Poor heating

If you are privately renting your landlord is responsible for keeping installations that provide heating to the property in proper working order (including making sure repairs are made if needed).      

Your landlord can provide heating of any fuel type, but they should consider its efficiency and cost. 

Heating appliances/systems supplied in the property should be:

  • Controllable by each occupier
  • Safe and properly installed and maintained
  • Appropriate for the construction, design and layout of the dwelling

It is recommended that the heating system in a property should be able to heat rooms to a minimum of 18°C (or 21°C for the main living room) when outside temperatures are -1°C.

Your landlord should also provide you with a current Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) upon request. The EPC tells you how energy efficient the property is – properties are rated from ‘A’ (most efficient) to ‘G’ (least efficient). There a regulations in place for the minimum rating allowed in properties.

What can I do if the property I am renting has poor heating?

You should contact your landlord to let them know in the first place and request that they resolve the issue.

If you contacted your landlord to let them know you think the heating in your home is inadequate and they are not taking any action you can contact us (the local authority). We may be able to carry out a Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) assessment. Our Environmental Health and Housing Standards team use the assessment to determine whether the lack of heating is causing a hazard to health.

What is fuel poverty?

When a household needs to spend more than 10% of its income on fuel (often called energy) it is considered to be in fuel poverty. 

Switching to a cheaper energy provider could help cut the cost of fuel bills. If you pay your heating costs to your landlord it might be worth asking whether they would consider looking for a cheaper energy provider. There are also various grants and benefits available to help towards the cost of energy bills, if you’re eligible.

Can I make energy efficiency improvements to the property myself?

As a tenant you may be able to access grants for heating and insulation improvement at no cost to yourself through government grant schemes (check the useful links below).

If you would like to pay for energy efficiency improvements in the property you rent you might be able to request consent from your landlord.

Useful links