EPC
MEES and the C-rating deadline: what UK landlords should plan for now
Updated 2026-05-21 · 7 min read
The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard, or MEES, sets the floor for how energy efficient a let property must be. The current minimum is E. Government consultation in 2025 proposed raising the floor to C for new tenancies from 2028 and for all tenancies from 2030, with a per-property cost cap likely in the £10,000 to £15,000 range. Most observers expect the rule to be enacted in some form. If you let property, you need a plan now.
MEES as it stands in 2026
Since 1 April 2020, landlords in England and Wales have not been allowed to continue letting any property with an EPC rating of F or G to existing tenants. New tenancies have been restricted to E or above since April 2018. The legal source is The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015.
Civil penalties for breach run up to £150 per day per breach, with a typical maximum of £5,000 per property. Local authorities are the enforcement body and increasingly cross-reference EPCs against tenancy deposit records and selective licensing applications.
The proposed C rating deadline
The 2025 consultation, building on commitments first signalled in 2020, proposed two cliff-edges. From 1 April 2028 a new tenancy could not begin unless the property holds an EPC rating of C or above. From 1 April 2030 the rule extends to all existing tenancies.
A cost cap of £10,000 to £15,000 per property is expected to remain in the final regulations, with registered exemptions available where the cap is reached without achieving C. The exemption lasts five years, after which the property must be reassessed.
As of May 2026 the legislation is not yet enacted. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is expected to publish a response in late 2026 or early 2027. Treating C as the working target now de-risks both timelines.
Improvements that lift a typical property from D to C
The SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) gives weight to insulation, heating efficiency, glazing, lighting and renewable measures. The fastest path from D to C is usually a combination of cavity wall insulation, loft insulation top-up, low-energy lighting and a hot water cylinder upgrade.
For solid-wall properties the calculus is harder. Internal or external wall insulation lifts the rating significantly but costs £8,000 to £15,000 to install. For these properties an air-source heat pump replacing an old gas boiler can be the most cost-effective single move, particularly when combined with low-temperature radiators and improved hot water storage.
Window replacement helps less than most landlords expect under SAP. Loft insulation and lighting changes deliver more rating points per pound.
Funding and grant routes
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme offered £7,500 grants for air-source and ground-source heat pumps as of 2026 — landlords are eligible. The Great British Insulation Scheme covers basic insulation measures for properties in EPC D-G.
ECO4 (Energy Company Obligation) helps lower-income occupied properties; many private landlords miss out because the scheme targets owner-occupied homes, but eligible tenants can still trigger funding for the property they rent.
Registering an exemption
Where works cannot be carried out without tenant consent and consent has been refused, where the works would devalue the property by more than 5 per cent (verified by a RICS surveyor), or where the £10,000-£15,000 cost cap is reached, you can register an exemption on the PRS Exemptions Register at gov.uk.
An exemption lasts five years and is non-transferable on sale. Buyers should be told before exchange. Keep all supporting evidence (quotes, surveyor reports, tenant correspondence) for at least the duration of the exemption.
Common questions
- Do I have to upgrade to C by 2028?
- Not yet. The 2028 deadline is currently a proposal in consultation, not enacted law. Planning improvements now is sensible because most observers expect the rule to be enacted in some form.
- How much can I spend?
- The proposed cost cap is £10,000 to £15,000 per property. Above that, you can register an exemption that lasts five years.
- What lifts a D-rated property fastest?
- Loft and cavity wall insulation, low-energy lighting, a modern condensing boiler and a hot water cylinder thermostat upgrade is the cheapest typical D-to-C path.