EPC "C" RATING
Are Changing a Landlord’s Ability to Let
- New EPC regulations are coming into force
- 50% of welsh private rental sector property currently fails to meet these standards and would not be permitted to continue to be let beyond 2030
- At a meeting with Torsten Bell MP for Swansea in October 2025, Landlords in Wales raised with him two questions of importance from from a list of 10 questions submitted for discussion with a request that the MP take these forward.
-
(1) To acknowledge the poorer demographic of many Welsh Landlords, can a lower spending threshold for these Welsh landlords and properties be set before they are exempted from the forthcoming EPC "C" Rating requirement?
And, (2) Energy improvement grants are means-tested and offered to the tenants (occupiers) not the landlord, but disproportionate benefits to occupiers under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act nudge landlords to want 'gold plated' tenants. And these tenants are less likely to qualify for grants. What can the government do to help landlords locked on the horns of this dilemma?
Well, here are the government's revised rules:- The 2028 deadline for new tenancies has been scrapped.
- All landlords now have until 1 October 2030 to reach EPC C (or register an exemption), regardless of whether tenants are new or existing.
- The spending cap has been cut from £15,000 to £10,000 per property, with lower caps for homes worth under £100,000.
- Energy efficiency improvements made from October 2025 will count toward the spending cap.
- The Government will offer support via low-interest loans.
- A “fabric first” approach will be encouraged, focusing on insulation and windows.
- EPC certificates will now be valid for 10 years instead of five, meaning any property that achieves EPC C (or above) before October 2029 will be treated as compliant through to 2039.
Thank you, Torsten
