10 August 2026
If you let a property in the UK, it isn't enough to simply have an EPC on file — most rental properties also need to meet a minimum rating to be let legally. Here's what that actually means in practice.
Under the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), most private rented properties in England and Wales need an EPC rating of E or above to be legally let. A property rated F or G generally cannot be marketed or re-let until it's improved or a valid exemption is registered — this has been the baseline since 2018 for new tenancies and 2020 for all tenancies.
The minimum standard itself has been stable for a few years, but it's regularly the subject of proposed tightening — successive governments have floated raising the private rental minimum toward C by the end of this decade. Nothing here should be treated as a firm date without checking current government guidance directly, since proposals in this area have shifted timeline more than once. The practical takeaway for landlords: don't assume "E is fine forever" — check current requirements before budgeting improvement work, not after.
A landlord can register an exemption in specific situations — for example, where the cost of reaching E would exceed a funding cap even after using available grants, or where a third party (like a tenant or a listed-building restriction) blocks the necessary work. Exemptions are time-limited and need re-registering, not a one-off fix.
Letting a sub-standard property without a valid exemption can mean financial penalties from the local authority, and can complicate an otherwise straightforward tenancy dispute if it ever ends up in front of a tribunal. It's also a factor mortgage lenders increasingly ask about on buy-to-let applications.
Check a property's current EPC rating before assuming it meets the minimum.
Go to the EPC checker →