Band G: you cannot let this without a registered exemption.
Bands F and G sit below the MEES floor of E that has applied to all domestic lets in England and Wales since 1 April 2020. Letting a sub-E property without a valid exemption on the PRS Exemptions Register risks penalties of up to £5,000 per property. Improve it to E or register an exemption first.
Band G is a SAP score of 1 to 20 GOV.UK SAP: the bottom of the certificate. G-rated homes are a small and shrinking group, concentrated in the oldest stock: solid walls, no central heating or oil heating, off the gas grid, often rural and often pre-1919. Bands E to G together now cover just 9% of English dwellings EHS 2023-24.
Can a band G property be let or sold?
Sold, yes: there is no minimum band for sale, though buyers and their lenders will price the works in. Let, no: G sits two bands below the E floor that has applied to all domestic lets in England and Wales since April 2020, so letting requires a registered exemption GOV.UK MEES.
Improve or exempt?
For a G, the honest question is which exemption or improvement package fits, not whether the top of the scale is reachable. The current framework asks for spend up to £3,500 toward reaching E, with a 5-year exemption if the property still falls short GOV.UK MEES. Listed and protected buildings often sit in this band; their position is more conditional than most owners assume, and the listed buildings page covers the test that actually applies.
| Band | SAP score | Letting today (E floor) | Letting from 1 Oct 2030 (C floor) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 92+ | Allowed | Allowed |
| B | 81-91 | Allowed | Allowed |
| C | 69-80 | Allowed | Allowed |
| D | 55-68 | Allowed | Works or exemption required |
| E | 39-54 | Allowed | Works or exemption required |
| F | 21-38 | Exemption required | Works or exemption required |
| G | 1-20 | Exemption required | Works or exemption required |
One band up: band F. Or go back to the full A to G scale.