How student landlords can reach Net Zero by 2050

Now that the world's leaders have finished their environmental conference Cop26 in Glasgow, one online lettings agency has revealed how student landlords can reach 'Net Zero' by 2050.

According to the firm, student landlords can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by improving their student properties. They say that a student landlord should consider:

· Installing triple or double-glazed windows

Since all student rental properties need a minimum Energy Performance Certificate rating of E, student landlords need to be aware that by 2025, this rating will rise to C. The agency's experts say that by changing windows to triple or double-glazed installations, a landlord's tenants will use less energy when heating the property.

· Upgrade the boiler and get a Smart Meter

The agency says that Smart Meters are a great idea for student landlords, plus the tenant could see how much they are spending on their energy bills every day. This means they can adjust their behaviour to save money and energy. Landlords should also consider updating their property's boiler to a more efficient model - so it's worth checking how efficient the boiler in a property is and, if necessary, install a new one.

· Switch to efficient LED bulbs

For a student landlord with a smaller budget, they can still help save the planet. They can do so by installing eco-friendly, energy efficient LED bulbs which will help reduce CO2. Also, the agency reminds landlords that halogen bulbs in the UK were banned in September 2021.

· Update your Energy Performance Certificate

Student landlords should ensure that their Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) has been updated, regardless of how small their property may be. This should be done before investing money in energy improvements to the property because it will indicate where the money will be best spent.

· Insulate your student property

The online agency highlights that insulating student properties is an efficient way to help the country achieve its 2050 goal. Not only will student tenants be using less energy for heating their home, but there will also be no energy wasted through the roof or floorboards. Insulating a property is a long-term investment and will attract environmentally conscious student tenants.

The agency also highlights that landlords could install solar panels but admits they may need a larger budget to carry out this work.

They also highlight that landlords could install a charging point for an electric car at their property because this will be a 'very desirable commodity' in coming years.

Student landlords with properties

The managing director of Accommodation for Students, Simon Thompson, said: "The advice is food for thought for many student landlords with properties.

"While most landlords will be ensuring that their student tenants will be living in a quality home, it's worth checking to see whether any energy saving improvements can be made which benefits their tenants and the landlord - and which will benefit all of us by reducing CO2 emissions."

However, while the advice from the lettings agency does not mention heat pumps, one PropTech platform suggests this may be a pointless investment for student landlords.

£5,000 to landlords to replace their gas boiler

According to Houzen, a government plan to offer £5,000 to homeowners and landlords to replace their gas boiler with a heat pump is open to debate.

The firm's environmental analyst, Eashita Saxena, said: "The government strategy feels thin and the heat pump target, for example, falls short of the change we need to reduce the impact of homes on our environment."

The government says that 14% of the country's carbon emissions are coming from the heating of our homes.

Ms Saxena points out that the government's funding will only support the installation of 90,000 heat pumps across the country over the next three years.

She added: "The heat pump target is inadequate and there's a risk that the execution of grants will lead to a low take-up."

She pointed to the collapse in the Green Homes Grant scheme earlier this year, which was to help pay for renovating 600,000 homes, but by February just 5,800 installations were completed.

Student deposits rise by 25%

Meanwhile, student deposits have risen by 27% this autumn, the Deposit Protection Service says.

The organisation's managing director, Matt Trevett, said that they had registered 'significantly more deposits' in England and Wales than they did last year.

This suggests, he added, that students are becoming more confident in signing up for a tenancy than they were in 2020.

You can read more about these issues and AFS research in the area of sustainability here