EPC C by 2030, on a whole block.

What the rule says.

From 1 October 2030, every privately let home in England and Wales needs an EPC rating of C or better. The government confirmed it in January 2026.

It applies to all tenancies on that date, not just new ones. Today the minimum is E.

What it could cost.

A landlord is expected to spend up to £10,000 on each property to get there. For a home worth under £100,000 the limit is ten per cent of its value.

Each flat counts as its own property, with its own EPC and its own limit. So a house of six flats could mean up to £60,000 of work.

If you spend up to the limit and a flat still doesn’t reach a C, you can register an exemption, which lasts ten years.

Why old buildings find it hard.

Most of the blocks I look at are a hundred years old or more. Solid walls, single glazing in the original sashes, high ceilings and old electric heating all pull the rating down.

The work that moves the rating most is insulating the walls, and in a period building that means losing cornices and room size inside, or changing how the outside looks. In a conservation area or a listed building it may not be allowed at all.

Your choices.

• Do the work, flat by flat, as tenants change over
• Do what you can up to the limit and register exemptions for the rest
• Sell before 2030 and let the buyer take it on

There’s no wrong answer. It depends on how long you want to keep the building and whether the rents would ever pay the work back.

Where I come in.

I buy blocks rated D to G and do the upgrade myself. A poor EPC doesn’t rule a building out, and you don’t need new certificates before we talk. If you have the old ones, send those.

This is a plain-English guide written in October 2026 for owners in England. It isn’t legal or tax advice, and the rules change, so check your own position with a solicitor or accountant before you decide anything.