The Government has begun consulting on its plans to force landlords to upgrade their properties to a minimum EPC band C by 2030.

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) spokesperson said: “We want to give the sector certainty on proposals as soon as possible but we want to make sure we get this right. We will publish the consultation in the coming months.”

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) published a consultation on the new plans for the private rented sector on 7 February. Under the proposals, landlords will be required to invest up to a maximum of £15,000 per property on improvements to meet EPC C, after which they could register a 10-year exemption to continue to let the property if it does not meet the standard.

An affordability exemption is also proposed, which would lower the cost cap to £10,000 and could be applied in areas with lower rents or council tax bands. The government is also reforming EPCs with new metrics to come into force next year. EPCs will now include a new fabric performance standard and cover the efficiency and emissions of a home’s heat system.

It is proposing that private rented homes that achieve a score of EPC C before the new EPC methodology is introduced would be considered compliant with the higher standards until their existing EPC expires. For other homes, landlords will be required to meet the fabric standard through installing measures such as loft insulation, cavity wall insulation or double glazing, before moving on to other green upgrades such as batteries, solar panels and smart meters.