EPC rules for landlords: minimum rating, exemptions and what's proposed

Energy Performance Certificates are the most misunderstood of the landlord certificates, mostly because the rules are changing. This guide separates what is law today in England from what the government has proposed for the future.

What an EPC is and when you need one

An EPC rates a home's energy efficiency from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient), and lists recommended improvements. It is produced by an accredited domestic energy assessor after a short visit to the property.

You need a valid EPC whenever you market a property to let. You must give a copy to the tenant free of charge, and adverts should show the rating. An EPC lasts for 10 years, and you can check an existing one on the government's Find an energy certificate service. Rooms let individually in a shared house do not usually need their own EPC, but a self-contained flat does.

The legal minimum today: band E

The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015, often called the MEES regulations, set a minimum standard for privately rented homes. Since 1 April 2018 landlords have not been allowed to grant a new tenancy of a property rated F or G. Since 1 April 2020 that has applied to all tenancies, including existing ones.

So in 2026, if your property is covered and rated F or G, you must either improve it to at least E or register a valid exemption before you can lawfully let it. The regulations apply to properties let on assured, assured periodic and regulated tenancies that are legally required to have an EPC.

The £3,500 cost cap

Landlords are not expected to spend unlimited amounts. Under the current rules, the cost cap is £3,500 including VAT per property. If you cannot reach band E by making all the relevant improvements that cost up to £3,500, you can register a "high cost" exemption once you have spent up to that cap. Funding from grants or other third parties can count toward the improvements.

Exemptions

Exemptions must be registered on the government's PRS Exemptions Register. They are not automatic, and you must keep evidence. The main exemptions in the current guidance are:

• High cost: all relevant improvements up to £3,500 have been made or none can be made within the cap.
• All relevant improvements made: the property is still below E even though everything that can be done has been done.
• Wall insulation: where a qualified expert advises that wall insulation would harm the building.
• Consent: where consent from a tenant, lender, freeholder or planning authority is refused.
• Devaluation: where an independent surveyor says improvements would reduce the property's market value by more than 5%.
• New landlord: a temporary six-month exemption in certain circumstances when you have just become the landlord.

Most exemptions last five years and do not transfer to a new owner. Check the gov.uk guidance for the evidence needed for each one.

Penalties

Local councils enforce the minimum standard. For letting a sub-standard property, councils can impose civil penalties of up to £5,000 per property per breach, depending on how long the breach lasted and whether false information was registered. Councils can also publish details of the breach. Separately, failing to provide an EPC when one is required can lead to a fixed penalty.

What's proposed: EPC C by 2030

This is where much of the confusion comes from. EPC C is not yet a legal requirement. Here is what has actually happened:

• In February 2025 the government consulted on raising the minimum standard for privately rented homes in England and Wales to the equivalent of EPC C by 2030.
• In January 2026 it published its response. It confirmed it intends to introduce a single compliance date of 1 October 2030 for all tenancies, a higher cost cap of £10,000 per property, and exemptions valid for 10 years.
• The new standard is planned to use new EPC measures: a fabric performance standard first, then the landlord's choice of a heating system or smart readiness standard.
• Properties with an EPC rated C or above under the current energy efficiency rating, issued before 1 October 2029, are expected to be treated as compliant until that EPC expires.

The government has said it will need new powers by Act of Parliament and a statutory instrument, aiming for the updated regulations to come into force in 2027, with the compliance date in 2030. These changes are subject to Parliamentary approval, and details may change. Until the law changes, band E remains the legal minimum.

What sensible landlords are doing now

1. Check your current rating and expiry date. Search the register for each property.
2. Read the recommendations. Your EPC lists improvements and indicative costs. Loft insulation, heating controls and LED lighting are often cheap wins.
3. Plan, but don't panic. If you are a D or E, think about which improvements could be bundled with planned maintenance before 2030.
4. Consider timing. Under the proposals, an EPC rated C issued before 1 October 2029 could carry you to its expiry. A fresh assessment after improvements may be worthwhile, but don't rely on that until the rules are final.
5. Keep evidence of all work and spend. Under the proposals, qualifying spending from 1 October 2025 is expected to count toward the new cap.

Energy performance information is also among the details expected for each property on the new private rented sector database. Our PRS Database guide explains what is currently known.

How Severn LetSafe helps

We arrange EPCs for £70 per property across Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire, carried out by independent accredited assessors. We send you the certificate, file it in your vault and remind you before it expires. Our Register-Ready Pack (£249) bundles gas, electrical and EPC paperwork for one property. See our EPC service or book an EPC now.

Questions

Official sources

• GOV.UK: Domestic private rented property, minimum energy efficiency standard, landlord guidance
• The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 (legislation.gov.uk)
• GOV.UK: Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes, government response (January 2026)
• GOV.UK: Energy Performance Certificates for your home
• GOV.UK: Find an energy certificate

Checked 16 October 2026. General guidance for England, not legal advice. See also all regulations & official sources.

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