If you rent a home in England, energy efficiency work can improve warmth and reduce bills, but it can also cause disruption. Your landlord may need to arrange an assessment, insulation, heating improvements or other works to meet energy efficiency duties. As a tenant or renter, you still have rights covering notice, reasonable access, safe repairs, privacy, rent and protection from unlawful eviction. This guide explains what landlords can require, what you can ask for, and what to do if the work is unsafe, unreasonable or used as a reason to pressure you to leave. The rules can depend on your tenancy type, the property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), and whether an exemption applies.
When energy efficiency upgrades may be required
Most privately rented homes in England must generally have an EPC rating of band E or above unless the landlord has registered a valid exemption. The government’s Energy Performance of Buildings guidance explains EPC requirements and exemptions.[1] A landlord may therefore propose work such as draught-proofing, loft insulation, glazing or heating improvements. A proposed future change is not automatically a current legal duty, so check the date and exact requirement before accepting that work is mandatory.
Your main rights during the work
- Notice: Ask for written details of the work, expected dates, contractors and any periods when rooms or services will be unavailable.
- Entry: A landlord or agent should normally give at least 24 hours’ written notice for an inspection or repair visit and attend at a reasonable time, except in an emergency.
- Repairs: Work must be carried out safely and the landlord remains responsible for repairing damage caused by the project or keeping essential facilities working.
- Rent: Upgrade costs do not automatically create a right to increase your rent, and any proposed increase must follow the rules for your tenancy.
- Eviction: Asking for repairs, raising safety concerns or exercising a legal right should not be used as a pretext for unlawful eviction or harassment.
Notice, access and living in the property
Read the contractor’s plan carefully and tell the landlord promptly about medical needs, work-from-home arrangements, children, pets or rooms that cannot safely be used. You can ask for reasonable adjustments to timing and for protection of belongings. You do not usually have to accept unlimited or poorly planned visits. Keep communicating, but do not obstruct genuinely necessary repairs without a good reason.
If the work makes part of the home unusable, ask whether alternative accommodation, reduced rent or another practical arrangement is available. There is no single automatic payment for every upgrade, so any agreement should state its duration, cost, responsibilities and effect on rent. If the property becomes unsafe, report the problem promptly and contact the council’s environmental health team if it is not addressed.
Rent increases and tenancy security
A landlord cannot simply add an “energy upgrade fee” because work has been completed. A rent increase must come from your tenancy agreement or the legal process that applies to your tenancy. For many assured periodic tenancies, the Housing Act 1988 provides the framework for a formal section 13 rent increase, while older regulated tenancies may be covered by the Rent Act 1977.[2][3] Check the notice carefully and keep paying the undisputed rent on time.
Do not sign a surrender agreement or leave solely because a contractor says you must. If you receive a possession notice, check its date, reason and form. A notice is not the same as a court order, and a landlord normally needs a court order to evict a tenant lawfully. Retaliatory eviction protections can be complex and depend on the facts, so obtain urgent advice if possession is threatened.
What to do if the work goes wrong
- Record the property’s condition with dated photographs, contractor messages, receipts and a short diary of outages or damage.
- Send a clear written report to the landlord or agent, describe the risk or loss of use, and request a completion date.
- Contact the council if serious hazards, damp, cold, unsafe electrics or loss of essential facilities are not dealt with.
- Do not withhold rent without specialist advice because arrears can create a separate possession problem.
- Get advice promptly if you receive a possession claim, a hearing notice or pressure to sign away your tenancy.
Tribunal and court routes
The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) can deal with certain residential property disputes, including some rent and housing matters, but it does not replace the county court for every possession or damages claim. The official First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) page explains its jurisdiction and application process.[4] Before applying, check that the issue falls within the tribunal’s powers and gather your tenancy agreement, notices, photographs, correspondence and receipts.
For repairs and hazards, your local council may inspect under housing health and safety powers. For a disputed rent increase or threatened eviction, advice from a law centre, Citizens Advice or a housing solicitor can help you identify the correct route. Keep copies of every form and send documents by a trackable or otherwise provable method.
FAQ
- Can my landlord force me to accept energy efficiency work?
- A landlord may need access for lawful inspections or repairs, but should give proper notice and arrange work reasonably; you can raise safety, accessibility and serious disruption concerns.
- Can my rent automatically rise because of an upgrade?
- No. An energy upgrade does not by itself create an automatic rent increase, and any increase must follow your tenancy agreement or the legal process that applies to your tenancy.
- Can I be evicted for complaining about unsafe work?
- You should not be unlawfully evicted or harassed for reporting hazards or asserting legal rights, but possession protections depend on your tenancy and the facts, so seek advice quickly if you receive notice.
- What evidence should I keep?
- Keep the tenancy agreement, notices, emails, text messages, photographs, contractor details, receipts, rent records and a dated log of access, disruption and repairs.
How-To
- Check your EPC, tenancy agreement and any written upgrade plan.
- Record the condition of the home and any disruption before work starts.
- Send written questions about notice, access, safety, timing and rent to the landlord or agent.
- Contact your council or an advice service if hazards or unreasonable disruption continue.
- Respond to any court or tribunal documents by the stated deadline and attend the hearing if required.
Help and Support / Resources
- Contact the GOV.UK private renting guidance service for information about renting, repairs and eviction.
- Use Form 6A to understand the prescribed section 21 notice a landlord may use; it is not a tenant application form.
- Use Form N9B when a tenant needs to give a defence to certain money claims connected with a possession case, following the court’s instructions.
- Check Property Chamber forms for applications to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), including guidance on when an application is appropriate.
