What EPC rating do I need to let a property?

Band E now, and band C from 1 October 2030.

Band E has been the minimum to grant or continue a tenancy since 1 April 2020, under the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard. Exemptions exist but have to be registered on the PRS Exemptions Register rather than simply claimed.

In January 2026 the government confirmed a single compliance date of 1 October 2030 for all private rented homes to reach EPC C or equivalent. There is a cost cap of £10,000 per property. If the property still falls short after you have spent that, you can register an exemption valid for ten years and keep letting it.

That date has moved before, so it is worth checking the MEES landlord guidance rather than working from an older article. Ten thousand pounds on an older property does not always get you from E to C, which is why the cap and the exemption exist.