Landlords and letting agents
Landlord EPCs and MEES compliance in Coventry and the Midlands
A rented home needs a valid EPC at band E or better today, and the equivalent of band C by 1 October 2030. We produce the certificate, show you where each property stands and set out the cheapest credible route to compliance.
- Minimum today
- Band E
- Confirmed target
- Band C by 1 October 2030
- Planned cost cap
- £10,000 per property
- Planned maximum fine
- £30,000 per property
- Portfolios
- Pricing on request
Reviewed October 2026
The rules today
Under the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, known as MEES, a privately rented home in England or Wales must have an EPC rating of E or better. That has applied to new tenancies since 1 April 2018 and to every existing tenancy since 1 April 2020.
- If the property is rated F or G, you must improve it to at least E before letting, or register an exemption.
- The cost cap is £3,500 including VAT. You are not currently required to spend more than that on improvements.
- Exemptions go on the PRS Exemptions Register and most last five years.
- Your local council enforces the rules. Fines run up to £5,000 per property, and the breach can be published.
What changes by 2030
On 21 January 2026, alongside its Warm Homes Plan, the government confirmed that the minimum standard for privately rented homes will rise to the equivalent of EPC band C. There is a single compliance date of 1 October 2030, which applies to new and existing tenancies alike.
| Today | From 1 October 2030 | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum standard | Band E | Equivalent of band C |
| How it is measured | The energy efficiency rating, based on running cost | Fabric performance first, then either heating system or smart readiness, at the landlord's choice |
| Cost cap | £3,500 | £10,000, or 10% of the value of a home worth under £100,000 |
| Maximum penalty | £5,000 | £30,000 |
| Cost cap exemption lasts | 5 years | 10 years |
The regulations are expected in 2027. Until they are made, the current framework remains the law and some detail may change.
The date to plan around is 1 October 2029
The new standard will be measured on a new-style EPC that is not due to launch until the second half of 2027. To bridge the gap, the government has built in a transitional rule:
The transitional rule
A property rated C or better on a certificate issued before 1 October 2029 is treated as compliant until that certificate expires or is replaced.
For a home that is already a high D, that is usually the simplest route. Improve it, have it re-assessed under today's method, and the certificate carries the property past 2030 for as long as it remains valid. Elmhurst Energy says that more than half of privately rented homes currently sit below band C, so assessors' diaries will fill as the date approaches.
Certificates issued before 15 June 2025 used the previous calculation method. If yours is one of them, a fresh assessment under the current method is the only way to know where the property really stands.
What we do for landlords
- Check what you already hold. We look up each property's certificate, its rating, its expiry date and the method it was produced under.
- Survey and certify. A full site survey, with access arranged directly with your tenant or agent, lodged on the government register.
- Show you the gap. For anything below C, we model which improvements would close it and in what order, so the cap is spent where it counts.
- Re-assess after the work. A new certificate that records the improvement and starts a fresh 10 years.
If the property cannot reasonably reach the standard, we will tell you whether an exemption looks likely to apply and what evidence the register asks for.
HMOs and licensing
A house let as a whole needs an EPC. Letting a single room in a shared house does not currently trigger one, but government has confirmed that it will require a whole-building certificate whenever a room is let, with a 24-month transition. In practice, licensing teams already expect to see one.
- Coventry runs a city-wide additional licensing scheme for smaller HMOs, renewed for 2025 to 2030. Its HMO licensing policy lists a minimum rating of E as a legal requirement.
- Warwick district, which covers Leamington Spa, Warwick and Kenilworth, has licensed all three and four person HMOs since 18 January 2024, and asks for professionally drawn floor plans with each application.
- Birmingham runs selective licensing in 25 of its 69 wards alongside city-wide HMO licensing, both since 5 June 2023.
We can produce the floor plan in the same visit as the EPC.
Portfolios
Landlords, letting agents and housing providers with several properties can ask for portfolio pricing. You deal with one team, visits are scheduled with your tenants, and on request we set the results out in a single schedule showing each property's rating, expiry date and distance from band C.
Sources: GOV.UK, Domestic private rented property: minimum energy efficiency standard (updated 5 May 2026) and the consultation outcome Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes (21 January 2026); Elmhurst Energy (August 2026); Coventry City Council, Warwick District Council and Birmingham City Council licensing pages. This page is general guidance, not legal advice.
Landlord questions
Straight answers on band C and beyond.
The 2030 rules are confirmed policy, but the regulations are still to come. Where something is not yet settled, we say so.
Do I need a new EPC for every tenancy?
No. One certificate covers every letting during its 10-year life. You need a valid one in place before the property is marketed, and tenants are entitled to see it.
My EPC runs out part-way through a tenancy. Must I renew it straight away?
Under the current rules an EPC is needed when a property is marketed, so one that expires mid-tenancy does not have to be replaced that day. You will need a valid certificate before the property is marketed again, and from 2030 you will need one that shows the home meets the new standard. Government is still settling the detail, so check GOV.UK or ask us for the current position.
What if my property cannot reach band C?
The government's plan caps what a landlord must spend at £10,000 per property, or 10% of the property's value where it is worth less than £100,000. If the home still falls short after that, you can register an exemption lasting 10 years. Further exemptions are planned, for example where a measure would damage the building.
Does money I have already spent count towards the cap?
According to the government's response, spending on relevant energy efficiency measures since 1 October 2025 counts towards the £10,000 cap. Keep the invoices.
Is the 2030 deadline definite?
It is confirmed government policy, published on 21 January 2026. The regulations that turn it into law are expected in 2027, so some of the detail could still move. We review this guidance whenever GOV.UK changes.
Should I get a new EPC now, or wait for the new-style certificate?
The new-style certificate is not due until the second half of 2027. A property that earns a band C certificate before 1 October 2029 is treated as compliant until that certificate expires, so if yours is close to a C there is a good case for improving it and re-assessing under today's method. If it is a long way off, plan the work first.
Do HMOs need an EPC?
A house let as a whole needs one. Letting a single room in a shared house does not currently trigger a certificate by itself, but government has confirmed it will require a whole-building EPC whenever a room is let, with a 24-month transition. Most licensing teams already expect to see one.
Do holiday lets have to meet the minimum standard?
Short-term lets sit outside the minimum standard rules. Under the wider EPC reforms they will need a valid certificate when let, whoever pays the energy bills.