The government has said its proposed EPC C rules for private rentals are “fair and proportionate”, pushing back against concerns that rural and hard-to-treat homes will struggle to meet the 2030 deadline.
The line came in a written parliamentary answer from energy minister Martin McCluskey after Labour MP Jayne Kirkham asked what assessment had been made of rural properties that may find the target difficult to reach. McCluskey said ministers recognised there was no “one-size-fits-all” approach and pointed to a £10,000 maximum spend requirement alongside exemptions where upgrades are not feasible or appropriate.
For landlords, that matters because the answer gives a clearer signal about the government’s political position. Ministers are not hinting at a softer target. Instead, they are defending the cost cap and exemption structure as the main safety valves, even as concern remains over older stock, patchy retrofit supply and weak funding support.
Minister doubles down on cost cap and exemptions
The parliamentary answer does not change the policy itself, but it does show how ministers intend to defend it. The government is standing by the proposal that privately rented homes in England and Wales should reach EPC C by 2030, while arguing that flexibility already exists for difficult cases.
That defence rests on two main points. First, landlords would not face an unlimited upgrade bill, with the proposed cap cut from £15,000 to £10,000 per property. Second, exemptions would remain available where works are not suitable or cannot reasonably be carried out.
Those points will offer some reassurance to landlords with rural cottages, older terraces and other homes where a straight path to EPC C is unrealistic. But they do not remove the wider problem: even with a lower cap, many landlords still face significant upfront spending, long waits for suitable trades and uncertainty over what evidence will be needed to secure exemptions.
Rural homes remain the pressure point
Rural property was the focus of Kirkham’s question for good reason. Off-grid homes, listed buildings and older stone or solid-wall stock often need more complex work than modern urban flats, while some measures can be restricted by planning, conservation or design limits.
That leaves a gap between ministerial confidence and on-the-ground reality. A policy can be described as proportionate at Westminster while still forcing tough choices in local markets where rent levels are lower, retrofit contractors are thinner on the ground and property values make the cost cap harder to absorb.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s March report on rural landlords facing EPC upgrade bills above annual rental income, which highlighted how the 2030 target bites differently outside higher-value city markets. Combined with Landlord Knowledge’s earlier coverage of the Warm Homes Plan proposals, the latest answer suggests ministers are now more focused on defending the framework than reopening the core deadline.
The official consultation on improving the energy performance of privately rented homes is still the key reference point for landlords trying to judge what comes next, because it sets out the proposed metrics, cap and exemptions in more detail than a short parliamentary answer can. Landlords who have not reviewed it should do so before making assumptions about whether a property will qualify for relief or require staged works. The consultation remains available on gov.uk.
What this means for landlords
- If you’re holding older or rural stock: start mapping which homes are least likely to reach EPC C without expensive or intrusive work.
- Watch for: clearer guidance on exemption evidence, acceptable measures and how the lower cost cap will work in lower-value areas.
- If you’re refinancing or reviewing disposals: EPC exposure is still a live valuation and strategy issue, especially for properties with thin rental margins.
- Bottom line: the government is signalling that the 2030 target stays in place and landlords should plan around the exemptions, not expect a broad retreat.
Editor’s view
Ministers may think the £10,000 cap answers the fairness question, but that is only true on paper until landlords can see how exemptions work in practice. For many older rentals, the real test is not the headline target but whether the rules can cope with awkward buildings in weaker local markets.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 05 June 2026
Sources: UK Parliament written question response, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero consultation
Related reading: Energy Efficiency Rules for Landlords: EPC C by 2030 and What You Need to Know
🏠 EPC Rules for Landlords: What You Need to Know
Minimum EPC C required by 2030 – new assessment rules from late 2027
