Landlords are being urged to review the energy efficiency of their rental properties now, amid warnings that millions of homes may require upgrades to meet proposed EPC requirements by 2030.
Under the Government’s proposed Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), all privately rented properties in England and Wales will need to achieve an EPC rating of at least C by October 2030. The current minimum standard remains an EPC E rating.
According to Pure Property Finance, around 3.38 million rental properties currently fall below the proposed standard, with the average cost of upgrading a property estimated at £7,480.
Bob Jones (main picture), Specialist Property Finance Advisor at Pure Property Finance, warns that many landlords risk leaving improvements too late.
NOT A COMPLIANCE FOOTNOTE
He says: “Most landlords still think of EPCs as a compliance footnote, something to sort out as we get closer to the deadline. However, that mindset is going to be far more expensive than acting on something as soon as possible,” he said.
“The rules on how properties are assessed have changed this year, and lenders are already factoring energy performance into the rates and loan-to-value ratios they offer. Landlords who act now will access better finance and avoid a very crowded, and very costly, upgrade when we get to 2028 and 2029.”
FRESH EPC
Jones says the introduction of new EPC assessment criteria could catch some landlords off guard, particularly if they rely on older certificates.
“The first thing any landlord should do is get a fresh EPC under the new 2026 framework, as older certificates may not reflect how your property will actually score today,” he said.
He adds that funding support remains available for some landlords through schemes such as ECO4 and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
“Above all, don’t wait. The legislation will firm up, the contractors will get booked out, and the landlords who acted early will be the ones with lower bills, better finance and no last-minute panic.”
