Landlords have been warned that they could face fines of up to £7,000 if they fail to address overheating hazards in rented properties.

The warning comes as temperatures prepare to climb again this month.

There is no legal maximum indoor temperature for rented homes in Britain.

However, excessive heat is now recognised as a potential hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).

Councils in England have held stronger enforcement powers since June 2026, with penalties of up to £7,000 per hazard available where a landlord fails to act.

Excessive heat

Jack Malnick, co-founder of Landlord Resource, says the key test is not a specific temperature threshold but whether overheating creates a genuine health risk.

“A property can be considered unsafe if overheating creates a health risk,” he explains.

“It’s not a question of a set temperature to breach, but whether the overheating is severe enough to become a health and safety hazard or make the property unfit.”

A property can be considered unsafe if overheating creates a health risk.”

Landlords are not legally required to provide air conditioning or fans, but they do remain responsible for maintaining adequate ventilation.

It means that stuck windows, broken extractor fans, faulty blinds or structural defects affecting airflow could all potentially fall within the HHSRS framework if they contribute to a serious overheating hazard, according to Malnick.

If a landlord fails to respond to a tenants concerns about overheating, tenants are able to escalate to their local council’s environmental health team or request a formal HHSRS inspection.

Section 21

Malnick adds that the abolition of Section 21 no-fault evictions under the Renters’ Rights Act changes the dynamic for tenants raising complaints.

“Landlord can’t simply ignore repair requests anymore. Due to the new no-fault evictions rule, landlords cannot simply serve a notice due to a complaint,” he says.