EPC for Landlords

Under Article 7 of the European Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings, any building that is sold, rented out or constructed must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

An EPC ranks the energy efficiency of a property from A (very efficient) to G (not very efficient) and is accompanied by recommendations on how to improve energy efficiency.

In this guide, we cover everything you need to know about EPC for landlords, including:

• The minimum EPC requirements for renting
• How to obtain an EPC
• How to improve your property’s EPC rating
• EPC exemptions
• EPC checklist for landlords

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Since the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) were introduced in 2018, properties must have at least an E rating. If your property has an F or G rating, you will need to carry out the requirements to bring it up to an E rating, or spend £3500 on suitable improvements to qualify for an exemption (see the section on EPC exemptions for more info).

The Government has announced that all new tenancies will have to meet the new minimum standard of C by 2028, with current tenancies mandated to meeting the standard by 2030. 

You will need an energy assessor to perform the assessment and issue you with the certificate.

You can use Safe2 to organise the assessment and arrange the date with either the tenant or letting agent, making complying with your EPC landlord obligations easy and stress-free.

The energy assessor will need access to all parts of the property to carry out their assessment. This will include:

• Inspecting heating systems and controls
• Taking measurements and photographs of all key data contained in the survey

If there are tenants currently living in the property, you or the letting agent must give them at least 24 hours written notice before the EPC assessment takes place.
 

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Once issued, the EPC is valid for 10 years. You should send a copy of the EPC to new tenants at the start of every new tenancy. If the EPC expires during a tenancy, you do not need to get a new EPC until the tenancy ends.

You do not have to get a new EPC for your rental property during the 10-year period even if you have work carried out, although you can obtain a new one if you wish to show that the energy efficiency of the property has been improved. This might make the property more appealing to potential tenants.

If you want to obtain a new EPC while the property is being lived in by a tenant, you should arrange the assessment for a time that is convenient for the tenant and issue them with a copy of the new EPC once the assessment is completed.

If the dwelling is converted so it contains more or fewer separate dwellings, new EPCs will be required when each is rented out. Similarly, if you have made adjustments to the property because of Green Deal Funding then you are required to get a new EPC and use that one from now on.
 

There are a number of improvements you can make to your property to improve its EPC rating. The EPC will list potential improvements for your property on the document itself. Some changes that might make your property more energy efficient include:

• Switching to LED lights
• Insulating your hot water cylinder
• Installing heating controls
• Replacing your boiler
• Adding double glazing to windows
• Insulating walls and floors

Making energy efficient improvements to your property can be costly, but it’s often a worthwhile investment. A higher EPC rating can help to increase your property’s value and make it more attractive to potential tenants.

If you make improvements that cost up to £3,500 and still can’t improve your EPC rating to a minimum of an E, you can register for an ‘all relevant improvements made’ exemption.

You can find further details and how to apply for an EPC exemption on the government website.

Your local authority has the power to issue fines for several offences between £1000 - £4000, with the maximum total being a fine of up to £5000 if you do not have an EPC of the minimum rating for your rental property.

Additionally, failure to make a copy of the EPC available to your tenants could result in the local authority issuing a minimum fine of £500.

These fines are likely to increase to a maximum of £30,000 for non-compliance with the new MEES regulation. 

EPCs for houses in multiple occupation (HMO)

An EPC is only required for a dwelling that is self-contained. Where your are renting individual rooms in a building and the tenants share facilities such as a kitchen, an EPC is not required. This because an EPC is only required on the rental of a building or part of a building designed or altered to be used separately. 

In contrast, if you have a house in multiple occupation and you are renting out the whole property on a joint tenancy, then it would meet the requirements for an EPC. This is because the property let out is self-contained.

Example 1
A house or flat is rented by a number of tenants who have exclusive use of their bedrooms but share a kitchen and bathroom. In this case, each tenant has a contract with the landlord for the parts they have access to, but not for a whole dwelling. An EPC should not be required each time a tenant moves, although one will be required for the whole house if it is sold or rented as a whole.

Example 2
A group of friends rent a property and there is a single contract between the landlord and the group as the contract is for the rental of a whole dwelling. An EPC is required for the whole dwelling.

This is likely to change in the near future. The Government has proposed making EPC's a legal requirment for HMO's. These reforms will likely come into force in late 2026. 

Yes. You can email a copy of the EPC to your tenants provided you have the necessary consent from them to send documents via email. The NRLA Tenancy Application Form contains a section requesting this consent that you can use, as does our template for assured shorthold tenancy agreements.

NRLA members save 5% on all EPC assessments that are booked via Safe2.

• You’ll also save 5% on a wide range of other safety certificates that landlords need, including:
• Gas Safety Certificate
• Electrical Safety Certificate (EICR)
• Portable Appliance Test (PAT)
• Fire Risk Assessment

And the discounts don’t stop there for NRLA members - when you join us, you’ll also gain access to a huge variety of exclusive landlord discounts on everything from insurance to furnishings.

Become a member of the NRLA today for unlimited access to landlord support and advice, discounts, resources, and more.