Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
Do I need an EPC to rent, and which band?
Yes. A property let in England needs a valid Energy Performance Certificate, and it must be band E or above to be let at all. An EPC lasts 10 years from the day it is lodged, so the date to watch is on the certificate itself.
- valid for
- 10 years
- minimum band
- E
- applies to
- every existing tenancy since 1 April 2020
- cost cap for improvements
- £3,500 including VAT
- exemption
- registered on the PRS Exemptions Register
- exemption lasts
- 5 years
Two dates, not one
An EPC has an expiry date 10 years out, and a band. Both can catch a landlord: a certificate can still be in date while the band is too low to let, and a property can be band C on a certificate that ran out last year.
If the band is F or G, the route is either improvements up to the £3,500 cost cap or a registered exemption. An exemption is not permanent — it lasts five years and then has to be looked at again.
What is proposed
The government has consulted on raising the minimum band for private rented homes to C later this decade. It is a proposal, the dates have moved before, and nothing is owed until it becomes law.
It matters now only in one way: a new certificate lodged today lasts 10 years, so its band is the one you will be asked about when the rule does change.
if it lapses
up to £5,000 per property
Letting a home below band E without a registered exemption can draw a penalty of up to £5,000 per property, and the penalty notice is published. Having no EPC at all is a separate matter, and a sale or remortgage will stop without one.
Written by OriginAI and kept current as the rules move. Last reviewed 5 September 2026. It sets out the dates as we read them and is not legal advice.