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Landlord property energy rating

New Energy Efficiency Regulations for Landlords

 New rules aimed at making rented homes warmer and cheaper to run for tenants are on the way for 200,000 buy to let landlords.

Landlords must upgrade the energy efficiency of tens of thousands of homes in England and Wales if they want to continue to rent them out.

The government is raising the minimum cost bar for leaving homes outside of the regulations.

Currently, a landlord can apply to be exempt from the rules if the landlord cannot make any recommendations to bring the property up to the minimum rating at no cost to the landlord  – next year there will be a cap of £3,500.

Housing Minister Heather Wheeler said: “I strongly welcome these new measures, which will help improve the coldest homes, protecting tenants whilst also saving them money.

“This builds on our on-going work to crack down on the small minority of rogue landlords and drive up standards in the private rented sector, including through our reviews of health and safety standards and carbon monoxide alarm requirements in the home.”

Landlords are banned from renting out the lowest EPC category homes to new tenants unless they have improved the property or registered an exemption.

The government expects the measure will remove 290,000 private rented homes from the lowest Energy Performance Certificate categories, bringing down the energy bills for tenants down by an average £180 a year.

The improvement cost is expected to average around £1,200 a home. Suggested improvements include installing wall or floor insulation, fitting low energy lighting or increasing loft insulation.

Please do call us and speak to our property management department to get further advice on this all the other new legislation affecting all Landlords.