A shocking report over the weekend revealed that up to one in seven rental homes owned by Prince William’s £1.3bn Duchy of Cornwall estate have F or G-rated EPCs – below the minimum standard (rating E) legally required for landlords to rent out properties, unless they have a valid exemption in place.
Tenants of the royal family have complained about homes riddled with black mould and damp Since 2020, but no action has been taken to-date despite the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) regulations in place since 1 April 2020.
As many of you will already know, if a landlord is planning to let a property with an EPC rating of F or G, they need to improve the property’s rating to E, or register an exemption, before entering into a new tenancy.
If the landlord is currently letting a property with an EPC rating of F or G, and they have not already taken action, they must improve the property’s rating to E immediately, or register an exemption.
In response to the findings exposed by an investigation by The Mirror and Channel 4’s Dispatches into properties owned by the royal estate, Prince William has pledged to “transform” the rental properties he owns that are failing to meet minimum legal standards.
Prince William recently launched a campaign to end homelessness and for “everyone having a right to a safe and stable home”.
But one of his tenants said: “The slick PR will stick in the throat of many tenants.
“He should start by bringing the homes he already owns up to modern standards.”
The 700-year-old Duchy of Cornwall owns more than 600 rental properties.
William is managing the estate he inherited from his father in 2022, when Charles became King following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Last year he earned £24m from it, and since MEES regulations were introduced in 2020, William and his father have received £91m in profits from the estate.
Of almost 500 Duchy-owned properties, identified via the Land Registry, 50 were rated F and 20 were rated G – including six with the lowest EPC score of one point out of 100.
Tenants told of the press of the cold, poorly insulated homes, often without central heating, forcing them to rely on expensive solid fuels for warmth.
Claire Williams, 53, said she was forking out £200 a month on oil for a rented farmhouse near Exeter, Devon, but “all the heat is going out [the] windows”.
“I’ve complained about it for 21 years,” she said. “They don’t seem to have consideration for people.”
Told that she was being evicted for rent arrears – which she disputes – Williams rang Citizens Advice and says she then found out the house was rated F.
Williams added: “They said, ‘You shouldn’t be paying to live there and it’s illegal to let that property out’.”
Another tenant with no central heating spends hundreds a month on coal and wood to heat just two rooms.
The man, who asked to remain anonymous, told the press: “It gets miserably cold, especially in the winter.
“You can see through the roof. The landlord told me that my rent was going to be put up considerably if they put in radiators.
“There is mould appearing on soft furnishings and clothes.
“To make my property efficient it needs to be insulated but they won’t do that because of the cost. “But you don’t want to say anything against your landlord for fear of eviction.”
Another said: “The house is freezing. When the wind blows the curtains start swinging.
“I asked about double glazing and they said Prince Charles doesn’t like it.”
Breaches of the MEES regulations can be penalised with fines of up to £5,000 per property .
Jonathan Bean, of pressure group Fuel Poverty Action, said: “It’s a disgrace that a billion pound royal estate appears to be acting like a rogue landlord.”
A Duchy of Cornwall spokesperson said: “We are a responsible landlord committed to continuous improvement of its properties. We work closely with our tenants to actively address energy efficiency of properties across our portfolio while minimising the impact on residents.
“The Duchy of Cornwall is a private estate with a commercial imperative which we achieve alongside our commitment to restoring the natural environment and generating positive social impact for our communities. Prince William became Duke of Cornwall in September 2022 and since then has committed to an expansive transformation of the Duchy.
“This includes a significant investment to make the estate net zero by the end of 2032, as well as establishing targeted mental health support for our tenants and working with local partners to help tackle homelessness in Cornwall.”
Obviously someone in the Duchy of Cornwall admin team needs to be brought to task. Surely they do not imagine that either Charles or William are involved in the day-to-day management of the properties? However, now that they know, I expect action will swiftly follow.
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The owners of the properties, Charles and Willy, should be setting the standards they wish their property managers to adhere to. Saying ‘they didn’t know’ is not a defence that would be accepted anywhere and should not be accepted from them either. It certainly wasn’t accepted from the Labour MP whose rental properties were far from decent but yet again the Royals get a free pass from the bulk of the media. Funny that. The irony of a slum landlord claiming he will ‘end homelessnes’ is difficult to ignore
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who cares?
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