The government has confirmed that all private landlords must get their rental properties up to an EPC C – from the current EPC E – by 1^st October 2030.

It has axed the 2028 deadline requiring landlords signing new tenancies to make the grade early and reduced the spending cap so that the maximum amount landlords will need to fork out for improvements is £10,000 - with an average predicted cost of around half of that - instead of the previously suggested £15,000 per property. A low-value property exemption will also be introduced, which will lower the spending cap where £10,000 would represent 10% or more of a property’s value.

The government says it’s encouraging a ‘fabric first’ approach, focusing works on material improvements to improve energy efficiency, such as installing double glazing and cavity wall and loft insulation, moving on to solar panels and batteries if properties still don’t meet the required standard.

Upgrading

Landlords can start upgrading homes immediately as improvements made from October 2025 will count towards the property’s cost cap in 2030. EPCs will be valid for 10 years, meaning that if a property receives an EPC of C tomorrow, it will be recognised as compliant for the next decade. This will also be the case for any EPC rating of C or above achieved up to the October 2029 compliance date.

NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle says the new plans show the government has listened, recognising the potentially devastating consequences of hundreds of thousands of homes being taken off the market for failing to meet the 2028 deadline.

“There is, however, still a mammoth task ahead,” adds Beadle. “There are currently 2.5 million rental homes in England that will require improvements to meet EPC C or above – and a shortfall of skilled tradespeople that is estimated to reach a quarter of a million by 2030.”

Proposals

The government has referenced low-cost loan proposals as part of its £15 billion package of investment in the new Warm Homes Plan, although it has not gone into detail. The plan includes free of charge packages of upgrades for low-income households and government-backed, zero and low interest loans programme to get solar panels onto more rooftops.

It has promised to set out more detail later this year on how consumers will be able to access low-interest loans, following further engagement with the finance sector and consumer groups.

“We will launch a Call for Evidence early in 2026 to identify where else in the market the plan can deliver the greatest impact, for example in supporting private and social landlords, investors or supply chains, alongside homeowners.”

Deliver

Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, says landlords are being asked to deliver, in many cases, substantial and costly upgrades to reach EPC C by 2030, yet this is being imposed without clear, long-term funding commitments, realistic delivery timescales, or sufficient flexibility for older, complex, and hard-to-treat properties. “A phased and realistic approach would allow landlords to maintain the Decent Homes Standard, manage costs effectively, and contribute meaningfully to the UK Government’s ambition to achieve net zero by 2050," says Douglas.

“Without certainty, genuine flexibility, and practical financial support, there is a serious risk that both residential and commercial landlords will withdraw properties from the market."

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