Before you rent, you are entitled to see the property's EPC: landlords and agents must make it available to prospective tenants free of charge GOV.UK. If nobody offered it, you do not need to ask permission; every lodged certificate is on the public register, searchable by postcode GOV.UK register.
The floor your landlord must meet
A domestic rental in England and Wales must be band E or better, or carry a registered exemption, under the MEES regulations GOV.UK MEES. If your home's certificate shows F or G and no exemption exists, the letting is likely unlawful, and the person exposed is the landlord, not you.
How to check in two minutes
- Look the property up on the official register GOV.UK register.
- Read the band and the expiry date.
- If it shows F or G, check the PRS Exemptions Register for a registered exemption for your address.
Reporting a sub-E let
Enforcement sits with the local authority, usually its trading standards or private sector housing team GOV.UK MEES. Report the address and certificate details to the council; they can issue compliance notices and penalties of up to £5,000 per property GOV.UK MEES. Your tenancy does not become invalid because the property breaches MEES: the breach is the landlord's problem, and rent remains due.
Worried about retaliation?
Complaints to a council about housing standards trigger statutory protections against retaliatory eviction in England when the council serves the relevant notices. That framework sits outside EPC law; if the situation is heading that way, get advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice before and after reporting, and keep everything in writing.
Context worth having: what band E actually means, which exemptions are legitimate, and the 2030 change that will raise your future home's floor to C. Fines detail is on the penalties page.