EPC certificates: the UK landlord's guide

An Energy Performance Certificate rates the energy efficiency of a dwelling from A to G, with a numeric score out of 100 behind the letter. It is produced by an accredited domestic energy assessor who measures the property, records its construction, insulation, glazing, heating and controls, and runs those inputs through the government's standard assessment methodology.

The certificate comes with a recommendation report listing improvements, their indicative cost and the rating they would achieve. That report is the practical roadmap when a property sits just under the band you need.

• Before the property is marketed to let — the rating must appear in the advert.
• Given to the tenant, free of charge, at or before the start of the tenancy.
• Kept valid: an EPC lasts ten years from the date of issue.
• Available for inspection — trading standards can request it, and a missing EPC can undermine a possession claim built on paperwork you were required to serve.

The EPC sits alongside the annual gas check and the five-yearly EICR in the renewal cycle set out in our UK landlord compliance checklist.

Under the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard, a privately rented domestic property in England and Wales must be rated band E or better. Letting — or continuing to let — an F or G property without a valid registered exemption is a breach.

Where the property cannot reach E, you are expected to spend up to £3,500 including VAT on relevant improvements. If it still falls short after that spend, register an "all improvements made" exemption with the evidence — quotes, invoices and the post-works EPC.

Government has consulted on lifting the minimum to band C for rented homes, phased in for new tenancies first. The date has shifted more than once, so treat C as the planning assumption for capital works rather than a fixed deadline, and re-check before committing budget.

• All relevant improvements made. Every measure funded within the cap is installed and the property is still below E.
• Cost cap reached. £3,500 including VAT has been spent without reaching E.
• Devaluation. An independent surveyor confirms the measure would reduce market value by more than 5%.
• Wall insulation. Expert advice says cavity, external or internal wall insulation would damage the property or its fabric.
• Third-party consent. Tenant, freeholder, superior landlord or planning consent has been sought and refused.
• Recent landlord. A short temporary exemption for landlords who have only just become one, for example on inheritance.

Exemptions are self-certified on the PRS Exemptions Register, generally last five years and do not transfer with a sale. Keep the supporting evidence with the property record — an unsupported exemption is worse than no exemption.

Expect roughly £60–£120 for a standard house or flat, with larger or unusual properties costing more. Assessors must be accredited; the certificate is lodged on the national register automatically, so you can always retrieve a copy by postcode rather than chasing the assessor.

Budget separately for improvement works. In cost-per-point terms the usual order is lighting, insulation top-ups, cylinder and pipe insulation, draught proofing and heating controls before you reach for glazing, wall insulation or a new heat source.

Failing to provide an EPC when required can attract a penalty of up to £5,000 from trading standards. Under MEES, letting a sub-standard property can carry penalties of up to £5,000 per property per breach in the domestic sector, plus a further penalty for publishing false or misleading information on the exemptions register. Penalty notices can also be published.

1. Check whether a valid EPC already exists. Search the official register at gov.uk/find-energy-certificate by postcode. If a certificate is in date — EPCs last ten years from issue — you can use it and skip straight to storing it against the property.
2. Book an accredited domestic energy assessor. Only an accredited assessor can lodge an EPC. Expect roughly £60–£120 for a standard house or flat, more for larger or unusual properties. Confirm accreditation before booking.
3. Prepare the property for the assessment. Give the assessor access to the loft, boiler, hot water cylinder, meters and any extensions, and have paperwork ready for insulation, glazing, boiler installation or solar. Undocumented measures cannot be scored.
4. Read the certificate and the recommendation report. Note the band, the score out of 100 and the expiry date. The recommendation report lists each improvement with its indicative cost and the rating it would achieve — that is your works roadmap.
5. Confirm the property meets band E. A privately rented home in England and Wales must be band E or better. If it is F or G, either carry out improvements up to the £3,500 including VAT cost cap or register a valid exemption on the PRS Exemptions Register before letting.
6. Publish the rating and give the tenant a copy. The EPC rating must appear in the letting advert, and the certificate must be given to the tenant free of charge at or before the start of the tenancy.
7. Store the certificate and diarise the expiry. Keep the EPC, the recommendation report and every improvement invoice with the property record, and set a reminder ahead of the ten-year expiry so the certificate never lapses mid-tenancy.

1. Pull the current certificate and read the recommendation report — it is scored, not generic.
2. Do the low-cost measures first: LED lighting throughout, loft insulation, cylinder jacket.
3. Add heating controls — programmer, room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves.
4. Draught-proof doors, windows, floors and unused chimneys.
5. Then consider cavity or solid wall insulation, glazing upgrades or a more efficient heat source.
6. Commission a fresh EPC once works are complete so the improved band is the one on record.

Keep every invoice. If the property later cannot reach the standard, that paper trail is what supports a cost-cap exemption.