Prince William has vowed to “transform” the royal estate after it emerged that dozens of rental properties he owns are failing to meet minimum legal standards.
Tenants of the royal family have complained about homes riddled with black mould and damp Since 2020, it has been illegal for landlords to rent out properties that have an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating lower than E without an exemption.
Up to one in seven rental homes owned by Prince William’s £1.3billion Duchy of Cornwall estate fall below that minimum level, with F or G-rated EPCs.
The shocking findings come from an investigation by a Sunday newspaper and Channel 4’s Dispatches into more than 5,000 properties that make millions for William and King Charles.
Some tenants claim they asked for their homes to be upgraded, but were turned down by the Duchy.
Meanwhile, taxpayers are funding a £369million renovation of Buckingham Palace.
Prince William has launched a campaign to end homelessness and for “everyone having a right to a safe and stable home”.
But one of his tenants said: “The slick PR will stick in the throat of many tenants.
“He should start by bringing the homes he already owns up to modern standards.”
The 700-year-old Duchy of Cornwall owns more than 600 rental properties.
William is managing the estate he inherited from his father in 2022, when Charles became King following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Last year he earned £24m from it – and since the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) regulations were introduced in 2020, William and his father have received £91m in profits from the estate.
Of almost 500 Duchy-owned properties, identified via the Land Registry, 50 were rated F and 20 were rated G – including six with the lowest EPC score of one point out of 100.
Tenants told of cold, poorly insulated homes, often without central heating, forcing them to rely on expensive solid fuels for warmth.
Claire Williams, 53, said she was forking out £200 a month on oil for a rented farmhouse near Exeter, Devon, but “all the heat is going out [the] windows”.
She says parts of the house below ground level were wet to the touch and covered in black mould. Claire said: “As much as I tried to cover it up with mould sealer it just comes back.
“I’ve complained about it for 21 years.
“They don’t seem to have consideration for people.”
Told she was being evicted for rent arrears – which she disputes – she rang Citizens Advice and says she then found out the house was rated F.
Claire said: “They said, ‘You shouldn’t be paying to live there and it’s illegal to let that property out’.”
Another tenant with no central heating spends hundreds a month on coal and wood to heat just two rooms.
The man, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “It gets miserably cold, especially in the winter.
“You can see through the roof. The landlord told me that my rent was going to be put up considerably if they put in radiators.
“There is mould appearing on soft furnishings and clothes.
“To make my property efficient it needs to be insulated but they won’t do that because of the cost. “But you don’t want to say anything against your landlord for fear of eviction.”
Another said: “The house is freezing. When the wind blows the curtains start swinging.
“I asked about double glazing and they said Prince Charles doesn’t like it.”
Breaches of the MEES regulations can be penalised with fines of up to £5,000 per property .
Jonathan Bean, of pressure group Fuel Poverty Action, said: “It’s a disgrace that a billion pound royal estate appears to be acting like a rogue landlord.”
The 700-year-old Duchy of Cornwall was established by Edward III in 1337 to provide financial independence to his son and heir and has since passed to the monarch’s eldest son.
The Duchy is exempt from several taxes, but Prince William voluntarily pays income tax on the profits he receives.
He uses the income to “fund the public, charitable and private activities of The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall”, according to the Duchy.
The King is worth £610 million, according to The Sunday Times Rich List.
Last year the Duchy of Lancaster raised £27.4 million for the King while the Duchy of Cornwall raised £23.6 million for William, which they can use as they see fit.
The King and William both pay income tax voluntarily at the highest 45% rate on the Duchy money they receive.
The last time Charles published his taxes, for the year 2021-22, he paid income tax of £5.9 million, which amounted to 25 per cent of the £23 million Duchy profit because he deducted expenses he considered related to his official duties.
A Duchy of Cornwall spokesman said: “The Duchy of Cornwall is a private estate with a commercial imperative which we achieve alongside our commitment to restoring the natural environment and generating positive social impact for our communities.”
He said William was committed to “an expansive transformation” of the Duchy.
The spokesman added: “This includes a significant investment to make the estate net zero by the end of 2032, as well as establishing targeted mental health support for our tenants and working with local partners to help tackle homelessness in Cornwall.”
