What EPC rating does a rental property need?

A rented home in England covered by the rules needs an EPC rating of E or above. Since 1 April 2020 you cannot let, or keep letting, an F or G property unless you have registered a valid exemption.

The rules are the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) in the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015. The figures below come from GOV.UK's landlord guidance, last updated 5 May 2026, and were checked on 16 October 2026.

Is your property covered?

The standard applies if both of these are true:

• the home is let on an assured tenancy, a regulated tenancy or a domestic agricultural tenancy
• the property is legally required to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

GOV.UK says a property that has been marketed for sale or let, or modified, in the past 10 years will probably need an EPC. An EPC is valid for 10 years and you must have one before you market a property to let. If an empty property is not going to be let, you need do nothing until you decide to let it again.

What each rating means for you

The £3,500 cost cap

You are not currently required to spend more than £3,500, including VAT, on improvements. Spending on energy efficiency since 1 October 2017 counts towards the cap. If the work that gets you to E costs less, that is all you need to spend. If grants or other third-party funding cover the full cost, the cap does not apply and you use that funding.

The measures should come from the recommendations list in your EPC report, or a report such as one from a surveyor. GOV.UK warns that if you install something not on that list and the rating stays below E, you cannot register the 'all relevant improvements made' exemption.

The exemptions

Exemptions apply only from the date you register them on the PRS Exemptions Register. Once one expires, you try again to reach E or register a further exemption if one applies.

Fines

Councils enforce the rules. They can serve a compliance notice up to 12 months after a suspected breach and a penalty up to 18 months after it. The maximum fines apply per property and per breach:

The total is capped at £5,000 per property, and the council can also publish details of the breach for at least 12 months.

What the government plans for 2030

These are proposals, not law. In its response published on 21 January 2026, the government said private landlords of all tenancies would have to meet a higher standard by 1 October 2030. It would be set against new EPC metrics (fabric performance, plus either smart readiness or the heating system) and is meant to deliver similar benefits to EPC C. The proposed changes are:

• a cost cap of £10,000 per property, or 10% of the property's value if that is lower
• a new 'cost cap' exemption lasting 10 years if the home still falls short after that spend, with most other exemptions lasting 5 years
• homes rated C or above on the current Energy Efficiency Rating on an EPC issued before 1 October 2029 counting as compliant until that EPC expires
• a maximum fine of £30,000 per property, per breach

None of this is law yet. It needs a new Act of Parliament, then regulations aimed to come into force in 2027, and it is subject to Parliamentary approval. GOV.UK's landlord guidance still describes C by 2030 as an aim. Until the new rules apply, the minimum stays at E.

What this means for you

Say your flat is rated F and the EPC recommends loft insulation and heating controls costing £2,800 in total that would lift it to E. You must do that work before you let it, and nothing further is required. If the work stopped at F after you had spent £3,500 on the recommended measures, you would register an 'all relevant improvements made' exemption and could let it for 5 years.

If your EPC is already C or above and dated before 1 October 2029, the planned rules would treat it as compliant until it expires, so keep the certificate safe.

Steps to check your property

1. Find your EPC and its rating using the find an energy certificate service. If it has expired, order a new one from an accredited assessor before you market the property.
2. If the rating is E or above, diary the expiry date, 10 years from issue.
3. If it is F or G, read the recommendations list and get prices for the measures.
4. Do the recommended work, up to £3,500 including VAT, counting anything spent since 1 October 2017.
5. Get a new EPC to confirm the rating, or register the right exemption with its evidence before you let.
6. Keep the EPC, receipts and any exemption record together. The landlord compliance checklist shows where this fits with your other duties.

For tax, GOV.UK treats repairs as allowable expenses but not improvements, so see what expenses landlords can claim before you count the cost. The free MTD check shows whether Making Tax Digital applies to your rent, and the landlord section has more guides.