Will My EPC Still Count in 2030? When Landlords Should Get a New EPC

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Under the government's January 2026 response on privately rented homes, a property with an EPC showing an Energy Efficiency Rating of C or above before 1 October 2029 will be treated as compliant with the 2030 standard until that EPC expires or is replaced. This is confirmed policy, not yet law: today's legal minimum remains EPC E.

This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Landlords should seek independent legal advice for their specific circumstances. It describes the position in England.

What is the law today, and what is only proposed?

The legal minimum today is EPC band E. Under the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015, a landlord cannot let, or continue to let, a covered property rated below E unless a valid exemption is registered. The higher 2030 standard has been announced but still needs new legislation, which the government aims to bring into force in 2027, subject to Parliamentary approval.

Covered property, meaning a property let on an assured, regulated or domestic agricultural tenancy that is legally required to have an EPC, is the test that government guidance uses for whether the 2015 Regulations apply. Landlords must keep meeting EPC E until the higher standard takes over. The wider picture on ratings, exemptions and the current cap is in our EPC guide for landlords.

What does the "C before 1 October 2029" rule mean?

It means the timing of an EPC now matters as much as its rating. The government response states that private rented homes scoring C or higher on the Energy Efficiency Rating before 1 October 2029 "will be considered compliant with the higher standard", and that this lasts until that EPC expires or is replaced.

An EPC is valid for ten years. The government's partial response on EPC reform says existing EPCs will retain their ten year validity once reformed certificates are introduced. On the current policy, a C rated EPC therefore carries a property beyond 2030 for the rest of its ten years.

Worked example. A flat receives an EPC rated C in March 2029. On the policy as announced, it is treated as meeting the new standard until March 2039, unless the EPC is replaced earlier. A neighbouring flat that reaches C only in November 2029 does not get that benefit, and will be assessed against the new metrics instead.

The detail will sit in the regulations, which have not yet been laid. Landlords are advised to treat the table as the direction of travel, not a final rule.

Why does the delay to EPC reform matter?

Reformed EPCs, built on the Home Energy Model and showing new metrics, will not arrive before the second half of 2027. The government updated the EPC reform consultation on 9 March 2026 to move the launch from October 2026 to the second half of 2027. Until then, every new EPC uses the current methodology and shows the familiar Energy Efficiency Rating. The government response adds that the Energy Efficiency Rating will remain as a legacy metric and be displayed on reformed EPCs for a period of time, which is how a 1 October 2029 cut-off can run past the 2027 launch.

That leaves a window for landlords who are close to band C. A property that reaches C on today's rating, and holds an EPC dated before 1 October 2029 showing that rating, is on the policy as announced outside the new metric test until that certificate expires or is replaced. The regulations will confirm exactly which date on the certificate counts.

Under the 2030 standard itself, landlords will first need to meet a primary fabric performance standard, then a secondary standard set against either the heating system metric or the smart readiness metric. The exact threshold that counts as "C" on those metrics will only be confirmed once the Home Energy Model methodology is finalised. Nobody can yet say precisely what a property will need to achieve under the new test.

Should I get a new EPC now, or wait?

That depends on where the property sits today. There is no single right answer, and the points below describe considerations, not obligations.

• Already rated C or above, EPC still valid past 2030: on the announced policy, a fresh EPC is unlikely to help. The response says compliance lasts until the EPC expires "or is replaced", so a new assessment that scores lower could cost the benefit. Landlords are advised to think carefully before commissioning a new EPC on a property that already holds a valid C.
• Rated C or above, EPC expiring before 2030: a new EPC dated before 1 October 2029 may extend the protection, provided the property still rates C on the assessment.
• Rated D, with low cost improvements available: carrying out the works and obtaining a C rated EPC before 1 October 2029 is the route the policy rewards. Spend on relevant measures installed since 1 October 2025 is set to count towards the future £10,000 cap.
• Rated E or below, with major work needed: on the current policy, the property will need a new metric EPC before works and a post-retrofit EPC before 1 October 2030. The response states that reasonable EPC assessment costs, as set out by government, will count towards the £10,000 cap.

Any property's current EPC can be looked up on the government's Find an energy certificate service, which shows the rating, the date of the certificate and the date it is valid until. Our certificate calendar for landlords sets out how EPC renewal fits around the gas and electrical cycles.

Do I need a new EPC if mine expires during a tenancy?

Usually not, on the current rules. The Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 require an EPC mainly when a property is sold, let or marketed, and government guidance states the 2015 Regulations apply to properties legally required to have an EPC.

This is the area most likely to change. In its partial response on EPC reform, the government says it is "working to refine the position" on requiring a new EPC when an existing one expires for private rentals, and that it will confirm whether valid EPCs will be required throughout private rented tenancies in a later response. Landlords relying on an expired EPC are advised to watch for that decision.

What exemptions are planned under the 2030 standard?

The response keeps an exemptions system, registered on the PRS Exemptions Register, and adds new routes. Most exemptions are planned to last five years, with the longer ones noted below.

Registering false or misleading information on the register is already a penalty offence of up to £1,000 under the current regime, and the response says false or misleading exemption information will remain subject to a penalty. Evidence behind an exemption, such as quotes, surveys and EPCs, is worth keeping for as long as the exemption runs. Our record retention guide covers how long to hold each document.

What does a landlord risk if a property falls below the standard?

Today, a local authority may impose a financial penalty of up to £2,000 for letting a non-compliant property for less than three months, and up to £4,000 for three months or more, with a maximum of £5,000 per property in total, according to GOV.UK landlord guidance. Publication on the register can be imposed as well as, or instead of, a fine.

Under the 2030 policy, the government intends local authorities to be able to issue a penalty of up to £30,000 per breach for each non-compliant property. That figure depends on the new legislation, and the amount in any case will be for the authority to decide. The EPC is one of the core documents in our list of every certificate a landlord needs in England.

What should a landlord do now?

1. List every property with its current EPC rating, certificate number, certificate date and expiry date.
2. Mark any property rated C or above whose EPC expires before 1 October 2029, and diarise a renewal decision.
3. For properties rated D, get advice on low cost measures that could reach C before 1 October 2029.
4. Keep invoices and dates for every energy measure installed since 1 October 2025, as they may count towards the future cap.
5. Avoid commissioning a fresh EPC on a property with a valid C rating without first weighing the risk of a lower score.
6. Check any existing exemption on the PRS Exemptions Register and note when it ends.
7. Watch for the draft regulations and the confirmed launch date for reformed EPCs.

Keeping EPC dates in one place

Once the 1 October 2029 cut-off applies, an EPC's certificate date and expiry date become planning data, not just paperwork. The LLCR platform records EPCs alongside gas and electrical certificates as part of its compliance tracking. An uploaded EPC can be read automatically for its dates, and email reminders go out 30 days and 7 days before expiry, so a renewal decision on a C rated property is made deliberately rather than by default.

Not sure which of your properties hold an EPC that will matter in 2030? The free LLCR compliance checker takes a few minutes and shows where each property stands today.