Landlords must hit new energy efficiency standards

New legislation aimed at improving energy efficiency in the rented sector has been introduced by the government.
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) were introduced in 2008 and show the energy efficiency rating related to running costs of a property. The more energy efficient a property, the higher its rating on a scale of A to G.
The new legislation, confirmed on 5 February, will set as a minimum standard a Band “E” EPC rating for leases to both existing and new tenants, from April 2018. Failure to meet this will ordinarily prohibit the landlord from renting out the property. However, landlords will only be required to undertake upgrades that can be covered through the government’s Green Deal energy efficiency scheme; if upgrades beyond this were required to bring the property up to the minimum standard, the landlord would not be required to implement them.  
From April 2016, landlords will not be allowed to “unreasonably” refuse requests from their tenants for energy efficiency upgrades.