Asked by: Cat Eccles (Labour - Stourbridge)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure that reforms to energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector drives heat demand reduction via insulation.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Reformed Energy Performance Certificates will assess properties’ energy performance against several metrics, one of which is fabric performance. The new minimum energy efficiency standards will require private rented homes to first meet a ‘C’ rating for fabric performance unless a relevant exemption is in place. The prioritisation of fabric measures will help ensure a reduction in heat demand, delivering bill savings for tenants and lifting households out of fuel poverty.
Asked by: Abtisam Mohamed (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking in the Warm Homes Plan to support insulation upgrades for fuel-poor households in the private rented sector.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Warm Homes Plan will cut bills, with an offer for every household, whether they own their home, rent privately, or live in social housing. We will reach up to five million homes by 2030, through direct support for those on low incomes and in fuel poverty, grants and innovative low-interest finance available to all.
The Warm Homes: Local Grant is accessible to those living in privately rented accommodation, subject to eligibility. We are also standing up for renters through our new minimum energy efficiency standards in the private and social rented sectors, which will lift around 650,000 households out of fuel poverty.
From 1 October 2030, private rented homes must meet the required standard, or have a valid exemption registered in order to be let.
Asked by: Abtisam Mohamed (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to incentivise the installation of insulation to reduce private rented sector tenants’ energy bills.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Warm Homes Plan will cut bills, with an offer for every household, whether they own their home, rent privately, or live in social housing. We will reach up to five million homes by 2030, through direct support for those on low incomes and in fuel poverty, grants and innovative low-interest finance available to all.
The Warm Homes: Local Grant is accessible to those living in privately rented accommodation, subject to eligibility. We are also standing up for renters through our new minimum energy efficiency standards in the private and social rented sectors, which will lift around 650,000 households out of fuel poverty.
From 1 October 2030, private rented homes must meet the required standard, or have a valid exemption registered in order to be let.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what elements of the Warm Homes Plan will be delivered in Wales by (a) Local authorities and (b) Welsh Government.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
All eligible households in England and Wales can benefit from the expanded Boiler Upgrade Scheme, funded with £2.7 billion to 2030. The Clean Heat Market Mechanism (CHMM) applies to the whole of the UK, as will round 2 of the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition.
The Heat Network Efficiency scheme is open to public, private and third sector grant applicants in England and Wales, and the Heat Network Market Framework also applies in Wales.
New minimum energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector will help to lift households out of fuel poverty in England and Wales.
The Government has also been actively engaging with the Welsh Government on the Warm Homes Agency since Spring 2025. The Agency will only operate in Wales with agreement from the Welsh Government, and discussions to secure this agreement are ongoing.
Asked by: Luke Murphy (Labour - Basingstoke)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what mechanisms his Department uses to monitor (a) the impact of private rented sector reforms on the availability of housing for vulnerable people and (b) local housing authorities' assessment of vulnerability and priority need among homelessness applicants with severe mental health conditions.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department collects data on the private rented sector through the English Housing Survey, which is published annually and can be found on gov.uk here, and through ongoing longitudinal survey of private tenants.
My Department also publishes data showing the number of households owed a prevention or relief duty where there are support needs, including the number who have support needs due to a history of mental health problems. This data can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to allow letting agents to submit data to the Private Rented Sector database on behalf of their landlords.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government expects that letting agents will be able to carry out certain functions relating to the Private Rented Sector Database on landlords’ behalf.
The detailed requirements and any roles that may be undertaken by agents will be set out in regulations in due course.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of its communication campaign in informing landlords of changes in the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In November 2025, my Department launched a multi-platform communications campaign to raise awareness of reforms to the private rented sector in England resulting from the Renters’ Rights Act. To date, the campaign has seen strong engagement and achieved a wide reach.
We continue to work closely with relevant media, and sector representative organisations to make sure we reach as many landlords as possible.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has assessed the potential impact on tenants of the gap between the commencement of the pet provisions on 1 May and the operational launch of the Ombudsman, including the extent to which renters may need to rely on the courts during this period.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 13 November 2025, the government published a roadmap for implementing the Renters' Rights Act, which can be found on gov.uk here.
In implementation Phase 2 from late 2026, we will introduce the national Private Rented Sector Database and Private Rented Sector Ombudsman.
Prior to the establishment of the new service, if a tenant thinks their landlord has unreasonably refused a request to rent with a pet, they will be able to challenge the decision in court.
My Department has made no specific assessment of the impact on tenants of the period between 1 May 2026 and when the new service will be available.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the expected timetable is for establishing the Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman; and what mechanisms will be available for tenants to challenge unreasonable refusals to keep a pet before the Ombudsman is operational.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 13 November 2025, the government published a roadmap for implementing the Renters' Rights Act, which can be found on gov.uk here.
In implementation Phase 2 from late 2026, we will introduce the national Private Rented Sector Database and Private Rented Sector Ombudsman.
Prior to the establishment of the new service, if a tenant thinks their landlord has unreasonably refused a request to rent with a pet, they will be able to challenge the decision in court.
My Department has made no specific assessment of the impact on tenants of the period between 1 May 2026 and when the new service will be available.
Asked by: Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat - Wokingham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he is taking steps to increase the rate of collection of civil penalties issued by local authorities against landlords for housing offences.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government engages regularly with local authorities and other relevant stakeholders in relation to how enforcement against rogue landlords in the private rented sector might be strengthened.
Local authorities already have a range of tools that they can use to support the collection of unpaid fines imposed on rogue landlords, including charging orders and bankruptcy proceedings.
My Department will continue to engage with local authorities and consider how best practice can be shared as part of supporting the effective implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act.