EPC rules for landlords: the minimum standard and the 2030 plan

The minimum standard: band E

The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) sets the floor. Since 1 April 2020 it has been unlawful to let a property rated F or G — the standard applies to all let properties, not just new tenancies. The legal minimum to let, and to keep letting, is an EPC of band E or better. Every property you let needs a valid Energy Performance Certificate, and an EPC lasts 10 years.

What it costs to let below the line

Letting a sub-standard property without a registered exemption is a breach, and the penalties are civil, not criminal. The maximum is £5,000 per property in total: up to £4,000 for renting out a non-compliant property for three months or more, plus a publication penalty — your details published on a public register of breaches, which does more reputational damage than the fine. The local authority enforces it.

The exemptions, and the register

If the property genuinely can’t reach band E, there are exemptions — but none is automatic. You have to register each one on the PRS Exemptions Register, with evidence, before you rely on it. The main ones:

• All improvements made — you’ve done every relevant measure and it’s still below E.
• High cost — the cheapest measure that would reach E costs more than the cost cap.
• Wall insulation — where the appropriate expert advises cavity or solid wall insulation would damage the property.
• Third-party consent — a tenant, lender or planning authority won’t consent to the works.
• Property devaluation — an expert confirms the measures would cut the property’s value by more than 5%.
• Temporary (new landlord) — a six-month grace period where you’ve only just become the landlord.

Most exemptions last five years and then expire; the new-landlord one lasts six months. When it expires you either improve the property or register a fresh exemption.

EPC C by 2030: a plan, not yet law

You’ll see “EPC C by 2030” quoted as if it’s a deadline. It isn’t — not yet. The government has committed to aim for as many private rented homes as possible to reach EPC band C or equivalent by 2030, but that hasn’t become law, and no enforcement date is in force. Band E is still the legal minimum today.Treat band C as where the rules are heading, and worth planning major works around, not a duty you’re breaching today.

How to lift a band

If a property sits at F or G, the EPC itself lists the recommended measures and their effect on the rating. The ones that usually lift the rating: loft and cavity wall insulation, a more efficient heating system and controls, low-energy lighting, and double glazing. Get a fresh EPC after the works — the rating only counts once it’s lodged.

The quick checklist

• Hold a valid EPC (band E or better) for every let property.
• Check the EPC hasn’t passed its 10-year expiry before a new tenancy.
• If it’s F or G, do the recommended works or register an exemption first.
• Register any exemption on the PRS Exemptions Register, with evidence.
• Renew a five-year exemption before it lapses.
• Plan for EPC C — a 2030 aim, not yet law.

Common questions