Private landlords may soon be able to retrofit vacant properties using the Green Deal.

Building regulations minister Don Foster has claimed that it’s “absolutely ludicrous” that landlords are unable to turn their properties into eco-friendly buildings until they have tenants living there.

Vacant properties as a “great opportunity” for the Green Deal to expand

Current laws state that landlords must get permission from their tenants to undergo improvements on their property through the Green Deal, which is of course impossible if the house is vacant.

Nevertheless, at a recent fringe event hosted by the UK Green Building Council, Foster revealed he is in discussions with energy secretary Ed Davey with a view to altering this law. According to building.co.uk, he described vacant properties as a “great opportunity” for the Green Deal to expand.

More incentives to increase uptake

Foster also agreed that the government should provide more incentives to get involved with the Green Deal. This was despite the Liberal Democrats introducing variable stamp duty and council tax rates for Green Deal customers only this week. It would be unlikely that any more incentives would be introduced in the current government, Foster admitted.

However, a new study conducted by Capital Economics has suggested that loans offered by the Green Deal Finance Company (GDFC) are far more competitive than those offered by other lenders. According to businessgreen.com, the study suggested that GDFC actually offered the best rates on unsecured loans of around £5,000.

Author: Joe Elvin    Date Written: 26 September 2013