EPCs when you sell or let a property

When you need an EPC

You must have an EPC when you sell or rent out a property, and you must order it for buyers and tenants before you market the property. You can be fined if you do not get one when you need one. (GOV.UK)

How long an EPC lasts

An EPC is valid for 10 years. If the property already has one that is still in date, it can usually be used again. Check on the find an energy certificate service, where certificates can be downloaded free.

What the certificate shows

• An energy efficiency rating from A (best) to G (worst)
• Information about the property's energy use and typical energy costs
• Recommendations for reducing energy use and saving money

Letting: the minimum E rating

The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) applies to domestic private rented homes in England and Wales: (GOV.UK landlord guidance)

• From 1 April 2018, a landlord could not grant a new tenancy of a covered property rated below E.
• From 1 April 2020, that extended to existing tenancies too.
• If a property cannot reach E, the landlord is not currently required to spend more than £3,500 including VAT, and can register an exemption on the PRS Exemptions Register.
• Renting out a non-compliant property for three months or more can bring a penalty of up to £4,000, and up to £5,000 in total per property.

A landlord with an F or G rated home should look at the recommendations on the certificate first: they list the improvements most likely to lift the rating.

How an EPC works with me

I am an accredited domestic energy assessor through ECMK. I carry out the assessment on site, then lodge the certificate on the national register. Because I can photograph the property, measure the floor plan and do the EPC in the same visit, the vendor only has to let one person in once.

• EPC on its own: from £80
• Included in the full package: from £250 for a one or two bedroom home

So that the assessment is accurate, I need to see every room, the boiler and heating controls, the hot water cylinder if there is one, and the loft hatch. Any paperwork about insulation, windows or the boiler helps. Once lodged, an EPC is public: anyone can look it up on the register.

Sources

1. Energy Performance Certificates, GOV.UK
2. Find an energy certificate, GOV.UK
3. Domestic private rented property: minimum energy efficiency standard, landlord guidance, GOV.UK

Checked 7 October 2026. Rules change: follow the links for the current position.