Energy Performance Certificates — Landlord Obligations

Landlords in England must ensure their rental properties have a valid Energy Performance Certificate with a minimum rating of E before granting a new tenancy or renewing an existing one.

Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES)

The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) Regulations prohibit landlords from granting a new tenancy, or continuing to let a property, where the EPC rating is F or G. The current minimum is an E rating. Landlords who let properties below this standard face civil penalties of up to £5,000 for continued letting and up to £2,000 for a failure to comply with an improvement notice.

EPC Validity

An EPC is valid for 10 years from the date of issue. If your property’s certificate is due for renewal, you must commission a new assessment before marketing the property. EPCs are carried out by accredited Domestic Energy Assessors (DEAs) and are lodged on the government’s EPC register at epcregister.com.

Providing the EPC to Tenants

You must provide a copy of the current EPC to prospective tenants at the earliest opportunity — and certainly before they commit to renting the property. A copy must also be given to new tenants before they move in. Failure to provide an EPC can prevent you from serving a valid Section 8 notice.

Future Changes — Upgrading to EPC C

The Government has indicated an intention to raise the minimum EPC standard for new tenancies to a C rating in the future, though the specific timetable has been subject to change. Landlords with properties currently rated D or E are strongly advised to commission energy improvement works now, before any new requirements take legal effect. Common improvements include loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, double glazing, and more efficient boilers. We recommend seeking an EPC assessment and improvement plan before the regulations tighten.

Exemptions

A limited number of exemptions exist — for example, where the cost of improvements would exceed a set cap, where all relevant energy improvement measures have been installed, or where improvements would devalue the property by more than 5%. Exemptions must be registered on the PRS Exemptions Register at gov.uk. An exemption does not last indefinitely and must be renewed.