Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Team from a report by Property118. Read the original article for full details.
Rural Landlords Face £8,900 EPC Premium, Savills Research Reveals
Rural landlords face an average bill of £24,200 to bring houses rated below EPC C up to that standard, according to research reported by Property118. That figure is £8,900 more than urban owners can expect to pay for comparable improvements.
According to Savills, even where properties start with the same energy rating, countryside homes cost more to improve than their urban counterparts.
What the research found
The headline finding is the cost gap between rural and urban upgrade bills. For rural landlords, the average cost of lifting a property below EPC C up to that standard stands at £24,200, £8,900 higher than for urban owners.
Savills' analysis indicates that the starting energy rating alone does not explain the difference: countryside homes with identical energy ratings to urban properties still cost more to bring up to standard.
The research also surveyed estate managers, with 79% of those surveyed responding to the question covered in the source report. The full details of the survey findings are set out in the original Property118 article.
Why this matters for letting agents and inventory clerks
For agents managing rural portfolios, the figures point to a significant financial challenge for countryside landlords as energy efficiency standards come into focus. The cost differential between rural and urban stock is substantial, and agents advising landlord clients on compliance planning should be aware that rural properties may require considerably larger budgets to reach EPC C.
Inventory clerks and property inspectors working in rural areas may also see increased demand for energy-related assessments and documentation as landlords assess which properties require work.
Given the scale of the sums involved, landlords with rural holdings below EPC C are likely to face difficult decisions about investment in improvements. Agents and clerks serving these clients should follow the full research for the complete picture.
Source: Property118