Guide
EPC C by 2030: what is confirmed and what is still proposed
Updated
This is the question landlords are actually asking, and it is the one where most pages state a date as if it were settled. It is not. Here is the difference between a decision and a duty.
What is in force today
The minimum is E, and the cost cap is £3,500 including VAT. gov.uk's landlord guidance page states the cap as what you are not currently required to exceed, and its section on long-term standards says only that government has committed to look at a long-term trajectory to improve the energy performance of privately rented homes in England and Wales, with the aim for as many as possible to be upgraded to EPC Band C or equivalent by 2030, and that it is exploring policy design options and will provide further information in due course (gov.uk). That is the settled legal position as at the date shown on this site.
What government has decided but not yet enacted
The consultation 'Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes: 2025 update' ran from 7 February to 2 May 2025, and the government response was published on the same page, last updated 21 January 2026. gov.uk lists these decisions (gov.uk):
- A single compliance date of 1 October 2030 for the new standard.
- A dual-metric standard: a fabric performance standard first, then landlord discretion to meet either a heating system standard or a smart readiness standard.
- Raising the cost cap to £10,000, with a 10-year validity period for exemptions.
- Properties with a current EPC C recognised as compliant under the future standard until the EPC expires, including homes graded C or above against the Energy Efficiency Rating on EPCs issued before 1 October 2029.
- More exemptions available, and amendments to current ones.
- Short-term lets excluded from the scope of the PRS MEES regulations, with more engagement needed before any further consideration.
Why none of that is law yet
The same page states that government will proceed with introducing new powers by Act of Parliament to implement those decisions, and will seek to lay a statutory instrument with the aim of it coming into force in 2027. Two separate pieces of legislation therefore have to happen before any of the above binds a landlord: primary legislation to create the powers, then regulations made under them. Until both exist, the enforceable standard remains E and the enforceable cap remains £3,500. Anyone telling you that EPC C is required by 2030 is describing an intention, not a duty.
What a sensible landlord does with that
- Comply with today's rule properly. The E minimum is enforceable now, and penalties can be issued up to 18 months after a breach.
- Do not spend to a proposed standard on a proposed timetable. The metric itself is proposed to change from a single EPC band to a dual-metric fabric-plus standard, so work optimised for today's score may not be what a future metric rewards.
- Sequence renewals with the position in mind. If a boiler or windows are due anyway, the fabric-first direction of travel is a reasonable tie-breaker, but that is planning, not compliance.
- Recheck before you commit. The consultation outcome page is the primary place any change will be confirmed, and the landlord guidance page is where an enacted change would show up.
We deliberately do not state a required EPC C date on this site, because as at the date shown above no such requirement is in force and the implementing legislation has not been made. If you need certainty for a purchase or refinance decision, read the consultation outcome page yourself and take advice on your own position.