As prices have risen, private renters have faced a perfect storm of high energy bills and poor conditions. With worrying numbers cutting back on heating to pay rising rents, more than 1 in 3 private renters (36%) couldn’t heat their homes to a comfortable temperature last winter. And part of the problem is that far too many privately rented homes are energy inefficient, meaning they lose heat more easily. For tenants, that can mean living in a cold, mouldy and unhealthy home — while paying over the odds for energy.

That’s why we’ve been pleased to see the Government making progress on its commitment to raise minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) in the private rented sector, with a consultation expected in the coming weeks. The Government has said it will tighten up requirements so that privately rented homes will need an energy performance certificate (EPC) of at least C by 2030, up from the current minimum of E. That would make rented homes warmer and cheaper to run, lifting tenants out of fuel poverty and improving the country’s leaky housing stock to meet our net zero goals.

But it’s vital that the new regulations are clearly communicated, and backed up by both support for landlords to make upgrades and enforcement action if they don’t comply.

Clear and timely regulation is key

We know that regulation is a key driver for landlords to make improvements to the energy efficiency of their properties.

Most landlords agree that they have a responsibility to provide comfortable, energy efficient homes. But when we surveyed landlords earlier in the summer, 80% of landlords said they had no plans to make energy efficiency improvements to their properties in the next 5 years.

And 22% of landlords who had planned to make energy efficiency upgrades had cancelled their improvements after the previous Government scrapped plans to raise the standards in September 2023. This shows the impact of inconsistent messaging and policymaking on this topic, delaying progress and trapping renters in cold homes for longer.

The Government should offer clarity about the new requirements as soon as possible. These requirements should include interim milestones for new tenancies to reach EPC C, ahead of a final backstop of 2030 for all properties. And any cost caps — which set a maximum amount that landlords need to spend to upgrade their properties — should be set at a fair level which covers the average cost of upgrading homes.

Landlords’ awareness of energy efficiency standards is low

While some privately rented homes already meet the EPC C standard, many landlords will need to take action to comply successfully with the new regulations.

But landlords’ awareness of minimum energy efficiency standards is extremely low, even when it comes to the regulation that already exists. Only 1 in 5 landlords could correctly identify the current minimum standard of E, even though landlords have been required to comply with this since 2020. Around 1 in 3 landlords (32%) also didn’t know the EPC rating of all their properties, meaning they won’t know whether they’ll need to make changes to meet new obligations. Awareness of energy efficiency and intentions to make improvements were particularly low among landlords who rent only one property, and those who use management agencies.

The Government will need a clear and tailored communication strategy to ensure all landlords understand the new requirements and how they’ll be affected, including any factors such as cost caps.

There should be both support for landlords and enforcement consequences for non-compliance

Information alone won’t be enough to guarantee action from landlords and deliver the much-needed benefits of better energy efficiency standards.

It’s important to make support available for landlords who want to make upgrades but may struggle with the upfront costs. The Government should consider options such as kickstarting the green finance market and making energy efficiency improvements deductible against income tax. Most landlords who said they would sell properties if minimum energy efficiency standards were raised also said that there were support measures that could persuade them to stay in the market.

And given that 93% of landlords hadn’t heard of the ECO4 scheme, which already provides grants to upgrade some privately rented homes, it’s important to raise awareness of the support that’s already available. But this must also include stronger safeguards to protect tenants from negative consequences such as evictions or rent hikes after their landlords receive grants based on their incomes or characteristics. This should include options such as grant repayment requirements if landlords sell the property soon after receiving funded upgrades.

And while it’s vital to support landlords to do the right thing, it’s also important to have clear consequences for those who refuse to fulfil their obligations. Improved standards will only make a difference if they are robustly enforced.

We know that at the moment tenants don’t feel able to raise concerns about disrepair and poor conditions. Over 1 in 3 tenants who have experienced damp, mould and extreme cold didn’t complain to their landlords — often due to fears of eviction or rent hikes. And Citizens Advice has helped tenants whose landlords refuse to meet current minimum energy efficiency standards, leaving them in dangerously cold and mouldy homes.

Tenants need to have the security to ask for changes in their homes or raise concerns about issues without the fear of eviction. That requires wider changes to the private rented market, including an end to Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions. We’ve welcomed the introduction of the new Renters’ Rights Bill, which addresses some of these challenges, and our blog on the Renters’ Rights Bill outlines what we think needs to happen next.

But tenants can’t be left to shoulder the responsibility of enforcing against their own landlords. Local authorities must be given appropriate resources so that they can take a proactive approach to enforcing minimum energy efficiency standards. This includes engagement with landlords and escalation to enforcement consequences where necessary.

By supporting where needed and enforcing where necessary, the Government can work with landlords to make sure new regulation delivers warmer and healthier homes for tenants. Our new report Room for Improvement: Preparing landlords for new minimum energy efficiency standards has full details and recommendations.