Private rented property standards guidance

A single-family dwelling should be provided with adequate thermal insulation and a suitable and effective means of space heating that can heat the bedrooms to an average temperature of 18°C and the living rooms to an average temperature of 21°C and maintaining that temperature when the outside air temperature is -1°C. 

Therefore, when deciding on what type of heating to install in the property it is recommended that landlords should consider the following factors:

• volume of the individual rooms and other areas of the dwelling to be heated
• number and type of windows in each room
• construction type of the property (for example, solid brick walls, cavity wall construction)
• orientation of the property and the number of external walls that form the dwelling
• level and quality of thermal insulation of the dwelling as to prevent heat loss
• running cost and efficiency of the chosen heating system 

All rooms must be provided with a form of heating. This includes kitchens, bathrooms, living room, bedrooms, and hallways. Where extending the current heating system would be problematic alternative heating types should be used. These must be adequate for the room and allow the room to reach the desired temperature.

Acceptable heating provision.

• Any programmable gas or oil central heating system that is linked to a thermostatic control
• Interlinked digital electric heating systems
• Electric storage heaters linked to Economy 7 or 10 (or similar) low-cost energy provision
• Warm air systems
• Under floor heating systems
• Programmable LPG/ solid-fuel central heating system
• Similarly efficient heating systems which are developed in the future. 

Unacceptable heating provision.

• Plug-in, single-point, on-peak electric panel, or convector heaters with no thermostatic control (allowed as temporary or emergency heating when the main system is awaiting a repair)
• Portable heating appliances such as electric fires, convector or fan heaters, paraffin oil and LPG (bottled gas)
• Electric storage heaters not connected to a low tariff (off-peak) energy provision
• Open fires
• Gas fires
• Any system which the occupants of the dwelling do not have full control over and fails to provide adequate heating on demand. 

All heaters must be securely fixed in position and fully controllable by the tenant at all times. 

Digital electric radiators and electric storage heaters must be mains powered into a dedicated and adequately rated fused control switch.

Condensing combination gas boilers

The most common heating system is a condensing combination gas boiler. These boilers, where fitted, should be SEDBUK (Seasonal Efficiency of Domestic Boilers in the UK) or ErP (Energy-related Product) A rated and connected to the heating and hot water system. The boiler should include.

• Mechanical timer
• Flue - Flues serving gas appliances (including fires and stoves) should terminate in accordance with manufacturer's instructions and the relevant gas safety standards.
• Dedicated fused spur. Plugs are not recommended. This ensures the boiler is safely integrated into the property's fixed electrical wiring system and prevents it from being unplugged accidentally.
• Wireless room stat to the flat hallway / passage
• Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) to all radiators (by-pass valve located in the thermostat room)