Sefton Council’s two new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) Compliance Officers are now in post.
Their role is to work with landlords to help them ensure any properties they let meet the national MEES requirements.
This will mean helping landlords understand their responsibilities under MEES and advising them on funding that may be available to help them meet them.
MEES Regulations set a minimum energy efficiency level for domestic private rented properties, which must have an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of E or above.
Properties with a lower F or G EPC rating cannot be rented out without a valid exemption. Landlords who don’t comply with these regulations can face fines of up to £5,000.
Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing said:
“With people’s fuel bills rocketing, it’s vital that tenants in private rented accommodation that properties are fuel efficient.
“Our new officers have now started to work with landlords to ensure they are meeting the requirements of MEES Standards in place, including how they can find help with grant funding.
“However, in the longer term, if landlords are unwilling to support their tenants in this way by complying with the legislation, they will be able to take enforcement action.”
Sefton Council secured the funding for the MEES officer by participating in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Domestic Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) Compliance and Enforcement Competition. The competition supports local authorities to raise awareness of the PRS Regulations to both landlords and tenants as well as building capacity to tackle the identification of non-compliant landlords. The funding can also be used to support local authorities to create processes to enforce the PRS Regulations.
The £6.3 million competition is funded by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and managed by the Midlands Net Zero Hub.
The second round of the PRS MEES competition saw a further 26 local authorities receive funding to improve the energy efficiency standards of domestic properties in the private rented sector. This iteration builds on the success of the previous scheme, which saw 59 local authorities supported.
People can find more information about Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards at www.sefton.gov.uk/mees
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