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The UK shouldn’t be held to ransom by private landlords threatening to leave the market due to tougher EPC rules, a senior policy advisor at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has told a Tory party fringe meeting.

Darren Baxter (main pic, 2nd from right) said that although there needed to be funding available for retrofitting old properties, the government should move very quickly to legislating towards the minimum EPC C.

“If landlords do sell up, I don’t think we should be worried, as landlords sell properties to other landlords or home buyers – you recalibrate supply and demand,” he told delegates.

Baxter clashed with former pensions minister Guy Opperman (main pic, right) who argued that the government should abandon all net zero aspirations in respect of some older houses.

“Landlords will say ‘I have to spend £10-20,000 on a property that brings me £500 a year – I’ll just sell it,” he explained.

“Civil servants are utterly misguided. Shortages will get worse and you’ll get proper poverty in rural communities because people will not even be able to have a rental to start out with. If you exempt all older properties, then landlords won’t have to sell.”

Happier tenants

Opperman told the event – Happier Tenants, More Owners: How can the Conservatives rebalance the housing market for renters and buyers? – that investors could be given a tax break to incentivise building of rental or domestic properties.

He also suggested pension funds should be allowed to build more housing. Opperman added: “We want policy changes – currently councils tend to sell land to the highest bidder so you get poor builds, not long term, or quality housing.”

Watch the whole meeting.

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