8:30 AM, 18th March 2026, 4 months ago 13 
< img width="768"height ="768" src="https://www.property118.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/epc-yes-768x768.jpeg"alt =" Design house with EPC energy rating scale, green roofing system and coins symbolising energy-efficiency upgrades and
property costs”/ > The government claim raising EPC requirements will assist”tenants gain from lower energy costs” despite cautions of costly upgrades for property owners. The government has actually proposed under the Warm Residences
Plan that all personal leased homes will require to satisfy EPC C targets by 2030. However, as formerly reported by Property118, industry experts have actually cautioned the government must provide more financing
to assist property managers. EPC C requirements will benefit
tenants In a written question, Labour MP Vicky Foxcroft asked “what the federal government is doing to help guarantee that real estate in the private rented sector is kept to the suitable requirements.”
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said the federal government was taking steps such as extending Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector and introducing the Good Houses Standard. He included that EPC C targets will benefit renters.
Mr Pennycook then claimed EPC C targets will benefit occupants.
He said: “Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) already use in the private leased sector, requiring landlords to ensure their homes meet a minimum of an EPC ranking of E. Local authorities have powers to enforce these standards. Under the updated PRS MEES framework, this minimum requirement will rise to EPC C by 2030.
“This change will help occupants take advantage of lower energy costs and warmer, much healthier homes that are less prone to damp and mould, adding to reduced Fuel Poverty.”
As formerly reported by Property118, Wandsworth council fined a property manager ₤ 5,000 over poor EPC rankings.
Costly upgrades for property managers
Nevertheless, Mr Pennycook did not mention that updating homes to an EPC C score will be pricey for property managers.
Timothy Douglas, head of policy and projects at Propertymark, discussed the targets will be hard to satisfy for older properties.
He stated: “While the aspiration of the Warm Residences Strategy to enhance energy efficiency and take on fuel poverty is acknowledged, the proposals as they stand are deeply worrying for property owners and representatives throughout both the domestic and commercial sectors.
“In the private leased sector, landlords are being asked to provide, in a lot of cases, substantial and costly upgrades to reach EPC C by 2030, yet this is being enforced without clear, long-lasting financing commitments, sensible delivery timescales, or adequate flexibility for older, complex, and hard-to-treat properties.”
One lender has cautioned that refurbishing private rented homes to meet EPC C targets could cost nearly ₤ 20 billion.