Miliband confirmed last week that all landlords will be required to upgrade their properties to an EPC rating of C or above by October 2030. The deadline will apply across the board covering both new and existing tenancies unless an exemption is granted.
Earlier proposals would have required landlords to invest up to £15,000 per property to meet the standard. Miliband has now reduced that cap to £10,000, prompting criticism from the group that the reforms have been watered down.
Lower spending caps will also apply to properties valued at under £100,000, with all eligible energy-efficiency improvements made from October 2025 counting towards the limit.
Despite the prospect of fines of up to £30,000 for landlords who fail to comply with the new rules, Generation Rent has expressed frustration at the changes, arguing they do not go far enough.
The activists’ statement says: “Despite our campaigning, the government has watered down the original proposals, meaning many renters will be stuck in fuel poverty.”
It adds: “The … cap of £15,000 … would have meant 2.30m homes upgraded, leaving just 158,000 exempt. This lower cap makes a further 395,000 homes exempt.”
Generation Rent also argues that the reforms are weakened by the number of exemptions available. The group highlights several concerns, including that homes valued under £100,000 — which often cluster in areas already struggling with fuel poverty — will face lower spending caps.
It also warns that many properties may still fall short of achieving a C rating even after £10,000 of work, leaving tenants in inefficient homes despite significant investment. Solid wall insulation, which is sometimes required to reach the standard, is cited as another problem area due to its poor reputation and mixed performance.
The group further notes that properties which lose more than 5% of their value as a result of energy-efficiency upgrades may also qualify for exemptions, potentially limiting the impact of the new rules.
The activists argues that “all these exemptions add up” and claims that they will leave around 707,000 rental homes at EPC ratings below C, and 578,000 households left in fuel poverty.
And the group concludes: “It’s a real concern that those who lose out will predominantly be those renters most in need.”