More than 100 homes on the inherited royal estates of King Charles and Prince William do not meet the legal minimum energy standards for landlords. An analysis of a large sample of domestic lets on the duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, and the Sandringham estate, found that one in five have Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings of F or G.
Since 2020, it has been illegal to rent out properties with EPC ratings below E, unless a landlord can demonstrate an exemption. In the majority of the failing royal rentals, no formal exemption has been cited. However, some properties may not be subject to current regulations, depending on the type of tenancy or if the tenancy began before October 2008.
Landlords are required to spend up to £3,500 on each property to bring it up to standard or cite an allowed exemption. If they fail to do so and continue to rent out the property, they could face fines of up to £5,000. Fewer than one in 12 of the F and G-rated properties on the royal estates analysed had registered exemptions.