EPC Rules for Landlords: What the Law Says Now and What Is Coming
Updated: Oct 9
Today, the law in England and Wales says a privately rented home must have an EPC rated at least band E, unless the landlord has registered a valid exemption. That has applied to all relevant tenancies since 1 April 2020. Government has decided to raise the bar to a band C equivalent by 1 October 2030, but as of September 2026 that is still a policy waiting for legislation, not the law. Both parts matter if you are planning work now.
The law now: minimum band E
The rules are the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) regulations for domestic private rented property. According to the government's landlord guidance, last updated in May 2026:
They cover properties let on assured, regulated and domestic agricultural tenancies that are legally required to have an EPC.
Since 1 April 2020, landlords cannot let, or continue to let, a covered property rated F or G unless a valid exemption is registered.
Landlords are not currently required to spend more than £3,500 including VAT on improvements to reach E.
Separately, you need a valid EPC before you market a property to let, and you must give tenants a copy. An EPC lasts 10 years. Our EPC certification service covers rented homes across Shropshire, Wolverhampton, Telford and the West Midlands, and an EPC is the first thing to check before any tenancy starts.
EPC exemptions and the register
If a property cannot reach E, the landlord can keep letting it only with an exemption registered on the PRS Exemptions Register. Members of the public can search the register. The current exemptions are:
All relevant improvements made: improvements have been made up to the £3,500 cap and the home is still below E. Lasts 5 years.
High cost: the cheapest recommended improvement would cost more than £3,500. Lasts 5 years.
Wall insulation: wall insulation is the only improvement left and written expert advice says it would harm the fabric or structure. Lasts 5 years.
Consent: an improvement needs someone else's consent, such as the tenant, a superior landlord or the planning authority, and it cannot be obtained. Lasts 5 years, or until the tenancy ends where it was the tenant who refused.
Devaluation: an improvement would reduce the property's market value by more than 5%. Lasts 5 years.
New landlord: a temporary 6-month exemption for someone who has just become the landlord.
Exemptions are not automatic. If you have not registered one, you are in breach.
Penalties for letting below E
Local councils enforce the rules. Current penalties per property are up to £2,000 for letting a non-compliant home for less than 3 months, up to £4,000 for 3 months or more, up to £1,000 for false information on the register and up to £2,000 for not complying with a compliance notice, with a maximum of £5,000 in total per property.
What is changing: band C by 2030
In January 2026, government published its response to the 2025 consultation on privately rented homes. The decisions below are confirmed policy. They are not yet law: government will seek new powers through an Act of Parliament and then lay regulations, with the aim of them coming into force in 2027.
The planned standard:
A new, higher standard by 1 October 2030 for all private tenancies, with no earlier date for new tenancies.
Measured on new EPC metrics. Instead of the single A to G rating, homes will have to meet a fabric performance standard first, then either a heating system standard or a smart readiness standard, at the landlord's choice. Government describes it as an EPC C equivalent standard.
A £10,000 cost cap per property, with spend on relevant measures counted from 1 October 2025. Homes worth under £100,000 will have a lower cap of 10% of their value.
A head start for homes already at C. A rented home with an EPC showing C or better on the current rating before 1 October 2029 will count as compliant until that EPC expires or is replaced.
A revised set of exemptions, some lasting 10 years (including a revised cost cap exemption), plus a new solid wall insulation exemption.
Higher fines: councils will be able to issue penalties of up to £30,000 per property per breach.
Short-term lets are out of scope for now. The full detail is in the government response.
New EPCs are on the way too
The rating system itself is changing. Government plans new-style EPCs with four headline metrics, and it has moved their launch to the second half of 2027. Until then, EPCs are produced on the current system.
That timing creates the most useful planning point for landlords: an EPC showing C on today's rating, lodged before 1 October 2029, carries through as compliant until it expires. If your home is close to C, improving it and getting a fresh EPC in the next couple of years may save you having to meet the new metrics straight away. Our guide on how to improve an EPC rating sets out which upgrades move the score most.
What landlords should do now
Check every EPC you hold. Note the current band, the potential band and the expiry date. Search the government register if you do not have a copy.
Fix anything below E now. That is the law today, whatever happens in 2030.
Keep receipts for energy efficiency work done since 1 October 2025, since government intends that spend to count towards the £10,000 cap.
Plan major work alongside electrical work. If you are rewiring or replacing a consumer unit between tenancies, that is a good time to have other trades do jobs such as loft insulation, to switch to LED lighting, and to book the EICR that the separate electrical safety regulations require at least every 5 years. We carry out EICRs for landlords as well as EPCs.
EPC questions for landlords, answered
Do I need a new EPC for each new tenancy?
No. A valid EPC (under 10 years old) can be reused for new tenancies, as long as it meets the minimum band. A new EPC is worth getting after improvement work, so the rating reflects it.
Does MEES apply in Wales?
Yes. The current regulations cover England and Wales, and the planned changes are set out for England and Wales as well.
Can I let a property rated F or G at all?
Only with a valid exemption registered on the PRS Exemptions Register. Without one, a new let or a continuing let below E is a breach, and the council can issue a penalty.
Booking an EPC
SM Electrical carries out EPC assessments for landlords across the West Midlands and Shropshire, from single lets to portfolios. Get in touch with the addresses and when each current EPC expires, and we will help you see which properties need attention first.
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