Your Legal Obligations as a Landlord
Landlords in England and Wales are legally required to ensure their rental properties are safe, habitable, and properly heated. Failure to comply can result in fines, prosecution, civil liability, and — in the case of gas safety — criminal charges.
Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998
Under these regulations, landlords must:
Breaches can result in a fine of up to £6,000 and/or six months' imprisonment per offence.
Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018
This Act requires landlords to ensure properties are fit for human habitation at the start of and throughout a tenancy. Inadequate heating — particularly where it fails to maintain a reasonable temperature in cold weather — can constitute a breach of this Act, giving tenants the right to take legal action.
Minimum Room Temperature
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) identifies "excess cold" as a significant hazard. Landlords should ensure heating systems can maintain at least 18°C in bedrooms and 21°C in living rooms during cold weather.
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)
Since 2018, rented properties must have a minimum EPC rating of E. There are plans to raise this requirement. Poorly rated systems, including old boilers, affect EPC ratings. Upgrading heating systems can improve EPC ratings and protect your rental income.
Our Landlord Services
Halo Heating works with private landlords and letting agents across Surrey, providing gas safety certificates, annual servicing, emergency repairs, and boiler replacement. We offer flexible appointments to minimise tenant disruption.
Call 01483 676108 to discuss a maintenance package for your rental properties.
Need Professional Help?
Our Gas Safe registered engineers cover Surrey and surrounding areas. Call for a free quote or to book an engineer.
Call 01483 676108