EPC C 2030 for landlords: the rules, the cost cap and what to do
The government has confirmed that privately rented homes in England and Wales must reach the equivalent of EPC C by 1 October 2030. Landlords will not have to spend more than £10,000 per property. This is confirmed policy, not yet law. This guide covers what is decided, what is open and what to do now. Checked 21 October 2026.
Law status, checked 21 October 2026: confirmed government policy, to be legislated. The government is aiming for legislation in 2027. The 2015 rules, with a minimum of EPC E, still apply today.
Find out where my rentals stand
What are the new EPC regulations for landlords in 2030?
In its response published on 21 January 2026, the government confirmed a single compliance date of 1 October 2030 for domestic private tenancies in England and Wales. There is no earlier date for new tenancies.
The standard will be measured on a new EPC with several metrics, so "C" will not simply be today's band. The numeric thresholds have not been published yet. They will be set in secondary legislation once the government confirms the Home Energy Model.
Is EPC C 2030 law yet?
No. The government says it will introduce the powers through an Act of Parliament and lay a statutory instrument, aiming for 2027. We found no sign on 21 October 2026 that the instrument has been laid.
Until then, the law in force is the 2015 minimum standard of EPC E. Treat the 2030 date as the plan you are working towards, and do not describe it to tenants or lenders as law. We update this page when the position changes.
What counts as EPC C on the new certificate?
The new EPC will report four things: energy cost, fabric performance, heating system efficiency and smart readiness. The old energy efficiency rating stays as a legacy measure.
Fabric performance is the primary standard. This covers the building itself: walls, roof, floor and windows. After that, you meet either the heating standard or the smart readiness standard, whichever suits the property. A home that cannot take any recommended smart measures does not need to meet the heating standard.
What does that mean in practice?
Insulation and draught-proofing come first. Heating and controls come second. A heat pump or a smart thermostat alone will not be enough if the fabric is poor. That is why our plans start with the building.
How much will EPC C cost, and what is the £10,000 cap?
The government has set a cost cap of £10,000 per property, applied over a 10-year period. Its impact assessment estimates average spend of about £5,400. Landlords will not have to spend more than the cap to comply.
What counts towards the cap?
- Spend on measures installed since 1 October 2025.
- Other third-party funding, including Warm Homes: Local Grant and ECO4.
- The cost of EPC assessments and some specialist retrofit advice.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme funding does not count towards the cap.
What if the property is worth less than £100,000?
For homes valued under £100,000, the cap is the lower of £10,000 or 10% of the property's value. Our cost cap and exemptions guide shows how this works.
EPC rules for landlords: what exemptions will exist?
Exemptions are recorded on the PRS Exemptions Register. The government has confirmed these types and typical lengths:
| Exemption | Typical length |
|---|---|
| High cost | 5 years |
| All relevant improvements made | 5 years |
| Cost cap reached | 10 years |
| Property value adjustment | 10 years |
| Solid wall insulation opt-out | 5 years |
| Negative impacts (merges devaluation and wall insulation) | 10 years |
| Third-party consent refused | 5 years |
| New landlord with tenants already in place | 6 months |
Source: government response, 21 January 2026, checked 21 October 2026. Exemptions will not be automatic. You must register them, and giving false or misleading information can itself be penalised.
What are the penalties?
The government has confirmed fines of up to £30,000 per property per breach. Landlords can also be fined for false or misleading information on the exemptions register.
Local authorities will enforce the rule, and the government says the term will be widened to include combined authorities. Enforcement begins in 2030.
What is the 2029 transition rule?
A rented home rated C or above on an existing or new EPC issued before 1 October 2029 will count as compliant until that EPC expires or is replaced.
For all other landlords the sequence is different. You should commission a new-methodology EPC before starting works. After works, you need a post-works EPC before 1 October 2030. The government is aiming to start issuing the new EPCs from October 2026, but we have not confirmed that they are live.
Which rentals does it cover?
The rule applies to domestic private rented homes in England and Wales. Short-term lets are excluded for now, and the government says that is under review.
The Renters' Rights Act brings its own changes, including a new database for landlords. That is a separate system from the exemptions register, so do not confuse the two. Our Renters' Rights Act guide covers it.
The landlord EPC deadline: your timeline to 2030
These are the dates that matter, with the status of each.
| Date | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 21 January 2026 | Government publishes its response and the £10,000 cap | Done |
| 1 October 2025 onwards | Spend on measures starts to count towards the cap | Confirmed policy |
| October 2026 | New EPCs targeted to begin | Target, not confirmed live |
| 2027 | Legislation targeted | Not yet law |
| 1 October 2029 | Cut-off for EPCs that keep a home compliant | Confirmed policy |
| 1 October 2030 | All in-scope rentals must comply | Confirmed policy |
What should a landlord do now?
