A piecemeal approach risks undermining efforts to improve the energy efficiency of the private rented sector landlords, according to the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA).

The Heat and Buildings Strategy published yesterday announced that grants of £5,000 will be made available to households to replace gas boilers with systems such as heat pumps.

The NRLA say that the government has indicated that landlords will be able to apply for these grants from April next year.

However, despite the publication of the long-awaited strategy, the NRLA argues that the government has again failed to provide the clarity needed by private landlords to plan for the future of their businesses – pledging to publish further information before the end of the year.

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, commented: “Eighty per cent of private rented households have gas central heating and replacing such systems will be both costly and vital to achieving net zero.

“Providing grants to assist householders and landlords to install heat pumps is a welcome step, but much more is needed to make the Government’s targets achievable.

“Once again private landlords have been left waiting for the government to publish details of the standards they will be required to comply with, the deadlines they must meet, and how such work should be funded.”