A rented home does not need EPC C today. For homes covered by the regulations, which is most assured tenancies of homes that need an EPC, the legal minimum is E, and the plan to raise it to C by 1 October 2030 is confirmed government policy that still needs Parliament. The new-style EPCs that plan relies on have also been delayed. This article keeps three things apart: what is in force, what the government has said it will do, and what nobody has settled yet.
What is law today
The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 set the current rule. A landlord must not let a sub-standard property unless an exemption applies, and the minimum level of energy efficiency is an energy performance indicator of band E. GOV.UK’s landlord guidance says that since 1 April 2020 landlords can no longer let or continue to let properties covered by the regulations below band E, which means F or G, without a valid exemption. New tenancies were covered from 1 April 2018.
- Spending limit: GOV.UK says you are not currently required to spend more than £3,500, including VAT, on improvements. If you cannot reach E within that limit, you make the improvements you can and then register an exemption.
- Exemptions: they are registered on the PRS Exemptions Register and are typically valid for five years. GOV.UK lists several, including high cost, wall insulation that would harm the building, refused third-party consent and a six-month temporary exemption for some people who have recently become a landlord.
- Enforcement: local authorities enforce the rules. GOV.UK says they may serve a compliance notice up to 12 months after a suspected breach, and a financial penalty up to 18 months after the breach.
- Penalties: up to £2,000 for letting a non-compliant property for under three months, up to £4,000 for three months or more, up to £1,000 for false information on the register and up to £2,000 for ignoring a compliance notice. The total is capped at £5,000 per property, and details may be published for at least 12 months.
Our landlord legislation guide covers the other certificates and checks a landlord needs.
What the government has confirmed
On 21 January 2026 the government published its response to the 2025 consultation. It sets out a plan, not a law. These are the main points, in the response’s own terms.
- Date: the government intends landlords to comply from 1 October 2030. Its timeline is subject to Parliamentary approval and other factors.
- The test: a primary standard set against the fabric performance metric on new EPCs, plus a secondary standard set against either the smart readiness metric or the heating system metric, at the landlord’s choice.
- Existing C ratings: homes scoring C or higher on the existing Energy Efficiency Rating, shown on an existing or new EPC before 1 October 2029, are treated as compliant until that EPC expires or is replaced.
- Spending cap: £10,000 per property is the maximum a landlord would be required to invest over a 10-year period. Reasonable EPC assessment costs count towards the cap. So does other third-party funding, including government schemes, except Boiler Upgrade Scheme grants. The response also plans a property value adjustment exemption for homes valued below £100,000.
- Exemptions: the cost cap, property value adjustment and negative impacts exemptions would each last 10 years. The response says other exemptions are typically valid for five.
- Penalties: local authorities would be able to issue a maximum fine of £30,000 per property per breach. The response says this needs new primary legislation.
The impact assessment published with the response estimates average spend of £5,400 per property, taking the cap into account. That is the government’s own estimate, not a quote for any particular home.
| In force today | Confirmed plan (21 January 2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Band E | Set against new EPC metrics, described as EPC C |
| Date | Since 1 April 2020 for all tenancies | 1 October 2030 |
| Spending limit | £3,500 including VAT | £10,000 per property over 10 years |
| Maximum penalty | £5,000 per property in total | £30,000 per property, per breach |
Until the higher standard applies, the response says landlords must keep meeting EPC E.
What is not settled
The legislation. The response says the changes are subject to Parliamentary approval. The government says it will seek new powers in primary legislation and then lay secondary legislation, with the aim of it coming into force in 2027. It says it will seek to lay the primary legislation in due course.
On 19 May 2026 the government told the Commons that an Energy Independence Bill will legislate for minimum energy efficiency standards for renters. The King’s Speech of 13 May 2026 named that bill, but the speech page describes it as a bill to scale up homegrown renewable energy and protect living standards for the long term. On 16 October 2026 we found no bill of that name on Parliament’s bills website, so there is no text to read yet.
