King Charles owns numerous rental properties on his Sandringham Estate that fall short of the minimum energy efficiency standards required for landlords. A previous investigation revealed that the Duchy of Cornwall is putting vulnerable tenants at risk of fuel poverty, with some living in cold, damp, and mouldy conditions.
After reviewing Energy Performance Certificates for multiple properties on the West Norfolk estate, it was found that over 30 properties fail to meet the minimum requirements. One tenant commented: “It is very cold and the main problem is the single glazing. It lets out all the heat.
“Some tenants have single glazed windows that are completely rotten. We think it is because King Charles does not like the look of double glazing, but you have to be careful what you say because they are so powerful.”
The tenant added, “Many of these properties were built under Queen Victoria and they need to be modernised.”
A spokesperson for Sandringham declined to comment on individual properties but stated that the estate “invests in an ongoing programme of improvement” and prioritises energy efficiency.
Since 2020, it has been illegal for landlords to rent out homes rated below E under the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards regulations. Among the over 30 properties rated F or G at Sandringham, eight were rated G, with one scoring the lowest possible score of one point out of 100, reports the Mirror.
Three properties were spared from the regulations due to exceptional circumstances—one due to renovation costs exceeding £3,500, another because insulation could harm the building, and a third because it had already undergone all possible upgrades. The legislation provides a bypass for long-standing tenants in the same property with “voluntarily” carried out EPCs.
It remains a mystery whether the King is subject to these rules, which can lead to fines of up to £5,000 for each non-compliant property.
The Guardian unearthed in a 2022 probe that over 160 laws carry loopholes exempting the monarch in his private capacity. A spokesperson for Sandringham Estate disclosed: “The Sandringham Estate has a mixture of tenancy types, which include a number of older properties and properties of different construction types and heat supplies. The estate continues to invest in an ongoing programme of maintenance and improvement works, with energy efficiency prioritised so that all properties comply with standards contained in the regulations.”
“While we do not comment on individual properties, exemptions often exist on the small number that may not fall within the MEES legislation.”
In 2020, when the energy efficiency mandate was implemented, the government discovered 4.4% of rental homes fell short of compliance. According to more recent data, slightly over 1.5% score an F or G rating.
Polly Neate, CEO of Shelter, commented: “Everyone should have a decent and safe place to call home. Too often, tenants are forced to endure poor conditions in draughty, freezing homes that aren’t up to standard, unable to challenge landlords for fear of being slapped with a rent hike or being pushed out altogether.”
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“A chronic shortage of genuinely affordable social homes combined with record high private rents and years of under-regulation has created a huge power imbalance in private renting and left tenants at the mercy of landlords.”
Earlier on, our paper disclosed an alarming situation wherein as many as one in seven of Prince William’s residential properties received F and G ratings for energy efficiency. Housing campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa reacted to the joint enquiry with Channel 4’s Dispatches by saying: “The Duchy has clearly failed its tenants, allowing people paying rent to endure unsafe, uninhabitable conditions instead of the safe, warm and habitable homes they are owed.”
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