Key facts
- More than 100 homes on the royal estates of King Charles and Prince William fail to meet legal minimum energy efficiency standards.
- One in five properties analyzed on the duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, and the Sandringham estate received an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of F or G.
- Since 2020, it has been illegal to rent out properties with EPC ratings below E, unless a formal exemption is cited.
- Many of the royal-owned failing properties do not have cited formal exemptions.
- Some farmhouses leased from the royal estates are exempt from regulations due to specific tenancy types.
- Older tenancies, predating October 2008, are not covered by current Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) regulations.
- Properties with F or G ratings were found to have issues such as black mould and single-glazed windows.
- The duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall are exempt from most business taxes.
- The Duchy of Lancaster reported 97% of its let properties meet A+-E standards, but analysis found nearly 40 of over 200 properties had F or G ratings.
More than 100 homes on the inherited royal estates of King Charles and Prince William are failing to meet legal minimum energy efficiency standards, according to an analysis by The Guardian. Properties on the duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, and the Sandringham estate were found to have Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings of F or G, indicating poor energy efficiency.
Since 2020, it has been illegal to rent out properties with EPC ratings below E in England and Wales, unless a formal exemption is cited. However, the analysis found that the majority of these royal-owned failing rentals do not have registered exemptions. In some cases, the royal estates appear to be exploiting regulatory loopholes, such as for farmhouses with specific tenancy agreements or older tenancies predating October 2008, which are not covered by current rules.
Tenants in some of the worst-rated properties reported living in conditions with black mould, draughty single-glazed windows, and reliance on coal fires or electric heaters due to a lack of central heating. The pressure group Fuel Poverty Action criticized the royal estates, stating they are "putting profits above the health and welfare of their tenants."
The duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall are exempt from most business taxes, which allows them to maximize profits and have paid out over £400 million to the King and his family since 2018. While the Duchy of Lancaster's annual report claims 97% of its let properties meet the minimum A+-E standards, The Guardian's analysis identified nearly 40 of over 200 properties with F or G ratings. The duchy's own lawyers have advised that farmhouses should be treated as though they must comply with MEES, despite potential ambiguity in the regulations.