EPC Ratings in City of London: How Many Homes Are Below Band C Before the 2030 Rule
Of the 500 homes in City of London that had an EPC lodged from July 2025 to June 2026, 33% were rated D to G — the bands a privately rented home must leave by 1 October 2030. The London figure is 34%; England and Wales 40%.
EPC bands in City of London, July 2025 to June 2026
| Rating | Certificates | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Band A | 3 | 0.6% |
| Band B | 37 | 7.4% |
| Band C | 296 | 59% |
| Band D | 133 | 27% |
| Band E | 29 | 5.8% |
| Band F | 2 | 0.4% |
| Band G | 0 | 0.0% |
33% below C (bands D to G) against 34% in London and 40% across England and Wales. City of London ranks 274 of 318 local authorities for the share below C (1 = highest share). Since 2008, 7,673 EPCs have been lodged for existing homes in City of London and 42% of them were below C — recent certificates run better than the long-run stock because newer and improved homes transact more.
City of London splits fairly evenly. 67% of recent certificates are already C or better, 27% are one band short at D, and 6.2% are E, F or G. For a landlord that means the register is worth checking property by property: the same street can hold a certificate that needs nothing and one that needs two bands of work.
Is City of London moving towards C?
Little movement year on year in City of London: 30% of certificates were below C in July 2024 to June 2025 and 33% in July 2025 to June 2026 (+2.8 points; England and Wales −2.5 points). The area is 276th of 318 for the size of its year-on-year change, so the picture here is stable rather than shifting.
The homes certified here are smaller than typical (58.6 m² on average against 87.1 m² across England and Wales), which keeps material costs down but, where they are flats, adds the practical hurdle of freeholder consent and shared heating or roof systems.
What the 2030 rule costs in City of London
Privately rented homes need band C from 1 October 2030, with a £10,000 cap on what a landlord must spend before an exemption can be registered; the rules, exemptions and what counts towards the cap are on the EPC C for rentals by 2030 guide.
Council tax keeps running while a home is empty for works — Band D in City of London is £1,330 for 2026/27, and the council adds a 100% premium once a home has stood empty for two years (council tax in City of London). Whether the certificate and the works are deductible is on EPC, gas and electrical certificates: deductible? — revenue repairs come off the year’s rent, improvements that add capital value do not (allowable expenses guide).
Nearest neighbours in the ranking, in London
| Area | Below C | Year-on-year (pts) |
|---|---|---|
| Kensington and Chelsea | 34% | −6.3 |
| Barnet | 33% | −8.7 |
| Brent | 33% | −5.8 |
| Newham | 32% | −10.1 |
| Islington | 31% | +0.3 |
| Lambeth | 31% | −4.2 |
All 318 areas ranked · council tax in City of London 2026/27.
MHCLG, Live tables on Energy Performance of Buildings Certificates, table EB1 — domestic EPCs lodged for existing dwellings by energy-efficiency band, published 30 July 2026, latest four quarters (July 2025 to June 2026) summed per local authority; cumulative figures from 2008. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. An EPC is lodged when a home is sold, let or newly built, so these are certificates issued, not a census of the housing stock. Shares, ranks and regional figures are ours, computed across 318 local authorities. Download: CSV.
Asked about EPCs here
Of EPCs lodged for existing homes from July 2025 to June 2026, 67% were band C or better and 33% were D to G; band D alone was 27%. (MHCLG live table EB1.)
The share below C moved from 30% (July 2024 to June 2025) to 33% (July 2025 to June 2026): +2.8 percentage points, against −2.5 across England and Wales.
From 1 October 2030 under the government's EPC consultation response, with a £10,000 spending cap before an exemption. Until then the minimum for a new letting is band E.
33% below C against 34% in London — a smaller share needing work.
No — only homes with an EPC lodged in the period (sold, let or built). Since 2008 the cumulative share below C is 42%, higher because older certificates and unimproved homes sit in that total.