Private rented homes in England must currently have an EPC rating of E or better. The government has confirmed a target of EPC C by 2030 for the private rented sector and has proposed an earlier date for new tenancies, but the scoring method and the cost cap are still being settled. The practical answer is the same either way: find out what band each property is in now, work out the cheapest route to C, and do it in the next void period rather than the last one.
Key takeaways
- Current rule in England: a private rented home needs EPC E or better to be let, unless a valid exemption is registered.
- Confirmed target: EPC C by 2030 for private rented homes. A date for new tenancies has been proposed but not fixed; check gov.uk before you plan around one.
- EPC bands: C is 69 to 80 points, D is 55 to 68, E is 39 to 54.
- Cheapest points first: loft top-up (£400 to £900), draught proofing (£250 to £700), heating controls, then cavity fill or floor insulation, then solid wall insulation.
- Landlords can get 50% funding on a first rented property through the Warm Homes: Local Grant if the tenant household qualifies. The council appoints the installer.
- Insulation is 0% VAT until 31 March 2027. Windows, damp works and soundproofing are 20%.
What are the current EPC rules for landlords?
In England a private rented home needs an EPC rating of E or better before it can be let or continue to be let. That has applied to all tenancies since April 2020. A landlord who cannot reach E after spending up to the cost cap in the regulations can register an exemption, as can one whose tenant refuses consent or whose listed building cannot take the work. Exemptions last five years and are public. Wales follows the same standard; Scotland has its own rules.
An EPC is valid for ten years. Many rented homes are running on a certificate from 2016 or earlier that predates a new boiler or windows, and a fresh assessment on its own sometimes moves a property from D to C. Check the date on yours first.
What is changing by 2030?
The government has confirmed that private rented homes will need to reach EPC C by 2030 and has proposed that new tenancies meet the standard sooner. What has not been finalised is the detail that decides how hard that is: the scoring method behind the new EPC, the cost cap a landlord must spend up to before an exemption applies, and how existing exemptions carry over.
The current EPC scores a home on modelled running cost, which is why a gas boiler scores well and electric heating badly. A revised method that reports fabric performance separately has been consulted on. Until it is published, plan on the measures that improve any version of the score: insulation, draught proofing and controls.
What actually moves an EPC score?
An EPC score runs from 1 to 100. The table lists the measures that move it, in the order most landlords should look at them, with indicative point gains under the current method and our typical prices. Points vary by house, so treat them as a ranking, not a promise.
| Measure | Typical points | Indicative cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loft top-up to 270 mm or more | 3 to 10 | £400 to £900 | Biggest gain for the least money if the loft is thin |
| Draught proofing and loft hatch | 1 to 3 | £250 to £700 | Small on the score, large on tenant comfort |
| Heating controls (thermostat, TRVs, timer) | 2 to 5 | Quoted with the works | Often missing in older lets |
| Cavity wall insulation (where suitable) | 5 to 15 | £1,000 to £3,500 | Arranged by us, installed by a PAS 2030 cavity wall and TrustMark installer with a CIGA guarantee |
| Floor insulation (suspended timber) | 2 to 6 | Median £4,320, £83/m² | Best done in a void |
| Internal wall insulation, solid walls | 10 to 20 | £8,000 to £15,000 for a 3 bed | Room by room; can be phased between tenancies |
| External wall insulation, solid walls | 10 to 20 | £12,000 to £22,000 for a 3 bed semi | Tenants stay in; the biggest single fabric gain |
Double glazing and solar PV also add points and we arrange both, but per pound the fabric measures come first. A new gas boiler on its own rarely moves a D to a C.
What does it cost to get to C, by property type?
Indicative packages for the property types that make up most of the London and Home Counties rental stock, priced from our own hubs and quote book, assuming a starting band of D or low E and a gas boiler that is not the problem. A free heat loss survey replaces the guesswork with a plan for the actual house.
| Property | Likely route to C | Indicative total |
|---|---|---|
| 1930s semi with cavity walls, EPC D | Loft top-up, cavity fill, draught proofing, controls | £2,500 to £5,500 |
| Victorian mid terrace, solid walls, EPC E | Loft top-up, floor insulation, draught proofing, then IWI to the front and rear walls or EWI to the rear | £10,000 to £20,000 |
| Ex-council flat, solid or system built, EPC D | Draught proofing, controls, IWI to the exposed walls; see insulating an ex-council flat | £3,000 to £9,000 |
Insulation measures are 0% VAT until 31 March 2027; windows or damp works in a package are 20% and shown separately. Our landlord EPC C service prices the same package across several properties in one survey round, and whole house retrofit handles a property that needs everything, under a PAS 2035 plan from our own retrofit coordinator and assessor.
Is there any grant for landlords?
One. The Warm Homes: Local Grant, which runs in England until 31 March 2028, allows a private landlord 50% funding on a first rented property where the tenant household is on a low income (household income under £36,000, on means-tested benefits, or in a deprived postcode area) and the property is EPC D to G. It covers insulation, ventilation, solar and battery, heat pumps and other measures. The council appoints the installer, so it is not work Stay Warm delivers; the application goes through the council or, in London, Warmer Homes London. See our guide to the Warm Homes: Local Grant in London.
For everyone else the support is 0% VAT on insulation and, for a heat pump, the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which the MCS installer applies for. ECO4 ends on 31 December 2026 and GBIS has closed.
How do you do the work with tenants in place?
Most EPC work does not need an empty property. The exceptions are internal wall insulation to every room at once and floor insulation from above, which are void-period jobs.
- Loft top-up and draught proofing take a day, need access only to the hatch, doors and windows, and tenants stay put.
- External wall insulation and cavity fill are done from outside. Tenants keep living in the house; see insulating while living in.
- Internal wall insulation can be phased: one or two rooms during a tenancy with the tenant's agreement, the rest at changeover. Each room loses 60 to 100 mm on the insulated walls.
Access for improvement works needs the tenant's agreement; a tenant who is told why usually says yes, because the house will be warmer. Keep the invoices, Building Regulations certificate and guarantee: the next EPC assessor needs evidence of what is behind the plaster.
Frequently asked questions
What EPC rating does a rented property need in 2026?
In England, E or better, unless a valid exemption is registered on the PRS Exemptions Register. The confirmed target for 2030 is EPC C; the date for new tenancies has been proposed but not fixed, so check the current rules on gov.uk.
Is EPC C by 2030 definitely happening?
The 2030 target for private rented homes is confirmed. The scoring method, cost cap and exemption rules are still being settled. Plan on insulation and draught proofing, which improve the score under any method.
How many points do I need to go from D to C?
Band C starts at 69 points and band D runs from 55 to 68, so between 1 and 14 points. Your current EPC shows the score and lists the assessor's recommended measures with an estimated band after each one.
What is the cheapest way to get a rental property to EPC C?
Start with a fresh EPC if the current one is old. Then loft top-up (£400 to £900), draught proofing (£250 to £700) and heating controls, which together often move a D to a C for under £2,000. Cavity fill, floor insulation and solid wall insulation follow, in that order of cost.
Can a landlord get a grant for insulation?
Through the Warm Homes: Local Grant a landlord can get 50% funding on a first rented property if the tenant household is on a low income and the property is EPC D to G. The council chooses the installer. Otherwise the support is 0% VAT on insulation until 31 March 2027 and the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme for a heat pump.