You do not need to panic, but you do need a plan. Work through these steps in order:
- Find your current EPC for each rented property and note its date and rating.
- Check the grants you could use. Our grants for landlords guide shows what is open.
- Book a retrofit assessment so the plan follows the property and not guesswork.
- Start with fabric measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation. See our cavity wall insulation guide.
- Keep every invoice and certificate, because spend since 1 October 2025 counts towards the cap.
Acting early costs nothing against the cap and avoids a queue of landlords in 2029 and 2030.
What about properties that cannot reach C cheaply?
Some homes will cost more than the cap to bring up to standard. Solid wall Victorian terraces are the hardest case. For these, the exemptions above will matter, and the right answer is often to do what is affordable and register the exemption.
Do not leave this to the last year. Evidence of what you spent and why takes time to gather. We help landlords build that record property by property.
Common misunderstandings about EPC C 2030
Several ideas circulate that the government response does not support:
- "My current C is enough." Only if that EPC was issued before 1 October 2029, and only until it expires or is replaced.
- "The cap means I can ignore it." No. The cap limits what you must spend. You still have to do what the cap allows or register an exemption.
- "Grants are free money." Funding counts towards the cap, so it uses up part of the £10,000 allowance.
- "I can wait until 2030." You can, but the work, the new EPCs and any exemption evidence all take time, and everyone else will be doing it too.
What it means for letting agents and tenants
If an agent manages your property, they will need to know its EPC position and your plan. We offer a route for letting agents that shows their whole portfolio at once.
Tenants are not asked to pay for grant-funded measures in Greater Manchester. Tenants who think their EPC is wrong can read our guide on how to challenge an EPC.
Questions to ask any assessor or installer
Ask these before you agree to anything:
- Do you hold PAS 2035 for retrofit assessment and PAS 2030 for installation?
- Will I get a written plan that puts fabric measures first?
- How will you check ventilation and damp risk before insulating?
- Who lodges the new EPC, and are they an accredited domestic energy assessor?
- How will you record spend so it counts towards the cap?
Straight answers to these tell you most of what you need to know.
Why acting early makes sense
There are three practical reasons not to wait for the legislation:
- Spend on measures installed since 1 October 2025 already counts towards the cap, so early work is not wasted.
- Insulation and fabric work can suit the tenancy calendar. Doing it between lets avoids disruption.
- Grant routes such as ECO4 have fixed end dates, and ECO4 closes on 31 December 2026.
How Compliant Lets helps
Compliant Lets is a trading name of LAMTANS Holdings Ltd. The retrofit work is delivered by LAMTANS Engineering Ltd, which holds PAS 2030, PAS 2035, MCS and TrustMark. Check the registers yourself: TrustMark, RECC, ICO, Gas Safe Register and Simply Certification.
We assess the property, explain your options in plain English and deliver the work. You get a plan you can show your letting agent, lender or council.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes, consultation and outcome, checked 21 October 2026
- GOV.UK: Government response, checked 21 October 2026
- GMCA: Good Landlord Charter and Warm Homes Local Grant, checked 21 October 2026
Designed & developed by LAMTANS Technologies LLC, USA — part of the LAMTANS Group
Frequently asked questions
When does the EPC C rule start?
The government has confirmed a compliance date of 1 October 2030 for rented homes in England and Wales. It is confirmed policy, not yet law, and legislation is targeted for 2027.
Is the £10,000 cap a limit on what I must spend?
Yes. Landlords will not have to spend more than £10,000 per property to comply. Spend since 1 October 2025 and third-party funding count towards it. Lower-value homes may have a lower cap.
What is the penalty for not complying?
The government has confirmed fines of up to £30,000 per property per breach. Local authorities will enforce the rule from 2030.
Do I need a new EPC?
Often yes. Unless your home is already rated C or above on an EPC issued before 1 October 2029, you should commission a new-methodology EPC before starting works and another after.
Can I get an exemption?
Yes, in set circumstances such as high cost, the cap being reached, refused third-party consent or a solid wall opt-out. Exemptions last between 6 months and 10 years and must be registered.
Does the rule apply to short lets?
Not for now. The government has excluded short-term lets and says the position is under review.
Is my current EPC still valid?
An EPC is generally valid for ten years, but a pre-2029 rating of C or above only keeps you compliant until that certificate expires or is replaced.
Should I wait for the law before acting?
No need to wait. Spend on measures installed since 1 October 2025 counts towards the cap, so acting now is not wasted. Start with a retrofit assessment.