- All private rental homes must reach EPC C by October 1, 2030
- Upgrade cost cap cut to £10,000, with exemptions for low-value homes
- Landlord bodies warn funding gaps and delivery risks remain
All private landlords will be required to upgrade their rental properties to an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of C by October 1, 2030, under reforms confirmed by the government.
The change raises the minimum standard from EPC E and removes an earlier proposal that would have forced landlords signing new tenancies to comply by 2028. The maximum amount landlords will be expected to spend on improvements has been reduced to £10,000 per property, down from a previously suggested £15,000.
A low-value property exemption will apply where £10,000 would amount to 10 per cent or more of a home’s value, allowing the spending cap to be lowered in those cases.
An EPC rates homes from A to G based on energy efficiency. EPC C is generally seen as a reasonable standard, where properties are better insulated and cheaper to heat. EPC E homes, by contrast, tend to lose more heat and are typically more expensive to run.
For tenants, the difference can be felt directly in monthly energy bills and comfort levels, particularly during winter. The government says lifting rental homes to EPC C is intended to help households manage energy costs while supporting longer-term climate goals.
New rules, new measures
The reforms were confirmed by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in a partial response to its EPC consultation.
For domestic properties, EPCs will no longer rely on a single headline score. Instead, new certificates will show four separate metrics covering energy cost, fabric performance, heating system efficiency and smart readiness. The government says this is designed to give landlords and tenants clearer information on where a property performs poorly and what type of upgrades may be most effective.
Non-domestic EPCs, however, will continue to use the existing single carbon-based Environmental Impact Rating as the headline metric.
Landlords are being encouraged to follow a ‘fabric first’ approach, starting with insulation, double glazing and other structural improvements before moving on to measures such as solar panels or battery storage if properties still fall short of EPC C.
Qualifying upgrades carried out from October 2025 will count towards the £10,000 cost cap in 2030. EPCs will remain valid for 10 years, meaning homes that reach a C rating before the deadline will stay compliant for a decade.
Support promised, concerns remain
The changes sit alongside the government’s £15bn Warm Homes Plan, launched on January 21, which aims to upgrade up to five million UK households. The plan includes free energy efficiency upgrades for low-income households and a programme of government-backed zero and low-interest loans, although detailed eligibility criteria have not yet been published.
The government has said a Call for Evidence will be launched in early 2026 to identify where further support is needed, including for private and social landlords, investors and supply chains.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, reportedly said the revised plans showed the government had listened, particularly by removing the 2028 deadline that risked large numbers of homes being taken off the rental market.
However, he warned that around 2.5 million rental homes in England still require upgrades and that a shortage of skilled tradespeople could reach 250,000 by 2030, as quoted in a news report.
Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, reportedly said landlords are being asked to deliver costly upgrades without clear long-term funding commitments, realistic delivery timescales or sufficient flexibility for older and hard-to-treat properties.
He also warned that the lack of clarity around enforcement, interim targets and energy standards for commercial buildings makes it difficult for landlords and investors to plan with confidence, raising concerns that some properties could still be withdrawn from the market.
