Warmer homes and lower bills for people who rent in Wales

People living in rented homes in Cardiff South and Penarth are set to benefit from lower bills and higher energy standards, thanks to new rules from the Welsh Labour Government.

From April 1, all landlords will need to have an energy rating of E or higher if they are renting their property.

The Welsh Labour Government is making support available to help raise the standards of homes in the private rented sector.

Welcoming the new rules, Vaughan Gething said:

“The Welsh Government wants to ensure all homes in Wales are energy efficient.

“These new standards will ensure people who rent their homes benefit from warmer homes, which will help reduce their energy costs and protect our environment.”

Landlords who let out a property under a domestic short-hold, regulated or assured short-hold tenancy will need to ensure they have an Energy Performance Certificate rating of E or above. From April 2018, all tenancy agreements which started or renewed after this date were required to meet the new minimum levels immediately.

But from 1 April 2020, the new rules will extend to cover all existing tenancies. This means any domestic rental property that falls foul of the minimum requirements will be deemed unlawful and the landlord may be subject to a fine of up to £5,000.

There are a number of resources available that can help landlords to comply, including schemes that may be able to support with the cost of making energy improvements to properties.

As part of the Welsh Government Warm Homes fund, the NEST scheme offers a range of free, impartial advice and a package of free home energy efficiency improvements for those eligible such as a new boiler, central heating or insulation.

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Notes:

1. Rent Smart Wales have been working to identify which properties held on their database are currently below the minimum standard. Landlords of non-compliant properties will be contacted to remind them of their duty to comply, and to offer potential help through signposting to schemes that may be able to support with the cost of making energy improvements to their properties.
2. An EPC sets out the energy efficiency rating of a property and contains recommendations for ways in which the energy efficiency of the property could be improved.
3. Virtually all domestic (and non-domestic) buildings sold, rented out or constructed since 2008 must have an EPC. An EPC may also be required when a property is altered in particular ways.
4. Information on the NEST scheme can be found here: https://nest.gov.wales/en/