What EPC rating does a rented property need in England?

To let a home in England the property needs a valid EPC rated E or better, or a registered exemption. That has been the law since 1 April 2018 for new tenancies and since 1 April 2020 for tenancies already running, so it covers a let you started years ago as well as one you start tomorrow. EPC C is not the law. It is confirmed government policy for 2030, but as at October 2026 the regulations to deliver it have not been made.

The rule in force now

The standard comes from the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015. Regulation 22 sets the "minimum level of energy efficiency" at "an energy performance indicator of band E"; regulation 23 says a landlord of a sub-standard property "must not let the property" unless an exemption applies.

Two dates, both long past:

• 1 April 2018 — you could no longer grant, extend or renew a tenancy on an F or G property
• 1 April 2020 — you could no longer continue to let one either

The second is the one landlords miss: a tenant who moved in during 2016 and never left is covered.

The rules bite on assured, regulated and domestic agricultural tenancies, and only where the property is legally required to have an EPC — which, GOV.UK says, it probably is "if the property you let has been marketed for sale or let, or modified, in the past 10 years".

EPC C is policy, not law

Many landlords believe C is already required, or that it came in quietly during 2026. It did not.

On 21 January 2026 the government published its response to the consultation Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes: 2025 update, confirming:

• a single compliance date of 1 October 2030
• a dual-metric standard, with "a fabric performance standard first followed by landlord discretion to meet either a heating system standard or a smart readiness standard"
• "raising the cost-cap to £10,000 with a 10-year validity period for exemptions"
• homes graded C or above on the Energy Efficiency Rating before 1 October 2029 counting as compliant until that certificate expires
• a far higher penalty ceiling: the response says the rules "will allow for local authorities to issue a maximum fine of £30,000 per property per breach", against £5,000 today

The response is equally clear about what must still happen: "Government will seek new powers by Act of Parliament for the Secretary of State necessary to enable and enforce these improvements to the PRS Regulations. Government will then seek to lay a statutory instrument to enable the PRS Regulations to be updated, with the aim of it coming into force in 2027."

So the position is announced, not made: an Act of Parliament must come first, then regulations, and neither step has been taken. The only change to the 2015 Regulations during 2026 was a consequential one from the Renters' Rights Act 2025, which left band E untouched — see what that Act changed.

The response says so itself: landlords "will continue to be required to comply with the existing minimum standard of EPC E up until the point they are required to comply with the higher standard."

Until regulations are in force, E is the minimum — and an F or G property let without a registered exemption is in breach today.

Exemptions and the register

Six exemptions exist where a property cannot reach E:

1. All relevant improvements made — everything recommended within the cost cap is done and it is still below E
2. High cost — even the cheapest recommended measure would exceed the cap
3. Wall insulation — expert advice says cavity, internal or external wall insulation would damage the structure
4. Third-party consent — a tenant, lender, superior landlord or planning authority refused, or imposed unreasonable conditions
5. Devaluation — a RICS registered valuer reports the works would cut market value by more than 5%
6. Recently became a landlord — six months' grace, in defined circumstances

The cost cap is £3,500 including VAT. GOV.UK: "you are not currently required to spend more than £3,500 (including VAT) on energy efficiency improvements". Spending since 1 October 2017 counts towards it.

Each must be registered on the PRS Exemptions Register before you rely on it: "All exemptions apply from the point you register them." Most last five years; the new-landlord one six months. The register is public.

Penalties

Local authorities enforce this, not central government. A council can serve a compliance notice up to 12 months after a suspected breach, and a financial penalty up to 18 months after it. The maxima in regulation 40 apply per property and per breach:

• £2,000 for letting below the standard for less than three months
• £4,000 for three months or more
• £1,000 for registering false or misleading information
• £2,000 for failing to comply with a compliance notice

"The maximum amount you can be fined per property is £5,000 in total." Details can also be published for at least 12 months. You can ask the council to review a penalty, then appeal to the First-tier Tribunal.

EPC basics

An EPC lasts 10 years: regulation 22 treats one as valid where it was entered on the register "no more than 10 years before the date on which it is relied on". You must also have ordered one before the property is advertised. GOV.UK: "You must order an EPC for potential buyers and tenants before you market your property to sell or rent."

To check a property's rating, expiry date and recommendations, use GOV.UK's find an energy certificate service. It is free and takes a postcode.

Moving a property up a band

Start with the assessor's recommendation report, not a builder's instinct. Every EPC carries a recommendations list with an indicative cost and projected rating for each measure. That list is what the regulations are built on: a measure not on it will not support an "all relevant improvements made" exemption if the property still falls short.

The cheap end of a list is usually where the easy movement is — insulating the hot water cylinder, draught proofing, low energy lighting. Wall and floor insulation, heating and glazing sit higher up, and your own report carries the indicative costs. Atlas also does construction and refurbishment work across Greater Manchester.

What to do now

Nothing about October 2026 obliges you to reach C, and no one can say when, or in what form, the 2030 standard will become law. But the direction is settled enough to plan around.

Know each property's rating and expiry date. A property at E or below is the live problem: it carries a fine today, and poor stock tends to bring damp and mould and safety certificate trouble with it. If a property is just under C, do the cheap measures during a void. If one looks uneconomic to improve, selling with the tenants in place is a legitimate answer. What our management service covers is on our fees page.

General information, current at October 2026, and not legal advice. The EPC C standard described is government policy awaiting legislation. Confirm the position for a specific property on GOV.UK.

Not sure what a property is rated, or what it would take to improve it? Ring 0161 710 4510 and we will look it up with you, or book a valuation.