EPC Certificate Landlord UK 2026 — Energy Performance Requirements

Current EPC requirements (2026)

All private landlords in England must comply with the following EPC obligations:

• A valid EPC must be obtained before marketing the property to let — produced by an accredited domestic energy assessor and lodged on the national EPC register
• Provide a copy of the EPC to the prospective tenant at the earliest opportunity during marketing — and again at the start of the tenancy
• Minimum rating: E or above — you cannot lawfully let (or continue to let) a property rated F or G without a registered exemption
• EPC validity: 10 years from the date of issue — check the expiry date; a new assessment is required before re-letting if the existing EPC has expired
• Penalty for non-compliance: civil penalty of up to £5,000 for breaches of up to 3 months; up to £30,000 for breaches exceeding 3 months, per property

EPC as a prescribed document for Section 8 notices

Serving the EPC is a prescribed document obligation — compliance affects the validity of possession notices:

• If you fail to serve the EPC at the start of a tenancy, you cannot serve a valid Section 8 notice until you have done so
• Courts will check prescribed document compliance at the possession hearing — a missing EPC (or a copy served after the Section 8 notice) may result in the notice being set aside
• Keep evidence of service: email confirmation, certificate of posting, or a signed receipt
• If an EPC expires during the tenancy, you are not required to renew it during the ongoing tenancy — but you must renew it before re-letting at the end of the current tenancy

Exemptions from the minimum E rating

If your property cannot reasonably be improved to E, you may be able to register an exemption:

• High cost exemption: If the cheapest recommended improvement measure(s) would cost more than £3,500 (inc. VAT) to bring the property to E, and it would still be below E after that spend — register a 5-year exemption on the PRS Exemptions Register
• All improvements made: Where all recommended measures have been installed and the property is still below E — register an exemption
• Third-party consent refused: Where you could not obtain required consent from the tenant, a superior landlord, or a lender to carry out the improvement works
• Listed building or planning restriction: Where carrying out improvement works would unacceptably alter the character of a listed building or a building in a conservation area — seek conservation advice and lodge the exemption with supporting evidence
• All exemptions must be registered on the PRS Exemptions Register (gov.uk) — they do not apply automatically and expire after 5 years

Proposed EPC C minimum by 2028 — planning now

The government has proposed raising the minimum EPC rating for private rented properties from E to C by 2028. Although not yet enacted in law, landlords should begin planning:

• The proposed spending cap is £15,000 per property — landlords would not be required to spend more than this to achieve C
• Properties that cannot reach C even with £15,000 of investment would qualify for a high cost exemption under the proposed new regime
• Commission an EPC assessment now to identify which improvements are recommended and their estimated cost — EPC reports list all recommended measures and their predicted improvement
• Common improvements: cavity wall insulation, loft insulation (270mm+), upgrading an old boiler to an A-rated condensing system, double glazing, solar PV panels
• Check grant eligibility: the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) and ECO4 scheme may fund improvements for qualifying properties and tenants — eligibility depends on the tenant's income and the property's EPC rating

How to improve your EPC rating — cost guide

The most cost-effective EPC improvements for typical rental properties:

• Loft insulation (270mm): ~£300–£600 — typically moves a D to C, or E to D. Often free under GBIS/ECO4
• Cavity wall insulation: ~£500–£1,500 — effective where cavity walls are accessible. May be funded by GBIS/ECO4
• Boiler upgrade (G/F/E → A condensing): ~£2,000–£3,500 — significant improvement for properties with old inefficient boilers
• Double glazing (per window): ~£400–£700 — improves both EPC rating and tenant comfort
• Air source heat pump: ~£8,000–£15,000 — potentially funded by the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (£7,500 government grant). Requires adequate insulation and hot water cylinder
• Solar PV panels (3.5kW): ~£5,000–£8,000 — can significantly improve the EPC rating and generate export income
• Smart thermostatic controls: ~£200–£500 — low cost, small but measurable EPC improvement

Frequently asked questions