Darren O'Rourke
Question:204. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his plans to address retrofitting in the rental sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35400/23]
View answerThursday, 13 July 2023
Questions (204, 206)
Darren O'Rourke
Question:206. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications how many rental properties were retrofitting in 2022, Q1 2023 and in Q2 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35404/23]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 204 and 206 together.
I recognise that rental properties can present a specific challenge for energy efficiency improvements. This is an issue found in most countries where the incentives to invest in energy upgrades can be misaligned between landlords and tenants.
The Government’s Housing for All Plan commits to the introduction of a minimum BER for private rental properties, where feasible, from 2025, and to develop a roadmap to implement these standards. Additionally, as part of Ireland’s residential retrofit programme, the Government launched a new package of supports targeting homes that were built and occupied pre-2011. These supports, which have been made available to non-corporate landlords and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to improve the efficiency of their rental properties, include:
• The National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme (One Stop Shop Service) provides grant support of approximately 50% of the typical cost for private landlords with higher supports available for AHBs.
• The Better Energy Homes Scheme provides support to landlords for step-by-step retrofits.
• Landlords can also receive support to upgrade their properties under the Community Energy Grant Scheme.
• 80% grants are available to landlords for attic and cavity wall insulation, which are low-cost measures that can be installed quickly and cost effectively.
As published in SEAI's quarterly reports, in 2022 68% (437 homes) of the properties upgraded under the One Stop Shop Scheme were owned by AHBs. 151 additional AHB homes were retrofitted under the scheme in Q1 2023. Figures in relation to AHB homes completed in Q2 2023 will be available shortly. SEAI does not collect information on non-corporate landlords availing of retrofit grants.
In addition to these supports, a tax incentive is now in place to encourage small-scale landlords to undertake retrofitting works while the tenant remains in situ. This measure provides for a tax deduction of up to €10,000 per property, against Case V rental income, for certain retrofitting expenses incurred by the landlord on rented residential properties, for a maximum of two rental properties. Full details are set out in Section 32 of the Finance Act 2022.
It should also be noted that the Housing for All plan commits to the retrofitting of 36,500 local authority homes by 2030 as part of the achievement of the Climate Action Plan retrofit targets.