Changes to minimum energy efficiency standards

Did you know that next month the legislation is changing with regard to Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) on rented properties. From April 2018 landlords will face civil penalties if granting new, or renewing existing leases on residential properties which do not meet the minimum energy efficiency standards.

Each time a residential property is rented out it requires an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). This is the government’s way of collecting data on how energy efficient a property is.  EPC’s are rated between A – G, A being the highest level of energy efficiency and G being the lowest. By April 2018 any landlords renting out a property which currently has an energy rating of F or G will need to have carried out works to improve the energy efficiency of their property to E or higher. It is expected that by 2025 the rating should be a D or above and by 2030 the rating.

MEES apply to all houses and self contained flats, non self contained bedsits do not require an individual EPC. Listed buildings, stand alone buildings with a floor area of less that 50 square meters and residences intended to be occupied for less than four months of the year are also exempt. landlords can be granted a five year respite from complying with minimum standards if they under take improvements but they still leave the property with a rating of E or below or if the changes required to bring it up to standard would devalue the property by more than 5%.

We have made sure all of our landlords are aware of these changes and advise of any works that are required. However the government have a timeline set out to further raise the required standards which could have much more of an impact and by 2025 the lowest permissible EPC rating will jump from an E to a D and from a D to a C by 2030.