Upgrading energy efficiency under the Renters’ Rights Act poses new challenges
1 month ago | 5 comments
Government defends EPC C targets for landlords
9:30 AM, 5th June 2026, 4 days ago
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The government claims the cost and compliance requirements of EPC C targets are “fair and proportionate” for landlords.
In response to a written parliamentary question, Energy Minister Martin McCluskey said a range of exemptions would be available.
The government has proposed that all privately rented properties must meet a minimum EPC rating of C by 2030.
No one-size-fits-all approach
Labour MP for Truro and Falmouth Jayne Kirkham asked: “What assessment has the government made of the number of rural properties that will struggle to reach the minimum EPC C rating by the 2030 deadline for all rental properties?”.
In response, Mr McCluskey said: “Government recognises there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to tackling the UK’s diverse building stock. We have set out a range of provisions to ensure the cost and compliance burden is fair and proportionate for landlords.
“This includes a maximum spend requirement of £10,000 per property, and a range of exemptions for circumstances where the installation of measures is not feasible or appropriate.”
Substantial and costly upgrades
Under the Warm Homes Plan, private landlords will be able to choose between the smart or heat metrics, and the cap on the amount they are expected to invest to meet the new standards will be reduced from £15,000 to £10,000.
The cost cap will be lower where £10,000 would represent 10% or more of a property’s value.
However, Mr McCluskey did not mention that upgrading properties to an EPC C rating will still be costly for landlords.
Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, previously told Property118 that EPC C targets will be hard to meet for older properties.
He said: “While the ambition of the Warm Homes Plan to improve energy efficiency and tackle fuel poverty is acknowledged, the proposals as they stand are deeply concerning for landlords and agents across both the residential and commercial sectors.
“In the private rented sector, 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.”
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Member Since June 2019 - Comments: 843
8:27 AM, 5th June 2026, About 4 days ago
Hmm, all tenancies by 2030, does that also mean that they are bringing back the all new tenancies by 2028 target or was this just a misleading statement.
Member Since December 2025 - Comments: 51
10:43 AM, 5th June 2026, About 4 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Paul Essex at 08:27
In the consultation ending in March 26, the previous deadline for new tenancies was pushed back. They also added an exemption if the only upgrade left to do was was wall insulation
See https://theindependentlandlord.com/new-epc-rules/
Member Since May 2014 - Comments: 154
11:23 AM, 5th June 2026, About 4 days ago
These MP`s & civil servants demonstrate, yet again, their disconnection from reality. There are too few technicians and materials to get anywhere near full coverage of this work. The politicians are grandstanding to appeal to renters & alienate landlords, it`s the political flavour currently.
Member Since May 2017 - Comments: 798
12:23 PM, 5th June 2026, About 4 days ago
I wonder how much the fine will be?
Member Since May 2018 - Comments: 2137
1:34 PM, 5th June 2026, About 4 days ago
Reply to the comment left by DavidM at 05/06/2026 – 10:43
Labour has already been told that landlords can raise rents to pay for EPC upgrades:
https://www.property118.com/landlords-can-raise-rents-to-pay-for-epc-upgrades-labour/
The government has already had its fingers burned by pressurising people to fit cavity wall insulation:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cxwwr7vyrj0o
And if external cavity wall insulation is incorrectly fitted it isn’t just fingers that can get burned.
If labour really knew what they were doing and had even the most basic appreciation of market delivery then they would allow any tenant to rent any property including any property below band D and let the market tell the government what it really thinks of the EPC scheme.
Member Since May 2015 - Comments: 2228 - Articles: 2
2:16 PM, 5th June 2026, About 4 days ago
“The government claims the cost and compliance requirements of EPC C targets are “fair and proportionate” for landlords.”
Just as all the Civil Penalties are “fair and proportionate”
Member Since June 2022 - Comments: 14
2:23 PM, 5th June 2026, About 4 days ago
For one of my rental properties spending £10 – 15k would not be a sensible investment. It is of non-conventional construction. As that property sits in band D, legislation dictates it cannot be rented(after 2030). As there is no specific ground for eviction under the RRA, how could one legally end the tenancy?
Member Since May 2018 - Comments: 2137
2:30 PM, 5th June 2026, About 4 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Keith Stead at 05/06/2026 – 14:23
You can legally end the tenancy if you need to move family members in, need to sell the property, or need to develop the property.
It looks as though exemptions may be available if it is not feasible to perform the upgrades.
Member Since March 2025 - Comments: 3
2:35 PM, 5th June 2026, About 4 days ago
The current EPC scheme is almost benevolent compared to the revised scheme which will replace it in 2030. Under the revised scheme which applies ONLY to the PRS sector no property with a (modern and ultra efficient) gas boiler will be allowed to reach grade C. PRS properties will have to have either a heat pump or solar PV panels (and almost certainly battery storage). Over 80% of houses in the UK have a gas boiler installed.
Guess what – the same rules will not apply to the social rent sector, and there will be no restrictions at all on owner occupied property. It is almost unbelievable discrimination.
Member Since May 2018 - Comments: 2137
2:48 PM, 5th June 2026, About 4 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Stockport Landlord at 05/06/2026 – 14:35
The last time I got in involved in a discussion on this site about this the bottom line appeared to be that if you got a new EPC under the old regime just before the new regime came in, then the old EPC would be valid for a period of time under the new regime. So it seemed the best thing to do was do nothing until just before the new regime comes in and then consider getting an EPC, IF it’s worth it.
Labour has already been told that landlords can charge more rent for EPC upgrades. This is government driving Rent Edflation.
https://www.property118.com/landlords-face-expensive-epc-upgrades-as-ed-milibands-own-home-fails-to-meet-targets/
Gas is cheaper than electricity and government charges less tax on gas than it charges on electricity. Basically tenants will pay more in rent and also have higher energy bills if this goes ahead.
The government should remove the restriction on tenants to rent properties below band D and then it wouldn’t matter if band A says a house should have photovoltaics and a battery. The better properties (from the point of view of tenants) would command higher rents.
Personally, from the point of view of being an owner-occupier as well as a landlord, the best property is going to be one that has a gas boiler, photovoltaics and energy storage. That way you get to use gas when gas is cheap but you have something to mitigate the effects of spikes in energy prices caused by foreign despots bombing other nations.