Infrared heating for housing associations, HMOs and rental properties
A heating system in a rented or managed home has to work for more than the building. It must provide dependable comfort for residents, remain straightforward to operate, and be practical for the people responsible for maintenance.
KIASA supports housing associations, local authorities, HMO operators, landlords, managing agents and holiday-let providers. From a single property to a multi-site portfolio, we help you choose the right products, outputs, positions and controls for each application.
Heating behaviour varies from one tenant to the next
The majority of rented accommodation relies on fixed heating — yet poor fixed heating can create more than just complaints about comfort.
- 1. When rooms do not warm adequately, residents or guests may rely on portable heaters or leave the heating running for longer.
- 2. This can increase energy use, generate repeated complaints, and introduce additional safety and management concerns.
- 3. Reliable, fixed heating must provide adequate warmth without depending on temporary or tactical solutions.
Heating planned around the property and its use:
Infrared can be specified as primary heating or used for selected rooms as part of a planned upgrade. It can be installed quickly and efficiently, while wall and ceiling options help preserve usable space.
Depending on the building and specification, infrared can provide:
- Fixed electric heating sized around the needs of each room
- Quiet radiant warmth without fans or forced airflow
- Controls and schedules matched to the property and its occupants
- Fewer moving parts and reduced mechanical servicing requirements
- A route from one room or property to a wider portfolio programme
Different priorities across managed housing:
Infrared for Housing Associations, local authorities and supported housing
Mixed stock, vulnerable residents, void periods, repair obligations and technical approval mean a rollout cannot be based on product wattage alone. Asset, development and maintenance teams need a repeatable approach that still accounts for each property type, user needs and available electrical capacity.
Infrared in HMOs, student housing and shared accommodation
Bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms and common parts can have different heat-loss and occupancy patterns. Fixed, controllable heating needs to be planned for all required spaces, with local licensing conditions and residents' access to controls considered before installation.
How infrared benefits private landlords and managing agents
Priorities in many rental properties often include replacing ageing storage heaters or boilers, avoiding repeated callouts, fitting work into void periods and keeping controls straightforward for changing tenants. The right route may be one direct-purchase product or project support for an estate-wide portfolio.
Heating challenges for holiday lets and serviced accommodation
Guest arrivals, vacant periods and owner-paid energy can create different operating patterns. Infrared allows for suitable schedules and selected remote controls can help prepare a property for arrivals and manage periods between stays, subject to reliable connectivity and the control system chosen.
Simple controls giving appropriate oversight
Even correctly specified heating can still perform poorly in practice if the controls are confusing. For managed housing, the control strategy should consider who needs day-to-day access, whether app-free operation is required, what oversight is appropriate, and how new occupants will be introduced to the system.
KIASA can help plan RF or wired thermostats to avoid battery replacements, schedules or project control strategies. Landlord settings allow occupants to maintain adequate comfort with ease.
Which heating route is right for your properties?
The appropriate route depends on scale, heat loss and your requirements.
Individual property or selected rooms
Premium Kore P-Series infrared panels or heater bars are ideal for straightforward individual requirements. Selected models offer built-in thermostat control, and the range can be purchased online once the required output and mounting position have been confirmed.
Planning primary heating for a whole property or using several panels? Speak to KIASA before ordering.
Explore KORE P-Series infrared Panels →
Strategic infrared planning for rental developments projects
KIASA Projects supports whole-property heating, HMOs, new-build developments and portfolio upgrades. We can review heat loss, infrared product schedules, positioning, controls and electrical loads, with KORE Lyte and other project-exclusive options available where appropriate.
KIASA Projects for Managed Housing
Discuss Your Managed Housing Project →A heating specification - your team can work with
Understand the project
Our experience across hundreds of infrared heating projects has shown that reliable performance depends on careful planning, not just choosing a heater by price. We start by working directly with housing and asset teams, landlords and managing agents, developers, M&E consultants and electrical contractors.
01
Assess the space
We consider room dimensions, insulation levels, heat loss, occupancy patterns and available electrical capacity before recommending any route.
02
Plan the system
Mounting positions, control strategies and product loads are mapped out to suit the building — not the other way round.
03
Support delivery
For qualifying projects, KIASA provides product layouts, control strategies, load schedules and wiring guidance to support technical review and installation planning.
04
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Infrared can provide primary heating when each room is correctly sized and specified for heat loss and required temperature. Heater positioning, controls, and available electrical capacity are also an important factors.
Yes. RF and wired thermostats with regular scheduling can give occupants day-to-day control over time and temperature. The precise setup should reflect the property, user needs, and any local HMO or licensing requirements.
Selected control systems can support remote access or management settings. Not every property needs app-based control, and any oversight must preserve occupants' ability to maintain adequate comfort.
Running costs depend on the building fabric, required output, electricity tariff, control settings and how the property is used. The right comparison is a property-specific assessment against the existing system. Please speak with our team to discuss this in more depth.
Yes. Infrared replaces the full heating system or can be introduced in phases. Heat loss, electrical capacity, hot-water provision and any heating that will remain must be considered together.
Infrared does not cure or prevent damp and mould by itself. Consistent radiant heating may help support warmer internal surfaces, but water ingress, leaks, ventilation, insulation and moisture generation must be investigated and addressed.
Floor plans, room dimensions, construction details, intended use, existing heating and available electrical information are usually enough for an initial review. Larger schemes may also provide heat-loss calculations and M&E information.
Let's Plan the Right Heating Approach for Your Properties
Whether you are replacing heating in one rental property, refurbishing an HMO, or planning a wider housing programme, KIASA will help you understand whether infrared is suitable and identify the right route for the scale of the requirement.
Explore KORE P-Series panels and bars for straightforward individual needs, or speak to KIASA Projects about a whole-property, multi-room or multi-property scheme.