Landlord Voice Magazine June 2015 - Bristol | Page 10

GREEN DEAL FOR

BRISTOL LANDLORDS
‘Landlords should act now as energy efficiency funding applications
are on a first come, first served basis’

Modern Apartment Block- Bristol

The Dings

professionals’

- ‘Popular among young

This is a little-known area in-between the Temple Meads,
Feeder Road and Old Market and for many years was ‘the
closest thing Bristol had to Coronation Street’ with its rows of
terraced housing, according to Peter.
“But then the Temple Quay office development arrived and
the residential development which has followed has made this
area quite popular,” he added.
“The typical Dings tenant is a young professional who
wants to live in a quality city centre property, but who
cannot afford the rents that higher-profile city
developments are achieving.”
The Dings is a 15-minute walk to Cabot
Circus Shopping Centre and the City
Centre and an even shorter walk to
Bristol Temple Enterprise Zone - home
to SETsquared Business Acceleration
Centre.
A two-bedroomed flat in Temple
Quay will cost you between £200,000£250,000.

St George

- ‘The area
of choice for families’

This area is comparably cheaper than many of
Bristol’s suburban neighbourhoods and popular
with families, with two schools rated ‘good’ by Ofsted and
street after street of what Paul calls ‘Victorian Barratt Homes’.
“In the 19th century Bristol boomed,” said Peter. “The big
Fry’s chocolate and Wills tobacco factories expanded as people
had more disposable income and more people came to Bristol
to work.
“This influx of people needed places to live and so thousands
of houses were built to accommodate them.
“These were the Barratt homes of their day and that is what
we call them at Accommodation Unlimited. We love them.
They are on the whole solidly built and they are incredibly
flexible.”

P10 | June 2015 | Landlord Voice

The area also offers good transport links with the city centre
and four schools with a ‘good’ Ofsted rating.
A Victorian Barratt Home will set you back between
£200,000-£250,000.

Easton

- ‘home to a vibrant
community’
Just a mile-and-a-half from Bristol City Centre, this area is
known for its Bohemian, alternative lifestyle.
It is synonymous with the artist Banksy and home to a
vibrant community of local bands and political groups.
There are also a number of Moroccan and Indian
restaurants and shops which specialise in
organic and ethnic foods,
The ward of Easton was listed as the in
most deprived ten per cent in England
by the Department for Communities
and Local Government in 2010 but
it is increasingly popular with young
professionals and students.
Paul said: “The introduction of
compulsory registration for all rental
properties in Easton has already seen
properties being improved, and with
that improvement comes better quality
tenants.
“I am not normally a fan of regulation
but this is one example where regulation has
improved a situation.”
For a three-bedroomed semi-detached house in Easton
expect to pay between £225,000-£250,000.
For more information about Peter Ellis and Accommodation
UNLTD visit www.aul.org.uk.
To read more about the statistics in this article use the
following links: 
https://www.bristol.gov.uk/
http://www.techcityuk.com/
http://www.newsroom.hsbc.co.uk/

F

igures from the Office of
National Statistics show that
in 2011 the domestic private
rented sector accounted for 18 per cent
of the housing stock in England and
Wales and 8 and 3 per cent of those
properties had an F and G Energy
Performance Certificate (EPC) rating
- below the level of energy efficiency
required by the Government.
And with that in mind the
Government is currently consulting on
its Draft Energy Efficiency Regulations
2015 which, if given approval, would
mean that from 1st April 2018 landlords
would be unable to rent domestic
properties to tenants unless they
conform to at least an E rating.
What’s more, the regulations would
also permit tenants to request consent
from landlords for energy efficiency
measures which bring a property to E
standard with effect from 1st April 2016,
as long as the improvements are paid for
through Government-backed funding
such as the Green Deal or the Energy
Company Obligation (ECO) and do not
result in any upfront or net costs for
landlords.
And so, in an effort to ensure Bristol’s
private landlords are prepared for the
changes the city council is offering them
a share of £2m in funding it has secured
which includes:
•

Up to £3,000, or two-thirds of the
cost, towards the installation of
any energy efficiency measures

•
•
•

recommended by an energy
efficiency assessment of your
home – known as the Green Deal
Assessment
Up to £1,000 of additional
funding towards new gas
connections
A Green Deal Assessment
discounted from £150 to £49
£150 of free energy efficiency
measures available from a pickand-mix list

But funding for the offer is limited
and applications will only be considered
on a first come, first served basis
until the end of September 2015
and is limited to a maximum of ten
installations per landlord.
It is being offered through Bristol
City Council’s Warm Up Bristol scheme.
A spokesman said: “At a time when
energy prices are rising and average
household disposable income is
reportedly at the lowest, making a rental
property more energy efficient
makes sound commercial sense –
particularly if you’re not required to
invest your own money.
“Landlords’ properties will be
more desirable to tenants and give
them fewer void periods, lower
energy bills and create more
disposable income for tenants
and result in less chance of rental
arrears.
“Having energy saving
improvements made will also
reduce complaints about issues

such as damp, condensation and mould
and save them time and money. If you
are a landlord you should act now to
stay ahead of the game and avoid the
last minute rush if new legislation
comes into force.”
Lan