As part of its Warm Homes Plan, the UK Government announced an update to the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) which set a legal requirement for rental properties.
Currently, it is unlawful for a landlord to rent a property which has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with an F or G Rating. The property must have an EPC Rating of E or higher to be lawfully let out.
Under the new legislation, the minimum requirement will have to be an EPC of C or higher.
The new regulations come into force from 2030, meaning landlords have less than four years to make any necessary upgrades.
What is the energy performance certificate (EPC) of your property?
Average Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings for domestic properties in the UK:
You can check the EPC of any property in just a few seconds by visiting the national EPC Register:
Paying for upgrades needed to meet new MEES regulations
Under the UK’s Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), landlords must invest up to a £10,000 cost cap per rental property to achieve required energy efficiency targets. Any qualifying improvements made since October 2025 count towards this cap. If the property still fails to meet the standard after spending this amount, landlords can register a valid exemption.
Under the Warm Homes Plan, funding will be made available to support landlords with the upgrade of their properties.
Access to these funding streams is dependant on a number of factors such as the potential vulnerability of the tenant, the nature of the work required, and the condition of the property in question.
Exemptions from MEES
In some circumstances a landlord may be able to claim an exemption from MEES and continue to rent their property despite failing to meet the new standards. Examples can include an inability to secure adequate funding, or where the property remains below an E despite improvements having been made.
Some listed buildings are also exempt but only where work will unacceptably alter the aesthetic of the building.
Find full guidance on the UK Gove website:
Enforcement and Penalties
MEES regulations will be enforced by Brighton and Hove Trading Standards and Council Health and Safety Officers.
Non-compliance can lead to a fine from £5,000 and £50,000 for an initial three months, rising to between £10,000 and £150,000 for prolonged infringements. Furthermore, landlords found to have breached regulations will be named and shamed on a public register.
Importance of having an accurate and up-to-date EPC
With an EPC score determining the ability for properties to be rented or not, it is vitally important that certificates are up to date and accurate.
In 2012, several improvements to the EPC procedure made the methodology of assessment more rigorous and reliable. This means that what passed for an E in 2010 might not do so now. Therefore we advise all landlords to check that their EPCs are recent, and to request a new survey where needed.
Failure to meet with new standards could result in loss of income and reputational damage, not to mention the headache of dealing with fines and a rush to make required improvements.
Property owners should also consider the financial implications of continuing to hold stock that is below market expectations for energy standards.
Our advice is to take the time now to research available funding and make necessary improvements before this becomes a serious issue.
Why landlords should act now to reduce exposure to the new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards
Landlords and Buy-To-Let property investors should review their existing property portfolio and identify any properties that will fall short of new regulations in 2030.
We expect that insulation, window, and heating installers will be overwhelmed with demand in the near-term future, and we encourage property owners to take action as soon as they can, to avoid long wait times.
To support landlords in Sussex, BHESCo have launched a MEES Compliance Service designed to quickly identify the most cost-effective upgrades and help landlords manage the installation of required measures.
Find our more about our MEES Compliance Service here:
Specific funding available for landlords in Brighton and Hove
Brighton and Hove City Council is offering low-income and vulnerable households the option to make improvements to their property at no cost as part of the Warm Safe Homes Grant.
This grant of up to £5,000 is available where the tenant is considered to be at risk of fuel poverty as measured by the ‘Low Income High Costs’ indicator (i.e. they have fuel costs above the national average & spending this amount leaves them with an income below the official poverty line), or where the household is in receipt of Housing Benefit or any of the other ‘passporting benefits’.
A maximum grant of £20,000 can be considered to cover costs arising from:
> electrical and gas safety checks and repairs
> repairs or modifications to stairs, floors and steps
> safety and security repairs
> boiler repairs or replacement loft/cavity wall insulation, including loft clearance.
For further details see the Brighton and Hove City Council document regrading the scheme: https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/sites/brighton-hove.gov.uk/files/DFG%20Policy.pdf
Why MEES matters - Conclusions
The new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards are the first step in a long-awaited package of measures designed to improve the housing stock of Brighton and Hove, the county of Sussex, and the whole of the UK.
Landlords, Buy-To-Let investors and property owners must ensure that all properties are up to a minimum energy efficiency rating of E or be faced with the prospect of heavy fines and an inability to continue to let the property.
There is ample funding available to cover the cost of improvements which will increase property value and enhance tenant comfort and well-being.
Landlords in Brighton and Hove who have any concerns should contact BHESCo for the following advice and support:
- An up-to-date accurate EPC
- Identifying the most cost-effective improvements to increase an EPC
- Project management of efficiency improvements
- Financing efficiency improvements through BHESCo’s Pay As you Save initiative
1 Comment
Anonymous · 02/01/2020 at 13:15
Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) are crucial in the path towards reducing our CO2 emissions and reducing the instances of fuel poverty. A study by the Citizens Advice Bureau (The Impact of Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards in the Private Renter Sector, 2017) found ‘that increased energy efficiency ratings as a result of MEES would not necessarily lead to an increase in private rental sector prices’, meaning the costs aren’t passed down to the tenant. This positions MEES genuinely as a route to alleviate those on low-incomes whilst holding the landlords financially responsible for improvements made to their properties.