Is the 2030 band C requirement law yet?

No. It was confirmed as government policy in January 2026 and the statutory instrument is expected in 2027. The requirement itself bites on 1 October 2030.

Is the fine really £30,000?

From 2030, yes — up to £30,000 per property per breach. Today the maximum under the existing MEES regulations is £5,000.

Does it apply to existing tenancies?

Yes. Unlike the original MEES phase-in, the 2030 standard is expected to apply to all tenancies from day one, with no grace period for tenancies already running.

What if my property cannot reach band C?

Spend up to the cost cap, document it, and register a cost cap exemption. That requires evidence of what was done and what it cost, so keep the paperwork from the start.

Do I need a new EPC before 2030?

You need a valid one, and you need it to show band C. If your current certificate is below C, improving the property without reassessing it changes nothing on the register.

Government has indicated it intends to require a valid EPC for the whole HMO where a single room is let. That is part of the same package and is not yet law.

The 2030 band C deadline, explained properly

Almost every article on this subject states the 2030 rules as though they are already law. They are not, and the distinction matters if you are deciding what to spend.

Where things actually stand

	Now	From 1 October 2030
Minimum rating	Band E	Band C
Cost cap per property	£3,500	£10,000
Maximum penalty	£5,000	£30,000 per breach
Applies to	New and existing tenancies	All tenancies, no grace period

The band C requirement was confirmed by government in its January 2026 response, as part of the Warm Homes Plan. The statutory instrument that makes it law is expected in 2027.

It is settled policy, not settled law. Anyone telling you the £30,000 fine applies today is wrong.

The date nobody mentions: 1 October 2029

A property that reaches band C before 1 October 2029 is treated as compliant until that certificate expires, under the current assessment metrics.

That matters for two reasons. The methodology is changing — the Home Energy Model is due to replace the current SAP approach — and nobody yet knows whether a given property scores better or worse under it. And a certificate lodged in 2029 runs to 2039.

C69

Band C begins at a SAP score of 69. That is the line every privately rented property has to be above by 1 October 2030.

What it typically costs to get there

Starting point	Typical spend to reach C
High D, score 65 to 68	£500 to £2,000
Mid D, score 55 to 64	£2,000 to £6,000
E, score 39 to 54	£5,000 to £15,000
Solid wall, off gas grid	Often above the cap

Those are broad ranges. The route for a specific property is set out on its own certificate, in the order the assessor recommends.

Enter a postcode to see the actual route to band C for a specific property, taken from its own certificate.

Check a property

Exemptions

Exemptions exist, must be registered on the PRS Exemptions Register, and generally last five years. The main ones are:

Cost cap — you have spent the cap and still cannot reach the standard.
All relevant improvements made — everything appropriate has been done and the property still falls short.
Consent — a tenant, freeholder or planning authority has refused permission.
Devaluation — a suitably qualified surveyor confirms the works would reduce the property value by more than five per cent.
Wall insulation — a suitable expert confirms cavity or solid wall insulation would damage the building.

What to do now

Find out where each property actually stands. Not the rating you remember — the one on the register.
Separate the properties that can reach C cheaply from the ones that cannot reach it at all. They need completely different plans.
Do the cheap ones first. A high D often needs a few hundred pounds.
For the difficult ones, start early. Those are the properties where a cost cap exemption or a fabric intervention will be needed, and both take time.
Keep every invoice. The cost cap is only useful if you can evidence the spend.