The 2030 EPC rule for landlords, explained
Every privately rented home in England and Wales must meet an EPC C standard by 1 October 2030. Here is what the government has confirmed, what it has not, and what a Greater Manchester landlord should do about it this year.
One deadline for all tenancies. The earlier 2028 date for new tenancies was dropped.
Cost cap per property, including VAT. Spend since 1 October 2025 counts.
Maximum penalty per property, per breach, issued by the council.
Reach EER C on a current EPC before this date and it counts for the certificate's full life.
What the rule says
The government response published on 21 January 2026 confirmed that the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) Regulations will be amended so that all tenancies in scope must meet a higher standard by 1 October 2030. Until then the existing minimum of EPC E still applies. Legislation is expected to be laid so that the new regulations come into force in 2027.
The standard is set against the reformed EPC, which will show several metrics instead of one. A landlord must first meet a fabric performance standard (insulation, windows, airtightness), then invest towards either a heating system standard or a smart readiness standard, whichever they choose. The target level is the equivalent of today's band C. A home that cannot take any measure to reach the smart readiness standard will not be forced to change its heating system, so nobody is compelled to install a heat pump.
Why October 2029 is the date that matters
The new EPC format is not expected until the second half of 2027, and a reformed certificate may score a house differently. The government has therefore said that a home scoring C or better on the Energy Efficiency Rating of an EPC issued before 1 October 2029 is treated as compliant until that EPC expires or is replaced. An EPC lasts ten years. So a landlord who gets to band C on a current-format EPC in 2026 or 2027 is covered well into the 2030s, on rules that are already known, using assessors and measures that exist today. That is the route we plan for every property.
Landlords who have not reached C by then will need a new-format EPC before doing works, and another after the works, before 1 October 2030. Both assessments count towards the cost cap.
The £10,000 cost cap
You are required to spend up to £10,000 per property, including VAT, on relevant improvements. If the cheapest route to the standard would cost more than that, you can register a cost-cap exemption once you have spent up to the cap. The cap is £10,000 or 10% of the property's value, whichever is lower, so a home worth under £100,000 has a lower cap. Money spent on relevant improvements since 1 October 2025 counts, as does grant funding such as the Warm Homes: Local Grant, but Boiler Upgrade Scheme money does not. Reasonable EPC assessment fees and some retrofit advice costs will also count; the amounts are to be set in guidance.
The government's own estimate is an average spend of about £5,400 per property. For most Greater Manchester terraces and semis the cheapest route is loft top-up, cavity or room-in-roof insulation, draught-proofing, heating controls and low-energy lighting, sometimes with solar. Solid-wall houses are the expensive cases, and they are where the exemptions and grants matter most.
Exemptions
Exemptions are registered on the PRS Exemptions Register and must be backed by evidence. The main ones are: cost cap (you have spent up to the cap and are still below the standard, valid ten years); property value adjustment (the 10% rule above, ten years); high cost (even the cheapest recommended measure exceeds the cap); all relevant improvements made; negative impact (an expert says a measure would damage the building, ten years); third-party consent (a freeholder, tenant or planning authority refuses, with written evidence); and a six-month new landlord exemption. Most other exemptions last five years. Registering false information is itself a breach carrying the £30,000 penalty.
Enforcement in Greater Manchester
Councils enforce the regulations and can fine up to £30,000 per property per breach. Two things make enforcement more likely than it was for the EPC E rule. First, the government intends to let combined authorities such as GMCA check compliance and will require councils to report their enforcement activity. Second, the Renters' Rights Act database, rolling out from late 2026, will hold every rented property's EPC alongside its gas and electrical certificates, so a council can see who is non-compliant without an inspection. Greater Manchester councils issued £1.47m in landlord fines in the last reported year, up 43%.
What is still to be confirmed
As at September 2026 the amending regulations have not yet been laid, the final EPC metric design (including exactly what earns a C for smart readiness) has not been published, and the launch date for the new EPC is only "second half of 2027". None of this changes the deadline. It does strengthen the case for reaching band C on a current EPC before October 2029 rather than waiting to see how the new format scores your house.
What to do this year
| Step | Why now |
|---|---|
| Get a current EPC and a measured gap to C for each property | Certificates from before June 2025 were produced on the old method; many houses score differently under RdSAP 10. |
| Check grant eligibility before you spend | Warm Homes: Local Grant in Greater Manchester can fund the first property in full for an eligible tenant, and the 0% VAT on insulation and heat pumps ends 31 March 2027. |
| Keep every invoice and certificate from 1 October 2025 onwards | It all counts towards your cap and is your evidence if you ever need an exemption. |
| Do the fabric work first, in void periods where possible | Fabric is the compulsory first leg of the standard, and it is what makes the tenant's bills fall. |
| Lodge the new EPC at C before 1 October 2029 | That certificate protects you for its full ten years. |
Common questions
Does the rule apply to my existing tenants, or only new lets?
All tenancies. The proposal to bring new tenancies in earlier, in 2028, was dropped; there is one date, 1 October 2030.
My property is already band C. Do I need to do anything?
Check the date on the certificate. A C on an EPC issued before 1 October 2029 counts until it expires. If your EPC will run out before 2030 you should renew it while the current method still applies.
Will I have to install a heat pump?
No. After the fabric standard you choose between the heating route and the smart readiness route, and a home that cannot take smart readiness measures is not forced to change its heating.
What if the works would cost more than £10,000?
You spend up to the cap on the most cost-effective measures, then register a cost-cap exemption for ten years. Grant money you receive counts as your spend, so a grant-funded property may reach the standard without you paying the full cap.
Does this apply to HMOs and flats?
Yes, if the property is let under an assured or regulated tenancy and has an EPC. The reformed rules also intend to require an EPC for the whole HMO when a single room is let.
Is Wales included?
Yes. The regulations cover England and Wales together. Scotland has its own separate proposals.
Sources: DESNZ, "Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes: government response", 21 January 2026; MHCLG, "Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime: partial government response", updated 9 March 2026; Renters' Rights Act 2025 implementation roadmap; GMCA Warm Homes: Local Grant guidance. This page is general information, not legal advice; the amending regulations had not been laid at the date of writing.