The new EPCs. The 2030 standard is written against new EPC metrics, and the response said the government would aim to deliver new EPCs from October 2026. On 9 March 2026 GOV.UK’s update on the wider EPC reforms said the government had decided to move the launch to the second half of 2027 and would agree a new date, and the page had aimed to agree it by the summer. We found no new date published. Neither page we read says whether the delay changes 1 October 2030. We cannot tell you either way.
What C will mean. The response says the government will confirm the band boundaries and the scores for each new metric once the Home Energy Model work is complete, and that the exact target will be set in secondary legislation. The related consultation on new EPCs still shows as being analysed.
The guidance. GOV.UK’s landlord guidance, last updated 5 May 2026, still says the government is exploring policy design options following the 2026 consultation. The response is dated earlier. Treat that guidance as the rules in force and the response as the stated direction.
What a landlord can do now
- Find your EPC. GOV.UK’s service lets you search by postcode, street name and town, or certificate number. If there is none, or it has expired, you can get a new one.
- Check the rating is E or better. That is the law today. If it is F or G, take advice now: continuing to let it also needs a valid exemption.
- Read the recommendations. GOV.UK says the EPC report includes a list of recommended measures, and that they help you choose what to install.
- Note the certificate date. Under the confirmed plan, a C or higher shown on an EPC before 1 October 2029 matters. It is not law yet, so do not rely on it alone.
- Check before committing to large works. Nothing beyond the current rules is required until the law changes. The response says relevant spend on energy efficiency measures installed since 1 October 2025 is planned to count towards the cap, so keep invoices. Get advice that fits your property first.
- If the property is in an Enfield selective licensing ward, Enfield Council says a £100 EPC discount is applicable for a rating of C or above, on a complete application with an up-to-date certificate. The details are in our Enfield selective licensing article and licensing guide.
Our property maintenance service covers organising a property’s EPC. For the wider changes, read our Renters’ Rights Act guide. If you own in Edmonton, see our Edmonton area guide, and you can ask for a free lettings valuation.
Questions readers ask
Does my rented home need to be EPC C today?
No. The legal minimum is an energy performance indicator of band E. The government has confirmed a plan to raise the standard so that rented homes meet EPC C by 1 October 2030, but it has said that change is subject to Parliamentary approval, and it is not yet law.
Can I let a property rated F or G?
Not if the regulations cover it and no valid exemption is registered. GOV.UK says a property outside the regulations may be let with an F or G rating. Since 1 April 2018 a landlord cannot grant a new tenancy of a property below band E, and since 1 April 2020 cannot continue to let one, unless an exemption applies. A local authority can fine up to £5,000 in total per property.
If my property is already EPC C, am I safe in 2030?
The government has said that a home scoring C or higher on the existing rating, shown on an EPC before 1 October 2029, will be treated as compliant until that EPC expires or is replaced. That is confirmed policy rather than law, and the detail will depend on the legislation Parliament passes.
How much would I have to spend on upgrades?
Nothing is required beyond the current rules until the law changes. Under the confirmed plan, £10,000 per property is the most a landlord would be required to invest over a 10-year period, and the impact assessment published with the response estimates average spending of £5,400 per property once the cap is taken into account. What your own home needs depends on its EPC recommendations.
Does Enfield give a discount for a good EPC?
Enfield Council says a £100 EPC discount is applicable under the selective licensing scheme that began on 1 September 2026 where a property is rated C or above. It is decided on a complete application with an up-to-date certificate, is not available if the council has asked twice for extra documents or sent a warning letter, and cannot be added once a licence has been granted.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Domestic private rented property: minimum energy efficiency standard (landlord guidance), last updated 5 May 2026.
- GOV.UK, Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes: government response, updated 21 January 2026.
- GOV.UK, Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes (consultation outcome page), last note 21 January 2026.
- GOV.UK, Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime, updated 9 March 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015, regulation 22 and regulation 23, read on 16 October 2026.
- GOV.UK, The King’s Speech 2026, 13 May 2026.
- UK Parliament, Energy Security, House of Commons debate, 19 May 2026.
- UK Parliament, Parliamentary Bills, searched on 16 October 2026.
- GOV.UK, Find an energy certificate, read on 16 October 2026.
- Enfield Council, Selective licensing scheme, read on 16 October 2026.
