New research has found that 75% of UK renters want landlords to make sustainable changes to their properties to ease financial burdens.
The research, which was sought via the Greener Home Attitude tracker, was conducted to gain a deeper understanding of homebuyers’ preferences on the importance of certain environmental features and energy saving improvements.
According to the research team, individuals renting a property face a continued rise in monthly payments as NatWest data found two-thirds of UK renters (63%) are expecting a further increase over the next 12 months. Among this group, three-quarters want landlords to make sustainable improvements to their properties to help offset the increase.
The figures show that rental properties aren’t as well insulated compared to homes that have been bought. This includes tanks and pipes insulation (42% versus 58%) and cavity wall insulation (42% versus 58%).
In addition, the tracker found that when it comes to UK homeowners making sustainable upgrades, around one-in-five homeowners reported plans to make improvements to their property in the next 12 months, with many of those not planning to make changes citing the cost of work and disruption being the key barriers.
Lloyd Cochrane, Head of Mortgages at NatWest, said: ‘Cost and disruption continue to be major barriers for homeowners looking to make sustainable changes to their homes. We’ve also seen from latest data that renters are increasingly calling for landlords to address the energy efficiency of their properties. We recently introduced the Home Energy Hub to help to solve that problem for homeowners, by making it faster to understand, commission and pay for the work they might need.’
As part of the data collected by NatWest, households were asked in the final quarter of 2023 how much they’re forking out on their monthly energy bills. Of those that reported having both mains gas and mains electricity, 23% answered between £100-£149 – that’s approximately 21 Netflix monthly subscriptions and equates to £1,200-£1,788 per year.
This was followed by 18% of households paying between £150-£199, equating to £1800-2380 a year.
Moreover, the tracker also found that:
Image: Natwest London Headquarters
NatWest confirms single family homes investment [6]
NatWest adds £900,000 to support households with cost of living [7]
New research which has been published by the Institute for Community Studies has warned that net zero policy risks plunging people into poverty and that authorities must act now to prevent such a thing.
The research, which was published at the beginning of this week, identifies profiles of households and communities across the UK that are at risk of being impacted by current net zero policy. Experts found that a large proportion will potentially be facing ‘transition poverty’ due to the heightened cost-of-living.
Against this backdrop, researchers found people who have existing debt, credit, or constrained spending power; people in social or rented housing; and communities with fragile economies are expected to face the greatest barriers to participation when it comes to net zero.
However, the report, which was funded by the Nuffield Foundation and can be found in full here [13], found that despite facing severe financial distress the majority of the public have still shown an interest in helping to achieve net zero goals. Experts discovered that people were keen to participate in low-carbon living, with some taking on ’DIY’ strategies at home, ranging from homemade solar lighting to DIY insulation techniques.
In addition, the research highlighted that local councils and central government were not trusted to lead sustainable changes so members of the public had no choice but to take matters into their own hands.
In lieu of this, researchers brought participatory primary research, a review of poverty and social justice literature, and a review of scenarios of change towards net zero in the UK together for the first time. Findings were shared with local government and communities in four local authorities in England, exploring what incentives, levers and policies might unlock greater, inclusive participation in transition.
Building on these co-created policies, the report now calls for an integrated system with strategic alignment between national and local government, and public service providers, the private sector, and communities.
Some of the recommendations include building a collective action and policy for net zero transition and including people in the design of fair outcomes to enable a place-focused, inclusive debate during, and as a result of, net zero transition.
Emily Morrison, director of sustainability and just transition at The Young Foundation said: ‘Our research shows there is a will, an appetite, and even an urgency amongst the public, including the most vulnerable and poorest households, to participate in the transition to net zero.
‘But this has to be enabled through policy and practice that works with real people’s lives, and the places they live in. Current policy will result in winners and losers through net zero transition, and we cannot let it become another part of UK policy that needs to be ‘levelled up’.
‘If we build participation, rather than waiting to nudge people and hoping they’ll comply, and if we remove barriers, build on community assets, and maximise local readiness, we can reconcile decarbonisation with fair and just outcomes that mean decarbonisation does not leave anyone, or any place, behind.’
Image: Emil Kalibradov
Retail investors could unlock crucial infrastructure net zero funding [14]
Cardiff to accelerate net zero plans and aims for Living Wage [15]
In this new three part mini-series, Campbell Tickell’s Catherine Little, Sue Harvey and Francesca Stanyer, discuss the Housing Ombudsman Complaints Handling Code and how it links in with changes to social housing consumer regulation.
Part 1 – Complaints handling: Assurance and tenant satisfaction measures (24 minutes)In Part 1, they reflect on how boards can seek assurance around complaints handling and tenant satisfaction measures and are joined by guest Sarah Klueter, Director of Customer Experience at Wythenshawe Community Housing Group, who shares her experience around complaints and tenant satisfaction measures.
Part 2 – Complaints handling: Culture, in-depth assessments, and top tips (12 minutes)In Part 2, our speakers discuss:
In Part 3, Catherine and Sue discuss key changes in the complaints handling code, emphasizing a shift from “should” to “must” and the code’s new statutory status.
On Spotify? You can subscribe [18] to our podcast.
Image: Will Francis
More from Campbell Tickell:
Campbell Tickell interview with the Housing Ombudsman [19]
Feature: Campbell Tickell chats to the outgoing CEO of Clanmil [20]
Due to a change in planning rules, local residents should be protected from being pushed out of their communities by excessive short term lets.
The current housing crisis, which began as a result of inflation, is sweeping across England and stopping thousands of citizens from being able to find a home they can afford. If this wasn’t bad enough, local residents are finding they are being forced out of the places they call home as a result of increased holiday lets.
