EPC C by 2030

Every privately rented home in England and Wales will need an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) at band C or better by 1 October 2030, unless the landlord has registered a valid exemption. The government confirmed the standard, the date and the spending cap in its response to the consultation on privately rented homes. This page sets out what that means for a London landlord, and what we do about it.

The rule today

Since 1 April 2020, a landlord cannot let or continue to let a home rated below band E, unless an exemption is registered on the PRS Exemptions Register. The most a landlord is currently required to spend on improvements is £3,500 including VAT, and the penalty is up to £5,000 per property (GOV.UK landlord guidance).

An EPC lasts 10 years. You can check whether your home has one, and download it, on the government's EPC register (GOV.UK).

What changes by 1 October 2030

The minimum rises to band C. There is one compliance date for all tenancies: the government decided against an earlier date for new tenancies, so existing and new lets must both meet the standard by 1 October 2030 (government response).

The new standard will be measured with reformed EPCs. A home will need to meet a main standard on fabric performance (how well the walls, roof, floors and windows keep heat in), and a second standard on either its heating system or its smart readiness, at the landlord's choice (government response). The government has moved the launch of the reformed EPCs to the second half of 2027.

There is a reward for acting early. A home with a valid EPC at band C or above, issued before 1 October 2029 under the current rating, will be treated as compliant until that certificate expires or is replaced (government response).

The maximum penalty for breaching the new standard will be £30,000 per property, per breach (government response).

How the cost cap works

A landlord will not have to spend more than £10,000 per property on qualifying improvements, counted over 10 years. The cap is per property, not per landlord (government response).

Spending on measures installed since 1 October 2025 will count towards the cap once the new regulations apply. Grants from third parties also count, with the exception of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, and so do reasonable EPC assessment costs (government response).

If a home still falls short of band C after the landlord has spent up to the cap, the landlord can register a cost cap exemption. It lasts 10 years, and the home can continue to be let. For a home worth less than £100,000, the maximum spend is 10% of its value (government response).

Two practical points follow. First, keep every invoice and receipt for energy work done since 1 October 2025: it may count towards the cap (government response). Second, spend in the right order. A cheap measure that moves the rating a long way should come before an expensive one that barely moves it.

Short lets, and what is still to come

Short-term lets are not required to meet the new standard at present, though the government says the position is under review (government response).

The rules still have to be made into regulations, and details may change before then. Separately, the government plans to make the energy standard part of a new Decent Homes Standard for private rented homes, which it intends to apply from 2035 (policy statement). We update this page when the position changes.

Our EPC plan

For a fixed fee per home, we work out what your home needs to reach band C and in what order, before you spend anything on works. Ask us for the current fee.

• We find your current EPC and read its recommendations against the home as it is now
• We visit, check the walls, roof space, windows, heating and controls, and photograph what we find
• We arrange an assessment by an accredited energy assessor where a new certificate is needed (the assessor's fee is charged at cost, plus our 12.5% handling fee)
• You receive a written plan: each measure, its likely cost and its likely effect on the rating, in a sensible order
• We keep a record of qualifying spending and receipts in your portal, so the total counted against the cap is always clear
• If the cap is reached before band C, we put together the evidence you need to register an exemption

Then we manage the works

If you go ahead, we run the works: contractors chosen and briefed, quotes compared and explained, progress reported, and the new certificate obtained at the end. Projects over £10,000 are managed for a fee of 12% of the cost of the works. Smaller jobs are charged at cost plus our 12.5% handling fee, as on our published rates. Nothing over £250 starts without your approval.

Works in an occupied home need the tenant's cooperation and access. We arrange visits with your tenant directly, and we schedule the noisier work for when the home is empty where we can.