A national tenant campaign group has voiced support for proposed plans to raise minimum energy efficiency standards to EPC C. However, it has also warned that without stronger safeguards, many renters could face serious risks, including eviction or unaffordable rent increases.
ACORN, which represents renters across the UK, says that while improving housing quality is welcome, the current proposals do not go far enough to protect tenants during and after upgrade works.
The group recently carried out a survey of 252 renters to better understand how people feel about energy efficiency improvements in their homes. The findings suggest widespread concern among tenants about the potential consequences of asking for changes.
According to the poll, around 70% of respondents said they worry that requesting energy-efficiency upgrades, or agreeing to retrofits initiated by landlords, could lead to eviction or a significant rise in rent.
These concerns come as the government continues to discuss plans to require all privately rented homes to reach an EPC C rating by 2030, with an earlier deadline of 2028 for new tenancies. Many landlords have already raised concerns about these timelines.
The survey also highlighted the poor condition of many rental properties. More than 90% of respondents reported at least one major issue in their home, such as a lack of insulation, draughty windows and doors, or old and inefficient heating systems.
Renters said these problems were having a direct impact on their energy bills. On average, those surveyed reported spending around £148 per month on energy, a figure many felt was higher than it should be due to the state of their homes.
Despite these challenges, the majority of renters are supportive of improvements. Over 90% of respondents said they would like their landlord to carry out energy-efficiency works, as long as their tenancy was fully protected.
However, the fear of eviction or rent increases remains a major barrier. More than seven in ten renters said they believe that allowing or requesting retrofits could still put their housing situation at risk.
In response, ACORN is calling on the government to introduce stronger protections alongside EPC reforms. One of its key demands is a temporary freeze on rents while improvement works are being carried out.
The group has also argued that banning Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions alone will not solve the issue. It warns that landlords could still force tenants out by sharply increasing rents or choosing not to renew short-term contracts.
ACORN believes that without clear rules to stop rent rises after improvements, energy-efficiency targets could actually make the cost-of-living crisis worse for renters, rather than delivering warmer and safer homes.
To avoid this, the organisation has suggested measures such as rent controls during tenancies and a pause on rent increases or property sales during retrofit works and for a period afterwards.
On the other side of the debate, landlord groups argue that the costs of meeting EPC C standards have been overlooked. Upgrading a property can require major investment, which some landlords say is simply unaffordable.
The National Residential Landlords Association has previously estimated that landlords may need to spend between £6,100 and £6,800 per property to meet EPC C requirements. Meanwhile, Propertymark has warned that increasing the spending cap to £15,000 before exemptions apply could push many landlords out of the private rental market altogether.
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