An assured tenancy (including an assured shorthold tenancy) defined in the Housing Act 1988. A regulated tenancy defined in the Rent Act 1977. An agricultural tenancy as set out in the Energy Efficiency (Domestic Private Rented Property) Order 2015

These Regulations apply to properties rented in England and Wales only. They do not apply to rental properties situated in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

No. All domestic private rental properties must be at a minimum of EPC band E by 1 April 2020 (or have a valid exemption registered for them). Between 1 April 2018 and 1 April 2020 properties will only need to meet the standard (or have a valid exemption registered) at the point at which a new tenancy is entered into. Where no new tenancy has been entered into, a private rental property may be lawfully let below EPC band E up until 1 April 2020. Apply Now

A: HMOs are not excluded from the Regulations. The Regulations apply to all privately rented properties that are legally required to have an EPC, and where rooms are let on one of the qualifying types (most likely assured tenancies). An HMO will be in scope where it meets these criteria. However, individual rooms within HMOs are not required to have their own EPC, so a property which is an HMO will only have an EPC if one is required for the property as a whole (typically this will be if the property has been built, sold or rented as a single unit at any time in the past 10 years). If an HMO is legally required to have an EPC, and if it is let on one of the qualifying tenancy types, then it will be required to comply with the minimum level of energy efficiency.