Landlord Guide

New EPC by 1 October 2029: What Private Landlords Must Do

Q: Do I need a new EPC before 1 October 2029?

Under the confirmed policy, if your property is not already rated band C on a certificate lodged before 1 October 2029, you will need to commission a new EPC before starting improvement works, and a post-works EPC before 1 October 2030. The regulations are not yet in force, so check the final wording when it is published.

Q: My EPC says band C. Do I need to do anything?

Government has said a home rated C or above on the energy efficiency rating, on a certificate lodged before 1 October 2029, stays compliant until that certificate expires or is replaced. A certificate lasts ten years. If you are close to the line, an up-to-date survey is worth having, because older certificates can move by a few points.

Q: What counts towards the £10,000 cost cap?

Spending on relevant measures from 1 October 2025 counts, as do reasonable EPC costs and third-party funding other than the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The cap is £10,000 per property, and for homes valued below £100,000 it is 10% of the property value.

Q: What if my home cannot reach band C within the cap?

You will be able to register an exemption. Government has listed eight, including cost cap, property value adjustment, solid wall insulation, negative impacts, third-party consent and a six-month new landlord exemption. The cost cap, property value adjustment and negative impacts exemptions last ten years, most others five. You will need evidence of what you spent.

Q: Does this apply in Wales?

The government response covers private rented homes in England and Wales. Social housing is handled separately and the social rented standard confirmed in January 2026 applies in England.

Q: Are short-term lets covered?

Not at present. Government has said the position is under review and it will seek power to bring them into scope later.

Band C applies from 1 October 2030, but the date that catches landlords out is a year earlier. Here is what government has confirmed and how to plan for it.

Last updated 09/10/2026 · Strata Surveying & Retrofit · For private landlords and letting agents in England and Wales

The short version

Band C from 1 October 2030 for all private tenancies in England and Wales, confirmed by government on 21 January 2026.
New EPC before works. If you are not already at band C on a certificate lodged before 1 October 2029, you will need a new EPC before starting works and a post-works EPC before 1 October 2030.
£10,000 cost cap per property, counting spend from 1 October 2025. Homes under £100,000 in value are capped at 10% of value.
Fines of up to £30,000 per property, per breach, enforced by local authorities.
Not law yet. Government plans to legislate so the rules come into force in 2027, subject to Parliament.

Why the 2029 date matters more than the 2030 one

Most landlords have heard "EPC C by 2030". The detail that changes behaviour is that the rules are built around a certificate, not just a deadline. A property that is already band C on a lodged certificate before 1 October 2029 is treated as compliant until that certificate expires. A property that is not has two certificates to commission: a new one that shows where it really stands, and a second after the works.

That means the real working window runs from now to autumn 2029. Landlords who leave surveys, quotes and installation until 2030 will be competing for assessors, installers and materials at the same time as every other landlord and housing provider.

The timeline as announced

From October 2026: government has targeted the introduction of reformed EPCs with new headline metrics (energy cost, fabric performance, heating system efficiency and smart readiness). Ask your assessor which format your certificate uses.
2027: legislation planned to come into force, subject to Parliament.
1 October 2029: the date by which a band C certificate must be lodged to avoid the new-EPC step.
1 October 2030: every tenancy must meet the standard, or have a registered exemption.

What the standard measures

Compliance will be measured mainly on fabric performance, which means insulation, glazing and airtightness, plus a second standard that the landlord can choose to meet through either the heating system or smart readiness. Today's energy efficiency rating will remain on certificates as a legacy figure for a period. Our modelling uses today's RdSAP points as a guide and is confirmed in accredited software once the final metrics are published.

What to do now

List your homes and their certificates. Note the band, the lodged date and the expiry date of each one.
Check where each home stands. Our free EPC C checker shows the current band, points to C and whether C looks reachable within the cap.
Prioritise by cost, not by deadline. Homes one or two points short are often a loft top-up and a heating controls upgrade away. Solid-wall flats and older terraces need more planning.
Survey before you spend. A site survey replaces cautious default assumptions with evidence, which can lift a rating on its own. See which upgrades move a home to band C and what they cost.
Keep every invoice. Spend from 1 October 2025 counts towards the cap and is your evidence for an exemption.

If you manage more than a handful of homes, send us the list. The EPC C Pathway sorts a portfolio into homes already at band C, quick wins and heavy lifts, with a budget and a phased programme.