London Landlord EPC Guide
Everything London landlords need to know about EPC compliance, GLA grants, leasehold challenges, and the proposed 2030 deadline
The March 2026 EPC extract holds 1,379,997 London certificates recorded as privately rented (30.9% of London's 4,460,144), the largest total of the 10 regions of England and Wales. London's housing stock skews older than the rest of the country: buildings dated before 1930 are 30.5%of London's EPC certificates, against 23.2%across England and Wales. That does not show up in London's ratings: 50.3% of its EPC certificates are below band C, the lowest of the 10 regions (55.4% across England and Wales). It shows up in the walls instead, with uninsulated solid walls recorded on 44.8% of London certificates, against 19.3% nationally.
The minimum you must meet to let a London property today is EPC band E, and has been since 1 April 2020. Government has said it intends to raise that to band C from 1 October 2030, but no instrument has been laid, so the higher standard is policy rather than law. For many landlords, particularly those with Victorian terraces, Georgian conversions, or older purpose-built flats, meeting it would require significant investment. London also has access to GLA funding and national grants, which may reduce out-of-pocket costs depending on the property and the household.
London EPC Picture
London's housing stock looks different from the rest of England and Wales in the register. Flats are 60.4% of London's EPC certificates (28.6% across England and Wales) and houses are 32.0%. The mix varies by borough: flats are 77.3% of Hackney's certificates and 40.0% of Bromley's. Buildings dated before 1930 are 30.5% of London certificates, and the 1900 to 1929 band alone is 19.8%. The register records property type as house, flat, bungalow, maisonette or park home, so it cannot show how many London houses are terraced.
The register records 54.1%of London's privately rented EPC certificates as below EPC C (746,840 of 1,379,997). That is lower than the 60.8% for privately rented certificates across England and Wales, and London has the lowest all-tenure rate of any region (50.3% against 55.4%). These count certificates, not homes. The age profile of London housing and the prevalence of solid-wall construction (44.8% of London certificates record uninsulated solid walls, against 19.3% nationally) keep the work demanding.
The Mayor of London and London Councils launched Warmer Homes London on 7 February 2025, working in partnership with London boroughs and housing associations (GLA press release).
Victorian & Edwardian
Buildings dated before 1930 are 30.5% of London certificates, rising to 56.0% in Hammersmith and Fulham and 65.5%in Kensington and Chelsea. Solid walls are usual in this period, and the sample EPC in GOV.UK's landlord guidance lists £4,000 to £14,000 for internal or external wall insulation (indicative).
Purpose-Built Flats
Flats are 60.4% of London EPC certificates. Leasehold complexities and common-part improvements often require building management involvement. ECO4 needs the home to be rated E, F or G and the household to qualify.
1930s-60s Suburban
Outer London boroughs such as Croydon and Bromley. Houses are 50.8% of Bromley and 43.2% of Croydon EPC certificates, against 32.0% for London. Where a cavity wall is unfilled, cavity wall insulation is a candidate measure.
London Boroughs in the Register
Across London's 33 authorities (the 32 boroughs and the City of London), the share of EPC certificates below band C runs from 24.9% in Tower Hamlets to 61.8% in Richmond upon Thames. The figures count certificates in the March 2026 extract, not homes, and cover every tenure. The same MEES rules apply in every borough.
| Authority | Certificates | Below band C |
|---|---|---|
| Tower Hamlets | 187,213 | 24.9% |
| City of London | 9,217 | 35.4% |
| Hackney | 137,112 | 38.6% |
| Southwark | 168,385 | 40.2% |
| Greenwich | 142,330 | 41.8% |
| Islington | 133,333 | 42.2% |
| Westminster | 175,897 | 44.7% |
| Newham | 161,323 | 45.5% |
| Wandsworth | 199,130 | 46.9% |
| Brent | 150,786 | 48.4% |
| Camden | 133,278 | 48.4% |
| Hounslow | 117,051 | 48.4% |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 121,907 | 48.8% |
| Lambeth | 197,598 | 49.1% |
| Lewisham | 168,750 | 49.2% |
| Barnet | 188,517 | 51.5% |
| Ealing | 170,057 | 51.8% |
| Barking and Dagenham | 96,072 | 53.5% |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 123,648 | 53.5% |
| Haringey | 145,293 | 55.1% |
| Sutton | 93,483 | 55.2% |
| Waltham Forest | 135,100 | 55.6% |
| Hillingdon | 127,283 | 55.9% |
| Harrow | 101,605 | 56.5% |
| Merton | 100,175 | 56.6% |
| Croydon | 180,158 | 56.7% |
| Kingston upon Thames | 84,609 | 58.3% |
| Bexley | 106,825 | 60.1% |
| Bromley | 145,378 | 60.3% |
| Redbridge | 115,015 | 60.9% |
| Havering | 104,098 | 61.3% |
| Enfield | 147,123 | 61.5% |
| Richmond upon Thames | 92,395 | 61.8% |
Leasehold Considerations for London Landlords
Flats are 60.4%of London's EPC certificates in the March 2026 extract. A landlord who lets a leasehold flat may need the freeholder's consent for external works, which freehold landlords don't face. GOV.UK's MEES landlord guidance covers a refusal of consent under its third-party consent exemption.
Available Grant Schemes for London Landlords
Warmer Homes London
ECO4 in London
Warm Homes: Local Grant in London
Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Budgeting for Improvements
For indicative costs, use our cost calculator, which shows the GOV.UK sample EPC figure where one exists and labels every other figure as our own assumption.
London Property Stock Overview
The upgrade path varies by property era and type. The cards below use the register's age bands and property types.
Victorian Terrace (Pre-1919)
Flats outnumber houses in Hackney, Islington, Lambeth, Wandsworth and Hammersmith and Fulham (flats are 69.0% to 77.6% of EPC certificates there, houses 11.1% to 22.7%). Solid walls are usual in this period, so wall insulation is the measure to price first. ECO4 can include solid wall insulation if the home is rated E, F or G and the household qualifies.
Victorian Terrace Guide →Edwardian Semi & Terrace (1900-1918)
The register's 1900 to 1929 band is 19.8% of London certificates and does not separate Edwardian homes from later ones. Solid walls are usual in this period, so check the wall description on the EPC. Check our D to C upgrade guide for cost guidance.
Edwardian House Guide →1930s Semi-Detached
1930s semis often have cavity walls. Check the wall description on the EPC: if the cavity is unfilled, cavity wall insulation is a candidate measure.
1930s Semi Guide →Purpose-Built Flats (1950s-1980s)
Flats are at least 32.4% of EPC certificates in every London authority (Havering is the lowest). Leasehold flats may need freeholder consent for external works. EPC rating depends on building fabric, communal heating, and glazing age.
Purpose-Built Flat Guide →London Contractors & Resources
Find TrustMark Installers
TrustMark describes itself as the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme for work done in or around the home. Check which installer registration your grant route requires before you book work, and get 3 quotes.
Search TrustMark installersFind Your EPC
Look up a property's energy certificate on the GOV.UK register by postcode, street name and town, or certificate number. If a property has none, or it has expired, GOV.UK points you to getting a new one.
Find an energy certificateGLA Energy
The Greater London Authority's net zero energy page lists its home energy programmes, including Warm Homes: Local Grant.
GLA net zero energyEnergy Saving Trust
The Energy Saving Trust's energy at home hub has advice on making a home more energy efficient, including financial support for home energy efficiency and how to save energy if you rent.
Visit the energy at home hub