Landlord EPC targets could be part of the reason rents are rising, the government has admitted.

Green Party MP Hannah Spencer submitted a written parliamentary question earlier this month about the issue.

The question said: “To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) in the private rented sector on private rent inflation.”

The question referenced the government’s Warm Homes Plan, which requires all private rented homes to have an EPC level of C by 2030.

In response, parliamentary under-secretary of state in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Martin McCluskey, said: “Rental prices are not determined by a single factor, and as outlined in the final impact assessment, wider market factors alongside this regulation may affect the rental prices of properties whether or not they are required to make upgrades under the MEES regulations.

“The government’s priority is to give landlords the regulatory certainty and advice they need to plan efficiency upgrades over the coming years, in consultation with tenants. More broadly, we are committed to protecting tenants’ rights by giving them the right to challenge unreasonable rent increases under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.”