With simply three years to go earlier than the 2028 compliance deadline, greater than 1.8m privately rented properties in England nonetheless fall in need of the Authorities’s proposed minimal vitality effectivity customary of EPC score C, new evaluation by LandlordBuyer exhibits.
The corporate used the newest knowledge from the MHCLG and EPC Register and located that as of Q2 2025, solely 42.3% of privately rented properties in England at present meet EPC band C or above, whereas 1.82million rental properties stay rated D or beneath, many requiring vital retrofit works to conform.
The typical value of upgrading a D-rated property to C is estimated between £7,400 and £10,000, relying on property kind and area.
LandlordBuyer’s analysis highlights stark regional variations in EPC readiness. In London, 56.1% of personal rented properties are rated C or above, with 310,000 estimated to be beneath C. That is considerably increased than different areas of the UK, with the South West of England at 37% and 210,000 respectively.
Within the north the figures are even worse, with 33.9% of North West properties rated C+, and 290,000 estimated to be beneath C. In Yorkshire and the Humber the figures are 32.8% and 265,000 respectively.
With the typical non-public landlord proudly owning 1.4 rental properties, the cumulative value of assembly the EPC goal may exceed £15bn nationally, prompting concern about affordability and potential knock-on results for tenants.
Jason Harris-Cohen, managing director at LandlordBuyer, stated: “This represents a big retrofit problem for landlords, a lot of whom face troublesome selections between absorbing pricey improve bills, elevating rents, or exiting the market altogether.
“The regional disparities in compliance additionally spotlight the necessity for focused help and clear authorities enforcement timelines. With out pressing motion and monetary incentives, each landlords and tenants danger being caught in a troublesome place – landlords battling affordability and tenants going through increased vitality payments.”
