Home › EPC C by 2030
EPC C by 2030: what landlords need to know
In January 2026 the government confirmed it will raise the minimum standard for private rented homes in England and Wales. Here's exactly what was decided.
The key points
- Deadline: all private tenancies, new and existing, by 1 October 2030. There's no earlier date for new tenancies.
- Cost cap: up to £10,000 per property, counting spending from 1 October 2025.
- Two ratings must be C on the new-style EPC: fabric, plus heating system or smart readiness.
- Today's C counts: a C on an EPC done before 1 October 2029 is compliant until that EPC expires.
- Fines: up to £30,000 per property per breach.
What "EPC C" will mean
New-style EPCs, due from the second half of 2027, will show several ratings instead of one. To comply, a property will need to reach C on two of them:
- Fabric performance, which covers insulation, windows and draught-proofing. This one is required.
- Plus either the heating system rating or the smart readiness rating. You choose which.
Under the proposals for the new EPCs, a home heated by a gas or oil boiler couldn't reach C on the heating rating, and a smart meter would be the minimum for C on smart readiness. So many landlords with gas boilers are likely to aim for fabric C plus smart readiness C. The final rating boundaries haven't been set yet.
If your property is already C
A property with a C on today's rating, on an EPC carried out before 1 October 2029, counts as compliant until that EPC expires or is replaced. After that, it will be judged on the new ratings. So if your EPC is due to expire before 2030, it's worth knowing when, because the new-style EPC will score the home differently.
The cost cap
- You won't have to spend more than £10,000 per property. The government estimates the average spend at about £5,400.
- Spending from 1 October 2025 counts, so keep your invoices.
- Grants and other third-party funding count towards the cap, except Boiler Upgrade Scheme grants. Reasonable EPC costs count too.
- For homes worth under £100,000, the cap is 10% of the property's value.
Exemptions
Planned exemptions include high cost, all relevant improvements made, cost cap reached, low property value, solid wall insulation, negative impacts, third-party consent and new landlord (6 months). The cost cap, property value and negative impacts exemptions are planned to last 10 years. Read about exemptions →
Fines
The maximum penalty rises to £30,000 per property, per breach, up from £5,000 today.
When it becomes law
The government aims to bring the regulations into force in 2027, subject to Parliament. The deadline and the main rules have been decided, so it makes sense to plan now rather than wait.
Short-term and holiday lets aren't included for now, but the government says this is under review.
Keep track of 2030 across your portfolio
LandlordHub stores each property's EPC rating and expiry date with your other certificates, so you can see at a glance which homes need work before 2030. See how LandlordHub helps →
Sources
- Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes: government response (21 January 2026)
- Warm Homes Plan (21 January 2026)
- Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime: partial government response (21 January 2026, updated 9 March 2026)
- Home Energy Model: methodology for existing homes and new EPC metrics (consultation, January 2026)
Want your EPCs, and everything else, managed without the stress?
LandlordHub keeps every certificate, rating and renewal date for every property in one place, and reminds you before anything runs out. So nothing slips through the cracks.
- Every EPC in one place, with its rating and expiry date
- Upload a certificate and LandlordHub picks out the rating and date for you
- Email and text reminders before an EPC, gas safety record or electrical report expires
- One traffic-light screen showing which properties are compliant and which need attention
- Tenants, rent, repairs and documents managed in the same place
Is your rental EPC compliant?
Check today's rules and the 2030 deadline in under a minute. Nothing you choose is saved or sent anywhere.