Labour minister Ed Miliband told Labour supporters that from 2030 onwards, landlords will be banned from renting out homes with an EPC rating below “C”.
The policy has previously been mooted publicly by Mr Miliband, who is Energy Security and Net Zero Minister, who in a speech to the Labour Party conference lashed out at landlords who rent out substandard homes and warned of “going further”. 
Announcing the move officially, he said: “Many of our country's poorest people live in cold, drafty homes and rent below decent standards from private landlords.”
Many of our country's poorest people live in cold, drafty homes, and many rent substandard accommodation from private landlords.”
“I say this is a Tory legacy, a Tory scandal, a Tory outrage… A Labour government will not tolerate this. We will put proper standards on private rented housing and end this injustice with warmer homes and cheaper rents.”
The policy, proposed in the Labour manifesto and debated in Parliament last month, to require landlords to upgrade properties before renting them out would reverse a change in policy made by the previous government to make EPC 'C' ratings mandatory, announced by then Chancellor Rishi Sunak in September last year.
Energy efficient
Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, said: “Estate agents want more energy efficient homes, but any new rules and requirements must be realistic and achievable.”
“Furthermore, without providing landlords with incentives and ongoing access to funding, private rented sector energy efficiency targets and emissions reductions across the property sector are unlikely to be met.”
“The consultation process needs to highlight the different types of property across the rented sector and ensure targets, guidance and funding are prioritised for those that are hardest to decarbonise.”
Chris Norris, policy director at the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “The NRLA wants all rented properties to be as energy efficient as possible.
“But the government’s approach must include a clear, comprehensive plan that recognises that this sector of the UK’s housing stock is some of the oldest and most difficult to improve.”
“The sector needs a clear trajectory that shows what is expected and by when. The plan should also ensure that there are enough craftspeople in place to carry out the work required.”
“Additionally, as the Fuel Poverty Commission has warned, we also need a fiscal package to support investment in energy efficiency measures.”
“Currently the private rented sector is the only form of home ownership that does not have a bespoke package to support home improvement works.”
Just a month ago, property company Hamptons warned that it would take more than six years to upgrade all of the country's substandard homes to a 'C' level EPC.