To help combat this, at the beginning of this week, ministers published new rules that will limit the number of short-term lets that are rented out as holiday homes.
The new rules include:
Under the reforms councils will be able to control short-term lets by making them subject to the planning process. This will support local people in areas where high numbers of short-term lets are preventing them from finding housing they can afford to buy or to rent.
The changes are part of a long-term plan to prevent a ‘hollowing out’ of communities and address anti-social behaviour. However, the decision to allow for homeowners to rent out their properties for up to 90 nights a year has come as holiday lets help to bring tourists into our country which benefits the economy.
Commenting on the news, secretary of state for levelling Up, housing and communities, Michael Gove said: ‘Short-term lets can play an important role in the UK’s flourishing tourism economy, providing great, easily-accessible accommodation in some of the most beautiful parts of our country.
‘But in some areas, too many local families and young people feel they are being shut out of the housing market and denied the opportunity to rent or buy in their own community.
‘So the government is taking action as part of its long-term plan for housing. That means delivering more of the right homes in the right places and giving communities the power to decide.’
However, experts have claimed that the rules could be deemed as confusing for people who rent out properties as holiday homes.
Simon Barry, Director of Boyer who specialises in hospitality, leisure and tourism, said: ‘Following this announcement many people who let their main or secondary properties via Airbnb or similar platforms will be unsure of the process required to meet new requirements.’
‘It is understood that homeowners are allowed to let their main or sole home for up to 90 nights throughout a year without requiring planning permission,’ Simon said. ‘However, proposed planning changes would see the introduction of a ‘C5 short term let use class’ created in England for those short-term let’s not used as a sole or main home. This would relate to new-build short-term let developments and proposes to grant permissions with conditions that the new use class should apply to them.’
Simon added: ‘Existing dedicated short-term lets will automatically be reclassified into the new use class and will not require a planning application.
‘The new permitted development rights will allow for the change of use from a ‘residential dwellinghouse’ to a short term let and vice versa. However, where local authorities deem there to be an issue, they may use the new mandatory national register and new powers to remove the permitted development rights via an Article 4 Direction. That said, councils will have to be able to demonstrate clearly a very small geographical area with any issue with short-term lets in order to apply the direction.
‘These measures only concern short-term lets, and therefore the planning changes and the register will not affect hotels, hostels or B&Bs.
‘There are around 450,000 short lets in the UK and so hundreds of thousands of landlords will be affected by this change.’
Image: Grant Durr
Housing supply struggles to keep pace with growth in holiday homes [32]
Feature: how holiday homes are ‘killing’ rural communities [33]
Links
[1] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/gosh-charity-deeply-concerned-claims-fundraisers-used-pressure-selling-techniques/fundraising/article/1862669
[2] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/sources/4
[3] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/natwest-reveals-renters-are-pushing-for-sustainable-upgrades/
[4] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/sources/6
[5] https://newstartmag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/02/fbcc1e05-40b5-42b3-b986-0f8722e49bf4.jpg
[6] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/natwest-confirms-single-family-homes-investment/
[7] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/natwest-adds-900000-to-support-households-with-cost-of-living/
[8] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/individuals-whose-honours-have-been-revoked-by-the-sovereign
[9] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/sources/5
[10] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-controls-version-6
[11] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/research-warns-net-zero-policies-risk-plunging-thousands-into-poverty/
[12] https://newstartmag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/02/k05udh2lhfa-1.jpg
[13] https://www.youngfoundation.org/institute-for-community-studies/
[14] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/retail-investors-could-unlock-crucial-infrastructure-net-zero-funding/
[15] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/cardiff-to-accelerate-net-zero-plans-and-aims-for-living-wage/
[16] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/handling-complaints-a-three-part-podcast-mini-series/
[17] https://newstartmag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/02/zdnyhmgkzlq.jpg
[18] https://open.spotify.com/show/28oiuHwPlsw5zSW0onwWUr?si=z-G-8rR3TNu5mkPJAGXb5Q&dl_branch=1
[19] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/campbell-tickell-interview-with-the-housing-ombudsman/
[20] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/feature-campbell-tickell-chats-to-the-outgoing-ceo-of-clanmil/
[21] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/grantmaker-launches-scheme-aimed-making-charity-governance-inclusive/governance/article/1862549
[22] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/fundraising-giant-launches-largest-philanthropy-campaign-uk-charity/fundraising/article/1862543
[23] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/governments-withdrawal-funds-interfaith-charity-sets-terrible-precedent-sector-leaders-warn/governance/article/1862539
[24] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/band-together-harness-ai-charities-urged/management/article/1862520
[25] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/civil-service-orientation
[26] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-isc-international-partnerships-report
[27] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-headquarters-occupancy-data
[28] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-cabinet-secretary-has-appointed-cat-little-as-the-new-permanent-secretary-to-the-cabinet-office
[29] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trade-specialised-committee-on-public-procurement
[30] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/short-term-lets-rules-announced-to-protect-communities/
[31] https://newstartmag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/02/s-xtkxf9esg.jpg
[32] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/housing-supply-struggles-to-keep-pace-with-growth-in-holiday-homes/
[33] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/feature-how-holiday-homes-are-killing-rural-communities/
[34] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/prepare-year-considerable-change-challenge-charities-warned/management/article/1862373
[35] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/writers-charity-files-serious-incident-report-dispute/governance/article/1862370
[36] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/rsa-staff-announce-three-further-days-strike-action/management/article/1862347
[37] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/charity-freezes-services-council-cuts-200000-funding/management/article/1862344
[38] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk
[39] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk?page=29
[40] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk?page=26
[41] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk?page=27
[42] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk?page=28
[43] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk?page=31
[44] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk?page=32
[45] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk?page=33
[46] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk?page=34
[47] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk?page=39