If you own or manage a rented property in England or Wales – domestic or commercial – the MEES regs set the minimum energy rating that property has to meet before it can legally be let. Falling short isn’t just a compliance technicality: it can mean a legal inability to rent the property out at all, alongside a real financial penalty. And MEES is currently in the middle of its biggest shake-up since it was introduced – thresholds, penalties and even which sectors are covered are all rising substantially in the next few years.
Updated September 2026: refreshed for the confirmed MEES 2030/2031/2039 reforms, with new guides for private, social and commercial landlords.
In this blog you’ll learn:
- What MEES actually is, and which properties it applies to
- The current minimum rating you need to meet
- What happens if you don’t comply
- Which properties are currently exempt
- How dramatically MEES is about to change – for domestic, social and commercial properties alike
What Are the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards?
The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) is a government scheme that sets a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating a rented property must meet before it can be let. It applies separately to domestic (residential) and non-domestic (commercial) properties, with different thresholds and enforcement details for each – but the underlying principle is the same: no valid EPC at or above the minimum rating, no legal letting.
What’s the Current Minimum EPC Rating?
The current minimum is EPC E, for both domestic and non-domestic properties. This has been in force since 2018 for new lets, and since 2020 (domestic) or 2023 (commercial existing leases) for all tenancies – so at this point, virtually every rented property in England and Wales needs to meet it, not just newly let ones. That baseline won’t hold for long, though – every sector is moving to a substantially higher minimum within the next few years (see “Which MEES Rules Apply to You?” below).
Who Do MEES Regs Apply To?
MEES applies to any domestic or non-domestic property being let under a tenancy in England or Wales. It covers new lets and, since the dates above, existing tenancies too – so a rating that was compliant when a lease started can still need attention if the property was let before MEES applied to existing tenancies.
What Happens if You Don’t Comply?
Non-compliance carries real financial penalties, and they differ by property type:
- Domestic properties: penalties are currently capped at £5,000 in total.
- Commercial properties: penalties can reach up to £150,000 per breach, based on the property’s rateable value.
Under the confirmed MEES 2030 roadmap, penalties for private rented domestic properties are rising substantially to £30,000 per breach. Social rented housing doesn’t work on the same fixed-penalty model – compliance there is enforced through the Regulator of Social Housing instead, not a fine cap. See “Which MEES Rules Apply to You?” below for the full detail on whichever sector applies to you.
Are Any Properties Exempt from MEES Regs?
A small number of properties are currently exempt from MEES, including listed buildings – though this is changing. The blanket listed-building exemption is being phased out under the 2030 reforms, with a much narrower “Negative Impact” exemption replacing it for cases where retrofit would genuinely damage a building’s structural integrity or character.
Which MEES Regs Apply to You?
MEES regs aren’t static – thresholds are confirmed to rise significantly over the next few years for every sector, alongside a new multi-metric EPC system replacing the single A-G rating for domestic properties. Which guide is relevant depends on what you manage:
- Private rented homes: see our MEES 2030 guide for private landlords – dates, cost caps and the new fabric-first rule.
- Social rented housing: see our guide to MEES for social housing – the new 2030/2039 phased targets and metric flexibility.
- Commercial and non-domestic buildings: see our guide to non-domestic MEES 2031 – the EPC B threshold, the 7-year payback test and lease exclusions.
What’s Next?
Whether you’re confirming where your property stands today or planning ahead for the confirmed 2030, 2031 or 2039 thresholds, understanding your current position is the first step.
We carry out Commercial and Domestic EPC assessments, and can advise on where your property currently sits against MEES and help you build a path to compliance.