Changes to MEES for private rented homes in England and Wales

Whilst this is part of the Government’s net-zero mission, fuel poverty is also a big driver behind the proposed changes: ~24% of private rent homes in England are deemed to be “fuel poor”, and improving the energy efficiency of these properties will ultimately reduce energy bills. This consultation is closely linked to the 2024 EPC reform consultation discussed in a previous post (see “More on this topic” section of this article), and the proposed changes to the EPC regulations inform this consultation.

The key proposals in the privately rented homes consultation include:

• Raising the minimum energy efficiency standard required for privately rented homes from an EPC rating of E to a new minimum of C 
• This new higher minimum standard would be phased in: it would apply to new tenancies from 2028, and all tenancies by 2030 (the previous implementation window of 2025 -2028 is no longer considered realistic)
• Following the proposed changes to the EPC regulations, landlords should prioritise meeting the “fabric performance” metric (which, the Government posits, would likely require similar improvement measures as achieving an EPC C rating under current EPCs) above other proposed metrics
• Landlords would be required to invest up to a maximum of £15,000 per substandard property on energy efficiency improvements, after which an exemption would be available if the property still failed to meet the minimum standard
• Private rented homes that have an EPC C rating under an existing EPC would be considered compliant under MEES until that EPC expires
• Following the proposed EPC regulation reforms expected in 2026, properties that remain below EPC C under their existing EPCs would need to commission a new EPC when they become subject to the requirement for a higher standard (in 2028 or 2030 as applicable) before taking action to comply with the higher standard

Stakeholder views on these topics are due by 2 May 2025. You can find the consultation and ways to respond here. 

Authored by Adam Balfour.