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What EPC rating do landlords need?
By the VoxaMTD team. Last verified 31 October 2026
Today, E or better for a rented home covered by the minimum energy efficiency rules, unless a valid exemption is registered. The government has decided to raise this to EPC C or equivalent, with a single compliance date of 1 October 2030, once new regulations are made.
Exemptions must be registered on the PRS Exemptions Register, which is publicly searchable. Under the current rules, landlords are not required to spend more than £3,500, including VAT, on improvements, so a home that cannot reach E within that limit may qualify for an exemption.
The government response of 21 January 2026 sets the 1 October 2030 date for all tenancies and raises the maximum a landlord must spend to £10,000 per property, after which a cost cap exemption can be registered. It aims to make the regulations in 2027. Until they are in force, E remains the legal minimum. Check your current EPC before you market the property, and plan improvements early if it is below C.
Read next
- What is MEES (Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard)? →
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- Landlord compliance checker →
- Landlord compliance →
Sources
- GOV.UK: Domestic private rented property minimum energy efficiency standard: landlord guidance
- GOV.UK: Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes: government response