Government faces calls to rethink its plans to improve energy efficiency in private rented housing, after the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) said the timetable is not achievable.
The Government has been looking at new rules that would mean every privately rented home needs at least a C rating for energy efficiency.
If approved, these rules would come into force for new tenancies by 2028 and all tenancies by 2030.
The NRLA said this would leave less than two years to upgrade over 2.5 million homes.
The NRLA added that there is a shortage of skilled tradespeople needed to carry out the work.
Kingfisher group, which owns Screwfix, B&Q and Tradepoint, said the shortfall in the number of skilled tradespeople in the UK was set to rise to 250,000 by 2030.
The NRLA said there is no clear plan for funding the upgrades.
Ministers have not responded to calls from the Committee on Fuel Poverty for a special package to help investment in energy efficiency.
In its consultation response, the NRLA called for a two-stage plan.
It said landlords should meet building fabric standards, such as insulation, by 2030, and then meet further standards like installing smart meters and efficient heating by 2036.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, said: “We want all private rented properties to be as energy efficient as possible.
“However, tenants are being sold a pup with timelines that are hopelessly unrealistic.
“The idea that millions of homes can be retrofitted in less than two years is detached from all reality, not least given the chronic shortage of tradespeople the sector needs to get the work done.
“Noble ambitions mean little without practical and realistic policy to match.”
