'Heating concerns' for rented properties

News Category: Management

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Properties rented out by residential letting agents could be damaged because of poor insulation, an expert has warned.

Simon Church, midlands project officer at residential energy efficiency solutions firm eaga, commented that cash-strapped tenants could choose to spend their budgets on food rather than heat, which could lead to cold, damp conditions and the deterioration of the property as a whole.

His comments come after statistics released by National Energy Action this month have shown that gas prices have increased by 44 per cent since January 2008, while electricity costs have risen by 27 per cent.

Letting agents could use rental software to improve their property management, consider cavity wall and loft insulation, or take rising levels of fuel poverty into account when marketing for potential tenants.

On an insufficiently heated home, Mr Church said: "You're looking at reduced potential from the property itself and deterioration of the property as a whole, whether that's to do with mould growth in cold spots and looking at having to redecorate more often."

Living in a cold, damp home has been shown to contribute to significant physical and mental health problems for its occupants, Mr Church added.

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