Energy efficiency standards information for private tenants
Find out what landlords must do 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.
Further advice for private tenants
If you are a tenant in a private property and you think your home doesn't meet MEES, you can find out about your rights to energy efficiency improvements.
You can also find out how to be energy efficient at home.
If you are concerned with the energy efficiency standards in your home, contact the Private Sector Housing team.
Contact us if you need help with a private housing problem, or if you have a question about our private housing services.