Check your leases for Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES)

Most of us are now familiar with the minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) which came into effect in April 2018 and stated that new tenancy agreements and renewals must have an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of E or above.

In April 2023, the standards will be extended to cover all relevant properties, even those that had no change of tenancy.

The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards extension will cover all leases and non-domestic properties from April 2023

From 1 April 2023, the regulations will apply to all privately rented property in the scope of the regulations, including where a lease is already in place and the property occupied.

The government has also proposed that this standard will be raised to a ‘C’ rating by 2025 for commercial properties and likely to be a ‘B’ by 2030.

Landlords of non-domestic properties should protect the value of their assets with early assessments

From 1 April 2023, all non-domestic property types are included in this scope, and this will have significant implications for landlords, and for occupiers who wish to assign or sublet space, as this will affect the marketability of the property and rent reviews for properties.

To avoid a property becoming unrentable in the future, take advantage of any energy efficiency improvements you can make now as part of an on-going maintenance and renewal programme. Some of these improvement works could take a significant period of time to complete.

Planning now can save you time and costs, especially if the building is currently occupied, as any energy improvements that need to be undertaken could cause disruptions to current tenants.

Financial penalties for non-compliance could be as much as £150,000, according to Elmhurst Energy, the UK’s largest energy assessment accreditation scheme.

How can we help?

You may think we are working ahead of ourselves but if your commercial property does not have an EPC, or has a rating of an F or G, it would be worthwhile having a new assessment which would give you time to make any necessary improvements. This is especially important if you have a large portfolio of properties or if you rent large properties.

Our consultants can assess your properties and provide a report on how to improve your energy efficiency. Our comprehensive reports, experience and the professional toolkits we use are an excellent source of information to support any challenges you might have in finding ways to increase your buildings’ energy efficiency rating.

The benefits for more efficient buildings are obvious, and office occupiers should also consider carefully what works might be necessary during their lease term and how this could impact on the use of the premises.

If you would like more information, please get in touch on 01273 458484 or use our contact form.