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EPC C by 2030: what the Warm Homes Plan means for landlords

The Warm Homes Plan sets EPC C for all rentals by 2030, with a £10,000 cost cap. The deadlines, exemptions and methodology changes explained.

On 21 January 2026 the government published the Warm Homes Plan and its response to the 2025 consultation on MEES (Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards). The headline: all privately rented homes in England and Wales must achieve EPC C by 1 October 2030. But the detail matters, and some of it is genuinely landlord-friendly.

What’s confirmed

  • Single deadline of 1 October 2030. The previously proposed 2028 deadline for new tenancies has been dropped. All tenancies — new and existing — must meet EPC C by the 2030 date.
  • Cost cap of £10,000 (inclusive of VAT) per property, or 10% of property value if that’s lower (for properties valued under £100,000). Down from the previously proposed £15,000.
  • Qualifying spend from 1 October 2025 counts toward the cap. Retrofitting you’ve already done doesn’t go to waste.
  • “Grandparenting” of existing EPC Cs. If your property holds an EPC rated C or above under the current methodology before 1 October 2029, you’re deemed compliant until that EPC expires.
  • Penalties of up to £30,000 per breach, per property, enforced by local authorities.

The EPC itself is changing

The government is replacing the current single-metric EPC with a multi-metric assessment based on the Home Energy Model (HEM). Launch was rescheduled on 9 March 2026 from October 2026 to the second half of 2027; the existing EER methodology continues in the interim. Landlords will need to meet:

  • A primary standard against the fabric performance metric (thermal efficiency of walls, roof, windows, floors), and
  • A secondary standard against either the heating system metric or the smart readiness metric — landlord’s choice.

This dual-metric approach is specifically designed to stop penalising landlords who install heat pumps. Under the current cost-based EPC methodology, a heat pump can paradoxically lower a rating because electricity is more expensive than gas.

Other procedural changes

  • A valid EPC will be required at the point of marketing, removing the current 28-day grace period.
  • EPC requirements will extend to whole HMOs where a single room is let (closing an existing loophole).
  • Short-term lets will require a valid EPC, though they are not currently required to meet the EPC C standard (this remains under review).
  • EPC validity stays at 10 years (the government consulted on reducing this to 5 and decided against).

Exemptions

  • Cost cap exemption — if £10,000 of qualifying spend doesn’t get you to EPC C, you can register a 10-year exemption.
  • Heritage and listed buildings — existing exemptions continue, and a new “negative impacts” exemption has been added where works would demonstrably harm the property’s character or fabric.
  • Solid wall insulation — a specific opt-out recognising the damp risk and complexity of this measure.
  • Tenant consent — if a tenant refuses access for works, an exemption can be registered (though you need evidence of the refusal).

What to do now

  • If your property is currently EPC D or below, a new EPC in 2026 under the new methodology will give you a clearer target than the old one.
  • Track every pound spent on energy efficiency from 1 October 2025 — invoices, receipts, specifications — because it all counts toward your cost cap.
  • Consider the order of works: heat pump-ready insulation first, then heating system upgrades, then smart controls.

The common mistake

Waiting until 2029. The retrofit supply chain (assessors, installers, heat pump engineers) will be under severe pressure in the last 18 months before the deadline, and prices will reflect that.

References and further reading

General guidance, not legal advice. Secondary legislation is still being laid — check the primary source for the current position.