Landlord organisation wants members to use Government funding to improve their properties

Property investors with an interest in landlord insurance are being urged to take advantage of Government schemes that give funding to homeowners looking to make their properties more energy efficient.

The National Landlords Association (NLA) surveyed its members and found that many landlords are taking advantage of schemes to improve the energy efficiency of their portfolios. They are also protecting themselves from any negative effects the regulations surrounding the Green Deal may have on the residential letting industry.

A spokesman for the NLA confirmed that their survey found that 1 in 10 of respondents had improved over 5 of their properties with more than half saying they had made some improvements. Landlords have access to schemes such as the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP), Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and Warm Front until the end of this year and the spokesman said: “There are literally millions left in these pots so we are encouraging landlords to make use of that in the interim before Green Deal funding becomes available. We think Green Deal is a great chance to prove they (landlords) can self-regulate, or it will be imposed upon them. Properties rated F and G on Energy Performance Certificates will not be eligible to let from 2018.”

In fact the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation schemes will be introduced in the autumn of 2012 but funds from the scheme will not come on tap until 2013. The NLA are currently extolling their members to seriously investigate how this funding can help them improve their businesses and properties and of course give their tenants a better experience. It is not often the private sector gets help from the Government and the NLA are keen their members don’t miss out.

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