Making rental homes safer by providing a reliable platform on which to arrange all property safety certificates is one of the founding principles of Safe2 – and one shared by all responsible landlords.

Safe2 provides landlords with an intuitive service to ensure gas, electrical safety and energy performance certificates are up to date at the click of a mouse.

When a safety check determines that a property has not met legal minimum standards, Safe2 can provide a quote for any remedial work, rectify the problem and re-test the relevant system free of charge. Aside from these benefits, NRLA members are entitled to an exclusive discount when using any of Safe2’s services. 

Since Safe2 was acquired by the NRLA six months ago, visits to the site have increased by 1,000% – proof good landlords take the safety of their homes extremely seriously, and that bringing Safe2 under the NRLA umbrella offers tangible benefits for members.

Prop tech is designed to make landlords’ lives easier and using Safe2 – which also offers an alert service to let landlords know about renewal dates – gives landlords peace of mind that certificates will be up to date, with fully checked and qualified engineers carrying out the work.

Looking to the future

Of course, the demands placed on landlords are everchanging.

Earlier this year Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that he was abandoning plans to introduce a minimum EPC rating of C in all rental properties by 2028.

This was after NRLA warnings that the plans – in that form –were unworkable.

However net zero ambitions remain, with a Government target date of 2050, meaning a replacement scheme is on the cards.

At present energy performance is based on the efficiency of heating a building using gas, as this has historically been the cheapest and most effective form of heating.

Ministers now want to change the framework to focus instead on carbon emissions, with new, more in-depth assessments also expected give amore accurate picture of energy efficiency.

The bad news is, it could see costs skyrocket for landlords, with the new assessments expected to take much longer and, as a consequence be more expensive.

Currently homes are rated using something called a Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) which sees properties given a points score, that translates as an EPC rating ranked from A (extremely energy efficient) to G,(extremely inefficient).

The proposed replacement – the Home Energy Model – will use a new Future Homes Standard assessment, which will see assessors:

·        measure all windows at the property, rather than relying on assumptions based on its age,

·        carry out additional assessment of rooms in the roof,

·        introduce of a new age band for properties built from 2023 onwards,

·        take into account the use of power diverters and battery storage, used in conjunction with solar panels,

·        recommend the use of heat pumps more frequently.

While information is limited at present, assessors have confirmed they are already training on the new system, which, under existing proposals, would be introduced in April next year.

EPCs have a 10-year lifespan, with little information as yet as to whether they will be allowed to remain in place until the end of the term.

Whatever happens it is vital landlords are on top of safety inspection and certification – with Safe2 a quick and simple way of doing that.

To join the thousands of other landlords who have signed up, visit safe2.co.uk and keep an eye on the NRLA news site and social media channels for more information on the latest on the Government’s future energy efficiency plans.