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July 18, 2018 | Landlord News
The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) is all about improving a home’s efficiency and has been brought in to encourage residential Landlords to ensure their properties are up to scratch.
The first wave of changes, which came into force from 1st April 2018, means that Landlords in the UK and Wales with any new lets or Tenancy renewals are now legally obligated to ensure that their privately rented properties have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E or above. Click here to read more information in a previous news post.
However, this was just the start of a wider plan by the Government to help reduce energy waste across ALL residential properties; from 1st April 2020 it also will apply to all existing and continuing tenancies, not just new and renewing ones.
So if you are a Landlord with a buy-to-let investment and have existing Tenancies in the private rented sector, it’s important that you are aware of – and ready for – this next deadline. The new legislation won’t just affect new lets and tenancies but existing tenancies too, so it would be wise to start the process now of making sure that your properties meet the necessary standards in good time for April 2020.
A worrying amount of Landlords appeared to be unaware of the new MEES that came into force in April this year, and much like those obligations, failure to comply with these changes could result in hefty fines.
For a more in-depth look at what the standards entail, the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy has issued a guidance document on compliance with the 2018 Minimum Level of Energy Efficiency standard which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-private-rented-property-minimum-standard-landlord-guidance-documents
The RLA (Residential Landlords Association) also have this useful information that is worth a read https://www.rla.org.uk/landlord/guides/minimum-energy-efficiency-standards.shtml
Keeping abreast of changing rules and regulations can feel a little overwhelming at times, which is why it’s useful to partner with a letting agent like HOP to help you navigate and prepare for these changes.