Landlords face financial barriers to EPC upgrades
1 month ago | 12 comments
Landlords face fines of up to £30,000 under tougher EPC enforcement plans
12:10 AM, 6th November 2026, 3 days ago
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The government has proposed fines of more than £30,000 for rogue landlords who fail to meet EPC standards, as it confirms the date for the EPC C deadline.
The Energy Independence Bill will give councils stronger enforcement powers to crack down on landlords who fail to comply with EPC requirements.
The government has also confirmed that the deadline for all PRS properties to meet EPC C standards will be 1 October 2030.
Save tenants money
The government claims that upgrading all PRS properties to EPC C could help tenants in improved rental homes save around £210 a year on energy bills by 2030.
Local authorities will also receive tougher enforcement powers to crack down on landlords failing to improve non-compliant properties.
The maximum civil penalty for landlords breaching the regulations has increased to £30,000, alongside an updated maximum required investment of £10,000 per property.
The maximum civil penalty for landlords who breach the regulations will be £30,000. However, it is not yet clear whether this will apply as a single maximum fine or £30,000 per property, per breach.
In January 2026, the government proposed a penalty of up to £30,000 per property, per breach of the regulations. The final approach will need to be clarified as the bill progresses through Parliament.
Encourage landlord compliance
In the government’s guidance on Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards enforcement, it says the £30,000 fine is intended to encourage landlord compliance and drive improvements across the private rented sector.
The guidance said: “The overall strategic objective of this measure is to ensure local authorities have the necessary powers and actions available to ensure non-compliant properties are improved.
“This measure will contribute to improving the private rented sector for tenants by improving the quality of properties across the sector, delivering warmer, cheaper to heat homes. This is vital to ensuring a reduction in the number of fuel-poor households and vulnerable tenants being left in cold energy inefficient homes.
“Increasing the energy efficiency of privately rented properties will improve energy security and reduce reliance on imported energy for heating homes.
“The measure will introduce a new maximum civil penalty of £30,000 for landlords found to be in breach of the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015. This will ensure that more privately rented properties are required to meet the minimum standard as set out by the regulations.”
48 comments on this article
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Member Since January 2015 - Comments: 1656 - Articles: 1
12:28 AM, 7th November 2026, About 2 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Lordship at 15:35
Why do you think the6 represent landlords? The6 are a profit making association not a Union.
They’ve, imho, not done a very good job of fighting the landlords corner for many years.
Member Since May 2024 - Comments: 232
4:29 AM, 7th November 2026, About 2 days ago
Reply to the comment left by JB at 06/11/2026 – 13:52
I have 1 house that will not make a C due to construction type and have been wondering it for a while. Tenant does’t want to leave but I will have to sell as rental income makes no sense to keep the house and try to get it to a C Have already got the rem there for now st of them to a C But have done every sensible thing to this house and without spending Thousands, it’s not going to make it, so will have to be sold.
Member Since September 2026 - Comments: 46
4:54 AM, 7th November 2026, About 2 days ago
Hi JB,
Worth separating what’s law now from what’s proposed, because it changes your answer. Today reg 22(b) of the 2015 MEES regulations still sets the minimum at band E. The C standard and the £30,000 penalty are both in the Bill, not on the statute book.
On your actual question, notice won’t save you. Reg 23(2)(b) defines letting to include continuing to let, so the prohibition follows occupation rather than paperwork. If they stay, you’re still letting it.
Two things soften that. Reg 26 says a breach doesn’t affect the validity or enforceability of any provision of the tenancy, so there’s no rent rebate coming. And reg 40 currently caps a domestic breach at £2,000 under three months and £4,000 at three months or more, with reg 40(6) capping the combined total at £5,000 per property.
The route nobody’s mentioned is reg 25(1)(b). Where no relevant improvement can be made, the prohibition lifts for five years, but only from the date you register it under reg 36(2). An unregistered exemption does nothing at all. For a house that can’t get there on its construction, that’s the answer rather than notice.
OJ
Am I a Legal Landlord
Member Since May 2017 - Comments: 855
7:45 AM, 7th November 2026, About 1 day ago
If you can be fined for letting a ‘D’ after the deadline, that indicates that you cannot afford to relet a property which has come empty 14 months before the deadline or to be on the safe side 24 months in case you have to evict. And think how bunged up the courts could be by then
That means I probably wont be reletting after 1st October 2028 which isn’t far away
Member Since November 2019 - Comments: 224
12:09 PM, 7th November 2026, About 1 day ago
Reply to the comment left by Oliver Tandy at 07/11/2026 – 04:54
Thanks for the Information that is very interesting .
I am not sure I understand all of it.
I believe most of us are very concerned about the way things are going for Private Landlords , and the knock on effect on Tenants. We are not only dealing with outrageous fines, Taxation , and Regulations , we are also going to be faced with making Tenants many of who have been with us for many many years homeless.
Due to the stupidity of Government and Councils.
Member Since May 2014 - Comments: 121
3:34 PM, 7th November 2026, About 1 day ago
What gets me is that social housing don’t have to reach the C target, which shows it’s all rubbish. If they did they’d be disposing of a lot of property too, crippling councils.
It’s pure PRS victimisation.
Member Since April 2018 - Comments: 703
4:44 PM, 7th November 2026, About 1 day ago
Reply to the comment left by Neil P at 07/11/2026 – 15:34
MEES say by April 2030 social housing will have to be a minimum of “C”.
Member Since January 2022 - Comments: 18
6:56 PM, 7th November 2026, About 23 hours ago
Reply to the comment left by Sam Steer at 06/11/2026 – 11:39
Not sure who worked out that plug in solar will improve the EPC by 1 point as it won’t. It has been confirmed that plug in solar and/or batteries will not be included in the EPC as they are portable and not part of the building (EPC are an asset rating not an operational one).
Member Since September 2026 - Comments: 10
7:48 PM, 7th November 2026, About 22 hours ago
Reply to the comment left by Neil P at 07/11/2026 – 15:34
For England, that is not the case. See here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/improving-the-energy-efficiency-of-socially-rented-homes-in-england/outcome/improving-the-energy-efficiency-of-socially-rented-homes-in-england-summary-of-consultation-responses
Member Since May 2014 - Comments: 121
10:36 PM, 7th November 2026, About 19 hours ago
Reply to the comment left by EPC Truth at 07/11/2026 – 19:48
Wow that’s great news. Not sure how I missed that. There’ll be absolute chaos. Bring it on.