For years, landlords have been told they are part of the solution to Britain’s housing crisis. Yet, when it comes to new energy efficiency rules, many now feel they’re being treated as the problem. The government’s drive to push all rented homes up to an EPC rating of C is the latest in a long list of measures leaving landlords frustrated, financially squeezed, and ready to quit the private rented sector (PRS) altogether.
On paper, EPCs are simple: a score showing how energy efficient a property is. In practice, landlords say they’re unreliable and inconsistent. Some describe them as “a work of fiction”, with the same house getting different results depending on who inspects it.
“A moving target” – the EPC challenge
The proposals mean that by 2028 for new tenancies, and by 2030 for all lets, homes must meet EPC C. For many landlords, the cheap wins—like loft insulation and LED bulbs—were done years ago. What’s left are the expensive jobs: external wall insulation, structural upgrades, or in some cases works that aren’t even practical in older buildings.
The mood among landlords is one of disbelief. “How can we be forced to spend thousands on upgrades that may not even improve the rating, just because the computer says so?” one landlord complained in the comment section of Property118.
The cost problem: big spend, little return
One landlord ran the numbers on a small portfolio. To bring three properties up to EPC C, the bill would be around £45,000—£15,000 each. The total rent from those homes is £24,000 a year, so two years of rent would be swallowed just to cover the works. And because the official £15,000 “spend cap” resets every five years, landlords may have to keep paying out again and again.
When you factor in tax, borrowing costs and the short payback period, the figures quickly become absurd. That landlord calculated they’d need to raise rents by almost 50% just to break even. And yet tenants might only save about £240 a year on energy bills.
It’s no wonder so many landlords feel the numbers just don’t stack up. “We’re being asked to throw money at something that makes tenants poorer and landlords poorer,” said another commentator.
For more detailed examples of the potential impact on landlords ROI calculations and more quotes from landlords about their experience and thoughts on the matter, see our sister post ‘EPC Minimum Standards: The Cost to Landlords’.
Renters’ Rights Bill: the final straw?
In the past, landlords might have tried to pass on some of the cost through higher rents. But the Renters’ Rights Bill could make that almost impossible. The bill is expected to restrict how much landlords can increase rent, especially mid-tenancy.
That leaves landlords in a bind: they’re being forced to invest but denied the ability to recover the cost. For smaller landlords, especially those with mortgages, this feels like an attack on their livelihoods.
As one put it: “If we can’t raise the rent, we’re left with two choices—take the loss, or get out.”
Landlord mood: frustration, anger, and resignation
Across blogs, forums and comment sections, the mood is sour:
- Frustration at EPC assessments that feel arbitrary.
- Anger at being told to spend thousands when there’s no financial sense in it.
- Resentment that tenants may end up worse off too, as higher rents outweigh lower bills.
- Resignation that selling up or leaving the sector may be the only realistic option.
Some warn of mass landlord exits, predicting tighter supply and higher rents for those who remain. Others are already selling.
As one landlord bluntly concluded: “Better to sell now than keep throwing money into a black hole.”
Join The Conversation
The EPC minimum standard was meant to improve homes and lower energy bills. But from the landlord’s side of the fence, it looks more like an expensive, ill-thought-out burden at best, and a cynical attempt to win votes from young people, at worst.
With the Renters’ Rights Bill limiting rent increases, many landlords feel like we’re being pushed into a corner just so that successive governments can be seen to be ‘landlord bashing’ because it wins more votes and distracts people’s attention from the lack of social housing.
Unless the government offers proper support—whether through grants, tax reliefs, or more realistic rules—the PRS risks shrinking further. And that means fewer homes for tenants, higher rents on what’s left, and yet another blow to Britain’s already fragile rental market.
And, if all that weren’t enough, the salt in the wound for many landlords is that councils and social landlords face fewer, or different, regulations regarding Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), tenant protection, and property inspections potentially creating a double standard compared to private landlords, despite Awaab’s Law and Grenfell having exposed serious issues within the social housing sector, and leading to much of the changes being introduced.
One such landlord has created a Gov petition asking for the government to level the playing field by requiring social housing landlords to also ensure properties have a C EPC rating.
To join the discussion and support the petition, click here.
How Landlord Sales Agency Can Help Landlords Struggling To Meet The EPC Minimum Requirements
For landlords who’ve had enough, there is a way out before the costly EPC works become unavoidable. Landlord Sales Agency specialises in helping landlords sell quickly, fairly, and with less hassle—whether the property has sitting tenants, EPC challenges, or other complications. If you’re considering an exit or simply selling older properties that will be difficult to update to meet the EPC requirements, now may be the best time to act, before rules tighten further and values are impacted.
Let us know what properties you would like to sell and start the conversation.