Sustainability

Find out more about your obligations as a landlord and what government schemes are available to help you and your tenants make your property more sustainable.

Energy performance certificate (EPC) ratings

If you're a landlord in England and Wales, your property must have an EPC rating of at least an E to let it out, unless you've registered an exemption.

Mortgage lenders will ask to see your EPC rating as part of their lending decision. You could be stopped from renting your property out and fined if you don't have a high enough rating.

Check your property's EPC rating in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

In Scotland and Northern Ireland, you don't need a minimum EPC rating as a landlord. But this could change in-line with the Scottish Government's net zero policy.

Check your property's EPC rating in Scotland

Getting an EPC assessment

You can find accredited EPC assessors here. An EPC is valid for 10 years and costs around £40.

If you need to make improvements to bring your EPC rating to at least an E, there's a 'cost cap' of £3,500. This means you're only required to spend up to £3,500 to boost your property's energy efficiency. If it still doesn't meet the E-rating requirement after that, you can register an exemption.

Government schemes

Here are some of the current schemes available that could help you and your tenant. Many energy companies also offer their own schemes. These can change or expire, so always check what's available before doing anything.

The Government's Find Ways to Save Energy in Your Home for England and Wales offers recommendations for energy-efficient home improvements. Scotland and Northern Ireland also have similar schemes.
Scotland also has Warmer Homes Scotland and the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan schemes.
In Northern Ireland, check out the Housing Executive's Affordable Warmth Scheme for low-income households.
The Welsh Government's Nest Scheme provides free, impartial energy advice
The Energy Company Obligation Scheme could help your tenants with certain energy-saving home improvements.
The Great British Insulation Scheme provides free or cheaper insulation for properties in England, Scotland, and Wales.
With the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), you can apply for a grant to help with installing air or ground source heat pumps, or a biomass boiler in your property.
The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a government-backed scheme that means you can get paid for renewable electricity you've generated and not used.

Try our Landlord Retrofit Tool

Our Landlord Retrofit Tool is great for working out just how green your property is and shows how a few changes could make it more energy-efficient.

Landlord Retrofit Tool