University of Oxford Social Housing Survey: Energy Refurbishment and Private Flat Owners

[ALEO Admin]

Oxford University are conducting a survey into issues around working with private flat owners (leaseholders) on energy efficiency refurbishment of blocks of flats. ALEO believes this will add usefully to practical and legal knowledge around major refurbishments and would be grateful if members would complete this themselves or direct to colleagues working on social housing. The survey link is https://oxford.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/soci ... private-fl

The presence of private owners (leaseholders) in a block can sometimes make refurbishment difficult and the legal issues specifically in regard to energy improvements are complex. The challenges of working with private owners are likely to be a growing issue as social housing providers look to more ambitious retrofits to protect their tenants from fuel poverty in the long term.

Different staff from the same local authority are welcome to complete the survey, for example working in asset management or staff dealing with leaseholders/service charges.

This research has received ethics clearance from the University of Oxford and all responses will be anonymised.

The research has the potential to:

• Help LAs and registered providers understand better how issues around lease terms affect energy efficiency and other refurbishment projects;
• Identify how the law can be reformed to make it easier for council freeholders and private flat owners to work together to improve the energy efficiency of blocks of flats.