Landlords, have you considered installing a new gas boiler in your rental property? Old, inefficient boilers are costly to run and to maintain, damaging to your property’s EPC rating, and more importantly, could pose a threat to your tenants’ health.
Installing a new gas central heating boiler in your rental property offers huge benefits, ensuring that your tenants have a safe and comfortable place to live. In this blog we explore these benefits, looking at everything from energy efficiencies and proposed new Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) standards, to safety in the home and long-term cost savings for both tenants and landlords. We also consider the best and most cost-effective time of year to upgrade your boiler.
Benefit #1: Improved energy efficiency
As you might expect, a new gas central heating boiler will be more energy-efficient than an old boiler. This means that it will use less fuel to heat the property, reducing your carbon footprint and making your property more environmentally friendly.
Anyone renting out or selling a residential property is required to have a current EPC, which gives both a property’s energy efficiency rating and its environmental impact rating. With the current cost of living crisis and ever-increasing awareness of the climate crisis, tenants now pay more attention to EPC ratings; the better the property’s rating, the more desirable the property.
A more energy-efficient boiler can also increase the value of your property, making it more attractive to potential tenants in the future.
Meeting proposed minimum EPC ratings legislation
The Scottish Government has proposed new legislation to introduce minimum EPC standards for the private rented sector with the aim to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while ensuring that rental homes are warmer and cheaper to heat for tenants.
Installing a new energy efficient boiler could increase an EPC rating by as much as 40 points, which could make the difference in achieving the proposed minimum standards for EPC ratings in private rented sector properties.
Benefit #2: Improved safety in the home
An old, faulty boiler can be a dangerous hazard, putting your tenants at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning or gas leaks. As a landlord, you are responsible for ensuring your property is safe and that it complies with current building regulations.
Installing a new gas boiler in your rental property will give you and your tenants peace of mind, while demonstrating your commitment to the safety and well-being of your tenants. This is also an opportunity to foster positive relationships – a key factor in retaining trustworthy tenants and reducing the number of void periods in your property.
A new gas central heating boiler will provide more consistent and reliable heat and can provide greater control over the heating system, allowing your tenants to adjust the temperature and schedule heating according to their preferences. This ensures that your tenants are comfortable throughout the year, can help to reduce energy bills by avoiding unnecessary heating, and will make your property more appealing to potential tenants.
Finally, a new boiler can reduce noise pollution, as modern boilers are designed to operate quietly, creating a more peaceful living environment for your tenants.
Benefit #3: Cost savings
While a new boiler is a significant financial outlay, installing a modern central heating boiler is a valuable long-term investment for your rental property.
As mentioned above, a modern boiler can provide considerable ongoing cost savings for you and your tenants. A more energy-efficient boiler will consume less fuel, reducing energy bills and saving money in the long run.
The older your boiler is, the more often it’s likely to require maintenance and repairs – bringing costly callout fees and often high prices for replacement parts. Rental properties with an older boiler also run the risk of needing emergency repairs or even emergency boiler replacement, causing significant unplanned costs, often at a higher emergency callout rate.
Investing in a new gas boiler for your rental property can safeguard against these issues and recurring costs, as well as cutting out all the time-consuming admin and coordination required each time you or your property manager must deal with a problem.
A new boiler will also be covered by a warranty, giving you and your tenants peace of mind that should any issues arise in the years to come, they will be resolved quickly and efficiently. While average warranties last somewhere between two and five years, some heating engineers can now offer extended warranties of ten years for certain boiler appliances fitted to set installation and maintenance standards. Now, that’s peace of mind!
Why should you install a new boiler in the summer?
While some disruption to your tenants is unavoidable, the timing of the works can minimise the inconvenience considerably.
As you might imagine, installing a new gas boiler in your rental property is best done in the summer months when demand for heating is lower and your tenants aren’t relying on the heating to stay warm. Having the works done ahead of the winter also means that your property is ready to handle the cold weather, providing peace of mind for you and your tenants.
It’s also good to know that the overall costs of installing a new boiler can also be cheaper in the summer, as many heating engineers offer discounts during this period.
Choosing the right boiler
There’s a lot to think about when choosing a new gas central heating boiler. It’s essential to consider factors such as energy efficiency and reliability, in addition to upfront and ongoing costs. It’s also important to choose a boiler that is suitable for the size and usage of your property.
You should consult with a qualified heating engineer to discuss the appropriate options for your property, allowing you to choose the best option for you. The boiler installation and ongoing servicing must also be carried out safely and efficiently, so take the time to check that the engineer you choose is on the Gas Safe Register.
Be prepared
It’s always best to be prepared – so even if you’ve not yet decided to replace the boiler in your rental property, it’s a good idea to consider the options that are available to you. Then, you’ll be one step ahead should the worst happen.
Keep in mind that installing a new gas boiler in your rental property offers clear benefits to both you and your tenants – creating a safe, warm and desirable place to live, with improved energy efficiency and reduced heating bills.
All the costly and time-consuming problems of dealing with an old boiler are gone, replaced by an easy-to-manage modern boiler with warranty cover, ensuring there are no nasty surprises. Even better, you’ll beat the last-minute rush to improve your EPC ratings ahead of the proposed new legislation.
