Energy efficiency in rental properties
Find out about the standards that landlords are legally required to meet around energy efficiency.
Minimum energy efficiency standards apply to private rental properties. Landlords can't let or continue to let properties covered by the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards Regulations if they have an EPC rating below E, unless there is a valid exemption in place. Find out if your property is covered by the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards Regulations.
Actions the Council can take
If a landlord is letting a property that does not meet an EPC rating of ‘E’, the Council can serve them with a compliance notice. If a breach is confirmed, the landlord may receive a financial penalty.
The maximum penalty amounts apply per property and per breach of the regulations. They are:
- up to £2,000 and/or publication penalty for renting out a non-compliant property for less than 3 months
- up to £4,000 and/or publication penalty for renting out a non-compliant property for 3 months or more
- up to £1,000 and/or publication for providing false or misleading information on the Private Rented Sector Exemptions Register
- up to £2,000 and/or publication for failure to comply with a compliance notice
What landlords should do
The government is currently consulting on increasing the minimum requirement from EPC ‘E’ to ‘C’.
So now might be a good time to look at increasing the energy efficiency of your rental property. This will reduce energy bills for your tenant, making rent more affordable and can increase the value of your property.
There is help available to help you reach this standard:
- some buy-to-let mortgage lenders provide loans with favourable terms for the installation of energy efficiency measures in rental properties
- find out if there are current opportunities for funding through the Council
- find government grants to support you in upgrading the energy efficiency of your home
Help us improve our site by joining our user research panel