Landlords are facing growing scrutiny over overheating, with councils reporting hundreds of excess heat hazards and several authorities finding them exclusively in private rented homes.

Freedom of Information research by Cut Plastic Sheeting found more than 600 excess heat hazards in housing assessments across England since 2023, including at least 64 classified as Category 1 hazards.

Councils reported 102 Improvement Notices, 20 Prohibition Orders and 29 Hazard Awareness Notices linked to excess heat. They also reported two Emergency Prohibition Orders, seven Emergency Remedial Actions, four civil penalties and three prosecutions.

The research, based on FOI requests to 40 of England's largest councils following the UK’s hottest summer on record, found that private rented homes featured heavily in the data, with Leeds City Council confirming all 10 excess heat hazards it identified were in private rented homes, including three Category 1 hazards.

Data

East Riding of Yorkshire Council also said all 11 of its excess heat cases were in private rented properties, while Durham County Council reported 133 excess heat hazards across its environmental health and selective licensing data, all of which were recorded in private rented housing.

Excess Heat has been recognised as a housing hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) for a number of years. Councils must take action when a Category 1 hazard is identified and, since 22 June, they have also been able to issue financial penalties of up to £7,000 for qualifying Category 1 hazards in rented homes.

Opportunity

Cut Plastic Sheeting MD Daniel Southern (pictured) says the cooler months can be a good opportunity for landlords to look back at which rooms struggled most, when they became hottest and what was causing the heat to build up.

Rooms with large windows or lots of direct sunlight are a good place to start, as well as looking at how easily the property can be ventilated when temperatures rise, he adds.

“Rather than forgetting about the problem once winter arrives, people should use the next few months to plan ahead. That could mean improving shading, reviewing ventilation or thinking about how portable air conditioning could be used next summer.”

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