Energy efficiency standards information for private landlords
Find out what you must do as a landlord to comply with energy efficiency standards in your privately rented property.
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)
An EPC is a certificate that shows how energy efficient a property is.
They are issued by a qualified EPC assessor and the EPC gives a rating from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient). Any properties that are rented or sold need to have one.
Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES)
Minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) were introduced by the government to improve the quality and increase the energy efficiency of privately rented houses and buildings.
The current MEES regulations are:
- landlords must ensure that their properties have at least an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E, whether it is a new or ongoing tenancy
- landlords that fail to make improvements and are not exempt from MEES, risk a financial penalty of up to £5,000 per breach and per property
The government have recently consulted on changes to the minimum energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector. One of the proposals is to increase the minimum EPC rating to C on new tenancies by 2025 and all tenancies by 2028.
Read the government consultation on improving the energy performance of privately rented homes.
MEES guidance for landlords
If you are a private landlord, you can find out what MEES means for your property in the government guide to Domestic private rented property: minimum energy efficiency standard - landlord guidance.
This guide includes advice on:
- if your property is covered by the regulations
- how to improve your property's EPC rating to E
- what funding is available to you
- what qualifies as an exemption and how to register your exemption
- how we enforce standards and penalties
you can find further advice at: