LandlordPRS Exemptions Register: registering an EPC exemption
In short: you can't let a home rated below EPC E unless an exemption applies and you've registered it on the government's PRS Exemptions Register [1][2]. Each exemption needs specific evidence uploaded with it [3]. Most last 5 years, and none passes to a new owner when you sell [2].
For the minimum standard itself, the £3,500 cap and the planned move to EPC C, see EPC rules for landlords.
What you need to register
GOV.UK's registration service asks for [1]:
- your details, or the landlord's if you're an agent registering for them
- the address of the property
- a valid energy performance certificate (EPC)
- evidence that the property qualifies for the exemption you're registering.
You sign in with GOV.UK One Login, enter the property address, choose the exemption and upload the evidence. The same service lets you manage exemptions you've already registered [1].
Evidence for each exemption
| Exemption | Evidence to upload | Lasts |
|---|---|---|
| High cost | Copies of 3 quotes from different installers, each showing the cheapest recommended improvement would cost more than £3,500 including VAT [3] | 5 years [3] |
| All relevant improvements made | Evidence that the property is still below E after making the improvements that can be made up to the £3,500 cap, or that none can be made [3] | 5 years [2] |
| Wall insulation | A copy of the written opinion of a relevant expert that a recommended wall insulation measure would have a negative impact on the property or its building [3] | 5 years [2] |
| Consent | Copies of correspondence or documents showing consent was needed and sought, and was refused or given with a condition you couldn't reasonably meet, such as a tenant's letter or a planning decision [3] | 5 years [2] |
| Devaluation | A copy of a report by an independent surveyor on the RICS register of valuers that the measures would reduce the property's market value by more than 5% [3] | 5 years [2] |
| New landlord | Applies if you became the landlord by buying a property already let on an existing tenancy [2] | 6 months from becoming the landlord [2] |
An exemption covers only what it says. If a surveyor's report covers some recommended measures, you must still install any others that are not covered, unless another exemption applies [3].
When it expires
After 5 years the exemption ends, and you must try again to bring the property up to the minimum standard, or register a new exemption if one applies [3]. After the 6-month new-landlord exemption, you must have reached at least E or registered another valid exemption if you want to keep letting [2]. Put the expiry date in your compliance calendar alongside the EPC's own 10-year expiry.
Selling or buying a let property
Exemptions don't pass to a new owner. If an F or G rated property is sold or transferred with an exemption in place, the exemption stops being effective, and the new owner must improve the property or register their own exemption to keep letting it [2].
The register is public
Members of the public can search the Exemptions Register for exempt properties and for penalties issued to landlords who didn't comply [1]. A publication penalty can put details of a breach, the property address and any fine on the register [4].
Penalties
- Registering false or misleading information: a fine of up to £1,000, a publication penalty, or both [2][4].
- Letting a sub-standard property without a valid exemption: up to £2,000 for less than 3 months, and up to £4,000 for 3 months or more [2][4].
- The total for one property and one breach is capped at £5,000 [2].
The PRS database will also ask about each property's EPC. Registration guide · Check when your EPC expires
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Related tools and guides
Common questions
How long does an EPC exemption last?
Most exemptions last 5 years. The exemption for someone who has just become the landlord of a property already let lasts 6 months.
Does an EPC exemption transfer when I sell?
No. If a let F or G rated property is sold or transferred, the exemption stops being effective and the new owner must improve the property or register their own exemption.
What evidence does the high cost exemption need?
Copies of 3 quotes from different installers, each showing the cheapest recommended improvement would cost more than £3,500 including VAT.
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Sources
- GOV.UK: Register a private rented sector energy standards exemption
- GOV.UK: Domestic private rented property: minimum energy efficiency standard, landlord guidance
- GOV.UK: Guidance on PRS exemptions and Exemptions Register evidence requirements
- The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015, regulation 40
General information, not legal or tax advice. Checked against GOV.UK on 3 October 2026. Rules change — always confirm on GOV.UK.