Prince William embroiled in rentals scandal

The heir to the throne is facing accusations of putting his tenants at risk of fuel poverty by failing to meet basic energy standards for landlords.

Prince William has been caught up in a property scandal after an investigation found a number of his rentals fail to meet the minimum legal energy efficiency standards.

A 15-month investigation by The Mirror and Channel 4 show Dispatches found that a number of William’s inherited Duchy of Cornwall’s residential rental properties have the lowest Energy Performance Certificate ratings of F or G.

Since 2020, it has been illegal for landlords to rent out properties that are rated below an E without a valid exemption.

Both Prince William and King Charles III – the previous Duke of Cornwall – have received £91m ($A179m) in profits from the Duchy since the new rules came into effect.

The Mirror was able to identify nearly 500 of the more than 600 rental properties in the Duchy.

“We found 50 Duchy properties rated F and 20 rated G, including six properties with the lowest EPC score of one point out of 100,” The Mirror reports.

Prince William appeared in a documentary launched last month into his work to end homelessness. Picture: Getty Images

Tenants that spoke as part of the investigation described living in poorly heated and insulated homes.

One tenant, who did not want to be named, claimed they had mould appearing on soft furnishings and clothes, but the Duchy would not fully insulate the property because of the cost.

“But you don’t want to say anything against your landlord for fear of eviction,” he told The Mirror. “There could be consequences.”

Another tenant claimed they weren’t allowed to have double glazing because “Prince Charles doesn’t like it”.

They shot back: “Well he doesn’t have to live here.”

Claire Williams, 53, lived in a former farmhouse in Essex where she says she struggled with cold and dampness since moving in 20 years ago.

She was evicted last week over rent arrears dating back to 2005, which she disputes.

In photos taken by The Mirror black mould can be seen on skirting boards and peeling white paint on the bottom half a wall.

“I’ve complained about it for 21 years,” she said. “The repaint was done about a week before I moved in so you couldn’t see it.”

King Charles III with Queen Camilla during a visit to a beach in Apia, Samoa, last month. The monarch is also under fire over money being made from rental properties. Picture: Getty Images

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.”

A Duchy of Cornwall spokesperson said: “We are a responsible Landlord committed to continuous improvement of its properties. We work closely with our tenants to actively address energy efficiency of properties across our portfolio while minimising the impact on residents.”

The scandal comes after a documentary was released last month with rare behind-the-scenes access to Prince William as his philanthropic foundation works to reduce homelessness.

The two-part film, which follows the Prince of Wales during the first year of his Homewards initiative tackling homelessness, was met with scepticism by fans and commentators.

The 42-year-old addressed the matter in the documentary and explained that he often feels “guilty” that he is not doing enough.

“I’ve spent enough time learning and listening to what people have been through that I feel almost guilty every time I leave, that I’m not doing more to help, and I feel compelled to act, because I don’t want to just talk about it,” the royal says in “Prince William: We Can End Homelessness”.

“I don’t want to just listen, I actually want to see someone smile, because their life has been made better.

“So therefore, building a project is the only way I can see at the moment to try and alleviate and help people who are in a much less fortunate or in a very difficult situation.”

Meanwhile, a separate investigation between Channel 4 and the Sunday Times found King Charles is making millions out of the National Health Service (NHS).

Revealing documents show The Duchy of Lancaster, which provides a private income to Charles - is earning £830,000 ($A1.6m) a year from renting a two-storey warehouse to Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London.

The Duchy of Cornwall also receives rent for Dartmoor Prison, with the Ministry of Justice paying £37.5 million ($A74m).

Originally published as Prince William embroiled in rentals scandal