After years of consultation, the rules for rented homes in England and Wales are now confirmed. In January 2026 the government published its Warm Homes Plan and its response to the 2025 consultation, and landlords finally have certainty: all private rented homes must meet the equivalent of EPC Band C by 1 October 2030.
What was confirmed
There is one deadline for everyone: 1 October 2030, for all tenancies. The earlier phased approach, with new tenancies compliant first, was dropped in favour of a single date. The maximum required investment is capped at £10,000 per property over ten years, with a lower cap for homes valued under £100,000, and qualifying spend since 1 October 2025 counts towards it. Fines for non-compliance reach £30,000 per property, per breach.
The EPC itself is changing
A new assessment methodology arrives from 2027, with fabric performance (insulation, windows, airtightness) as the lead metric, alongside a second metric the landlord can choose. It is a fabric-first regime, and the government has been clear that landlords will not be forced to replace a working heating system as the only route to compliance.
The early-mover window
Here is the detail that rewards planning ahead: a property rated Band C under the current EPC system before 1 October 2029 is treated as compliant until that certificate expires. Reach C early and you lock in compliance under rules you already understand, rather than gambling on how your property scores under the new methodology.
What to do now
Start with a whole-house retrofit assessment. It tells you which improvements actually move your rating, in what order, and within the cost cap, so you spend once, correctly, instead of chasing points with piecemeal upgrades. With contractor demand certain to spike as 2030 approaches, the cheapest time to do this work is while the market is still quiet.
One caveat for completeness: the secondary legislation that sets the fine detail is due in 2027, so specifics like exemption rules can still be refined. The standard, the date, and the cap, though, are set.
If you own three or more rental properties in Hampshire or Sussex, our Landlord Portfolio Package gives you a consistent assessment across your whole portfolio with a prioritised, costed plan. And our free Landlord Retrofit Guide covers all of the above in more detail.