Gordon Miller, UK Built Environment Programme Manager, the Institute for Human Rights and Business, said:

“The UK’s £15 billion ambition to retrofit millions of households is a significant and positive step towards everyone’s right to a warm, safe and affordable home. How we now protect that investment from unintended consequences will be critical to public support for clean energy, achieving decarbonisation goals and delivering vital housing upgrades.

“’Renovictions’ – where housing upgrades drive unaffordable rent increases and displacement – is a major concern for tenants across the country. At the same time, landlords need clarity on how they will recover the money they invest in retrofits. Permitting rent rises, but capping them in line with household energy bill savings would accelerate rollout, protect families, and tackle fuel poverty.”   

Background:

• A survey by ACORN the Union revealed that while 91% of tenants want energy efficiency retrofits, 70% fear that asking landlords for energy retrofits would result in eviction or rent increases.
• ‘Renovictions’ refers to the act of forced eviction to facilitate housing upgrades. Despite Section 21 being abolished in the reformed Renters’ Rights Act, tenants can still be ‘no-faultʼ evicted with 4 months’ notice for ‘redevelopment/substantial worksʼ. 
• When retrofits are funded by the government’s Warm Homes: Local Grants (WH:LG) rent increases are prohibited – but greater clarity is needed on the duration and scope of the rent freeze.
• The Renter’s Reform Act specifies that rental increases can be in line with “market rate”, but no guidance is provided specifying how improvements to energy efficiency affects market rate rents.