MEES Regulations Landlord Guide 2026: Compliance, Exemptions, and Penalties

What MEES is

The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) regulations were introduced under the Energy Act 2011 and the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015. They set a minimum EPC rating that rental properties must meet to be lawfully let. The current minimum is EPC E.

The regulations apply to most domestic and non-domestic privately rented property in England and Wales. Social rented property and a small list of exempt categories are excluded.

Who must comply

You must comply if you let a property on:

• An assured shorthold tenancy (AST) or assured tenancy
• A regulated tenancy (Rent Act 1977)
• A domestic agricultural tenancy
• Most other forms of long-term residential let

Holiday lets, lets to family members, and certain other arrangements are out of scope. Houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) are in scope where they would otherwise need an EPC.

What the rules require

Since 1 April 2018, you cannot grant a new tenancy of a property rated F or G without first meeting the minimum standard or registering an exemption.

Since 1 April 2020, the same rule applies to existing tenancies. You cannot continue to let a property rated F or G even on an old tenancy without meeting the standard or registering an exemption.

If your property is rated E or above, you are compliant. No action is needed unless and until the rules change.

Exemptions

A landlord can register an exemption on the PRS Exemptions Register if any of the following apply:

1. All relevant improvements made: you have installed all the cost-effective measures recommended by the EPC and the property still cannot reach E.

2. High cost: the cost of improvements would exceed £3,500 (cap currently £3,500 including VAT under the existing rules).

3. Wall insulation exemption: an independent surveyor has confirmed that wall insulation would damage the property.

4. Third party consent: a tenant, lender, or other third party with legal interest has refused consent.

5. Devaluation: an independent surveyor has confirmed that energy efficiency improvements would reduce the property's market value by more than 5%.

6. New landlord temporary exemption: 6 months from the date of becoming a landlord (limited circumstances).

Exemptions must be registered on the PRS Exemptions Register and are valid for 5 years.

Penalties

Trading Standards officers enforce MEES. Penalties for non-compliance scale with the duration of the breach:

• Less than 3 months: civil penalty up to £2,000 plus a publication penalty
• 3 months or more: civil penalty up to £4,000 plus a publication penalty
• Maximum penalty per property: £5,000

Multiple breaches across a portfolio can stack. The publication penalty means the breach is published on the public PRS Exemptions Register, which is highly visible to tenants, lenders, and prospective buyers.

How to check your portfolio

For a single property, search the address on Property Passport UK at [/search](/search) to see the EPC rating sourced directly from the EPC Register. The rating, expiry date, and recommended improvements are all displayed.

For a portfolio, the easiest method is to check each address. There is no central tool for landlords to check multiple properties at once, although Property Passport UK is developing a portfolio dashboard for landlord users.

What to do if you are F or G

1. Order the recommended improvements from the EPC report

2. Get quotes for the highest-impact measures (insulation, heating)

3. Confirm the cost. If it is below the £3,500 cap, you must do the work

4. If it is above the cap, register a high-cost exemption

5. After work is done, commission a new EPC to record the improved rating

Looking ahead

The proposed move to EPC C as the minimum standard would dramatically increase the work required across the rental sector. See our guide on EPC C by 2030 for the latest on the proposed changes and what to plan for.

Check your EPC on Property Passport UK

Property Passport UK shows the official EPC rating for every property in England and Wales, sourced directly from the EPC Register. You can look up any address at [propertypassport.uk/epc](/epc), or search by postcode at [/search](/search) to see the rating, expiry date, recommended improvements, and the gap between current and potential efficiency.

Related guides

• EPC C rating by 2030 explained
• MEES regulations landlord guide
• Cost of going from D to C on an EPC
• Boiler Upgrade Scheme explained