Leaders Romans Group claims there’s a “significant gap” between tenant demand for energy-efficient rental properties and their willingness to pay for them. 

As the government considers new regulations requiring rental properties to meet an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C or higher, tenants overwhelmingly support these changes according to a survey conducted by the agency. However, most are reluctant to pay higher rent for these improvements.

The survey reveals that 80% of tenants are in favour of their properties being upgraded to an EPC rating of C or above, reflecting a clear desire for more sustainable homes. However, only 6% of tenants are willing to pay more rent to achieve these upgrades. 

One landlord cited by LRG says: “I own an older property that will cost tens of thousands of pounds to improve from an EPC ‘D’ to an EPC rating of ‘C’. It will take too many years to recover the investment made.” Another says: “Someone needs to point out to the government that if the minimum EPC is raised to ‘C’, landlords like me will sell up rather than spend £50,000 upgrading the property to meet this threshold. I simply can’t face the cost, so to be compliant with the law I will have to evict my tenants when that time comes. Not a good outcome for the tenants or me, and will certainly put increased pressure on the rental sector. There are likely to be hundreds or thousands of landlords thinking the same thing.”

According to the RICS the UK will need an investment of £250 billion to upgrade its 29m homes by 2050 to meet decarbonisation targets.

And LRG insists that 2ithout additional support, many landlords will be unable to afford the necessary upgrades, hindering the UK’s progress toward its 2030 EPC targets.

The LRG report also reveals tenants’ strong preference for specific energy-efficient features. Some 70% of tenants want energy-efficient appliances in their homes, making this the most in-demand feature. However, only 11% of tenants are willing to pay extra for such appliances, underlining the affordability gap. Tenants also expressed interest in solar panels (8%) and low-flow fixtures (11%), though only 6% are willing to pay extra for these additional upgrades,

Allison Thompson, National Lettings Managing Director at Leaders Romans Group, comments: “The desire for greener homes is clear, but tenants are not prepared to bear the financial burden. While tenants are eager to see energy efficiency improvements, particularly those that lower utility bills, there is little appetite to pay higher rent for these upgrades. For landlords, the cost of upgrading older properties is substantial, and without government-backed incentives, we’re likely to see limited progress toward the proposed EPC targets.

“Balancing tenant demand for sustainable homes with the financial realities faced by both tenants and landlords remains a significant challenge. Without government intervention or financial incentives, the adoption of these features will likely remain slow, despite growing interest. Collaboration between the government, landlords, and tenants is essential to meet the UK’s energy efficiency goals. Incentives are crucial to ensuring sustainability without increasing financial strain on either party.”