Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards
MEES compliance support for London property
Review EPC status, identify F- or G-rated risk and coordinate the appropriate improvement or exemption route for relevant privately rented property.
What MEES means today
Current private-rented-sector rules in England and Wales generally prohibit letting relevant domestic and non-domestic property below EPC E unless a valid exemption applies. The detailed tests are different for domestic and non-domestic property, so the correct route starts by confirming whether the property and tenancy are within scope.
MEES is not simply an EPC-renewal service. It is a compliance decision involving EPC validity, rating, tenancy status, recommended measures and any evidence needed for an exemption.
A practical MEES review
1. Confirm scope
Check property type, tenancy and whether the building is legally required to have an EPC for the relevant MEES rules.
2. Confirm the valid EPC
Establish the current certificate and rating, remembering that the most recent valid EPC is the relevant certificate.
3. Decide the route
If the property is below E and in scope, identify appropriate improvement measures or whether a recognised exemption may apply.
Domestic and non-domestic rules are not identical
For relevant domestic private rented property, the current guidance uses a £3,500 including VAT cost cap for required improvements, subject to the detailed rules and available funding. Where the rating cannot be improved to E within the applicable requirements, a recognised exemption may be available if the evidence criteria are met.
For relevant non-domestic private rented property, the current regime also uses EPC E as the minimum standard, but the improvement and exemption tests differ, including the seven-year payback test for certain measures.
Exemptions need evidence and registration
An exemption should not be treated as a verbal workaround. Where one applies, the landlord or an authorised agent must register it on the Private Rented Sector Exemptions Register and retain the evidence required for that exemption type.
What Primelinks coordinates
Primelinks Compliance can help structure the process: establish EPC status, arrange a new domestic or commercial EPC where needed, flag sub-E ratings, coordinate evidence and improvement pathways, and maintain a clearer portfolio compliance record.
Where legal interpretation, valuation evidence, specialist building advice or formal exemption evidence is required, that work should be provided by the appropriately qualified professional. Primelinks does not replace legal or specialist professional advice.
Need a MEES review for a London property or portfolio?
Send us the property type, current EPC rating and tenancy position and we will help structure the next compliance step.