The Future Homes Standard comes into force on 24 March 2027. That is less than five months away. If you are planning, designing or building new homes in England, the rules your project must meet are about to change.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published the standard on 24 March 2026, after consultations in 2019 and 2023. In short, it ends fossil fuel heating in new homes and makes on-site renewable energy a requirement. Here is what you need to know, and what to do now.
What is the Future Homes Standard?
The Future Homes Standard is the next update to Part L (conservation of fuel and power) of the Building Regulations in England. It replaces Part L 2021 with the new Approved Document L 2026.
The aim is simple. New homes should be “zero carbon ready”, so they reach net zero emissions as the electricity grid decarbonises. As a result, homes built to the standard should not need costly retrofit work later on.
Key changes under the Future Homes Standard
Heat pumps replace gas boilers
The “notional dwelling” sets the performance target every new home is measured against. Under the new rules, it uses a heat pump for space heating and hot water instead of a gas boiler. Fabric standards stay broadly similar to Part L 2021.
The notional dwelling also includes:
- solar PV panels
- decentralised mechanical extract ventilation (dMEV)
- an airtightness target of 4 m³/m²/hr at 50 Pa
- waste water heat recovery (WWHRS)
In practice, this means a home with a gas boiler will struggle to comply.
Solar panels become a legal requirement
A new requirement has been added to Schedule 1 of the Building Regulations. Every new home must now generate a minimum amount of renewable energy on site. For most homes, that will mean solar PV panels. The Approved Document includes guidance for complex roofs where enough panels cannot fit.
The same three compliance targets
New homes will still be checked against three metrics:
- Primary Energy Rate (DPER)
- Carbon Emissions Rate (DER)
- Fabric Energy Efficiency (DFEE)
SAP 10.3 is the route to compliance
The Home Energy Model (HEM) was expected to replace SAP. However, in February 2026 MHCLG confirmed that SAP 10.3, an updated version of SAP 10, will initially be the only approved method. HEM is due to follow later. For you, this means familiar SAP calculations, just against tougher targets.
Future Homes Standard deadlines and transitional arrangements
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 24 March 2026 | Future Homes Standard and Approved Document L 2026 published |
| 24 March 2027 | New regulations come into force |
| 24 March 2027 – March 2028 | 12-month transitional period |
From 24 March 2027, homes subject to Building Regulations must be built to the Future Homes Standard. Homes already under construction can be finished under the version of Part L in force when work started.
Importantly, older transitional arrangements are being “sunsetted”. If your site relies on an earlier transition, any plots where work has not started within the transition period must meet the new standard. Therefore, it is worth checking your build programme now.
Conversions, ventilation and overheating
Conversions (material change of use): For now, the current compliance method stays the same. MHCLG plans a further consultation on conversions later.
Part F – Ventilation: Proposals included requiring new ventilation systems to be commissioned by a competent person or Building Control, using powered flow hoods. The response gave little detail, but confirmed Competent Person Schemes are under review by the Building Safety Regulator.
Part O – Overheating: A full technical review is planned, including whether to adopt the updated CIBSE TM59.
How to prepare for the Future Homes Standard
With the deadline approaching, early action will save you time and money. Here are five steps to take now:
- Review your build programme. Check which plots will start before 24 March 2027 and which will not.
- Get SAP calculations at design stage. Early modelling shows whether your current spec will pass, before it is too late to change.
- Plan your heating and renewables. Heat pumps and PV affect roof layouts, plant space and electrical design.
- Talk to your supply chain. Make sure installers are ready for heat pumps, PV and ventilation commissioning.
- Budget for airtightness. Tighter targets make a good first air test more important than ever.
How Assessment Hive can help
At Assessment Hive, we help developers, architects and self-builders get compliance right first time. We provide SAP calculations, air tightness testing, overheating assessments and energy statements for new homes in London and throughout the UK. We can review your designs against the Future Homes Standard, model them in SAP 10.3, and flag issues early, while they are still cheap to fix.
Whether your project starts before or after the deadline, we will make sure you know which rules apply. Get in touch today to discuss your next development.
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