Nearly half of the homes in our part of Kent are rated below EPC Band C, the level every privately rented home in England and Wales must reach by 1 October 2030.
We looked at the latest energy performance certificate for each of 366,458 homes on the government’s public EPC register across 11 areas, from Medway to Thanet. 48% are rated D or below, and more than 105,000 homes have a most recent EPC that is over 10 years old.
The figures, town by town
Whitstable has the highest share of homes below Band C, at 54%, with Herne Bay and Thanet close behind at 53%. Ashford, with more recently built housing, has the lowest at 40%.
| Area (postcodes) | Homes on the register | Rated below C | Latest EPC over 10 years old | Expiring in next 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitstable (CT5) | 12,345 | 54% | 4,438 | 539 |
| Herne Bay (CT6) | 14,548 | 53% | 4,727 | 663 |
| Thanet (CT7–CT12) | 56,200 | 53% | 16,214 | 2,681 |
| Deal (CT14) | 13,694 | 52% | 4,463 | 676 |
| Faversham (ME13) | 10,340 | 51% | 3,461 | 305 |
| Dover (CT15–CT17) | 20,197 | 51% | 5,403 | 824 |
| Medway (ME1–ME5, ME7, ME8) | 91,075 | 49% | 26,048 | 4,902 |
| Folkestone (CT18–CT20) | 25,903 | 47% | 7,252 | 1,311 |
| Canterbury (CT1–CT4) | 33,858 | 46% | 8,936 | 1,514 |
| Maidstone (ME14–ME17) | 51,453 | 43% | 13,683 | 2,696 |
| Ashford (TN23–TN26) | 36,845 | 40% | 11,097 | 1,976 |
| All 11 areas | 366,458 | 48% | 105,722 | 18,087 |
Each town name links to our local page, where you’ll find the full A–G breakdown, a local case study and how we can help in that area.
What the 2030 rule means for landlords
Today, a privately rented home needs an EPC rating of E or above. Under the government’s Warm Homes Plan, published in January 2026, that rises to the equivalent of Band C for all tenancies by 1 October 2030, with fines of up to £30,000 per property.
- Homes rated C on an EPC issued before 1 October 2029 will count as compliant until that certificate expires.
- A new style of EPC, based on the Home Energy Model, is now due in the second half of 2027.
- Our MEES guide explains the rules, exemptions and the cost cap in full.
Most of the homes in these figures aren’t rented, but the pattern is the same in the rental market: a lot of older and coastal housing sitting at D. The good news is that many D-rated homes are only a few points short of C. – Bruce Adams, Hive EPCs
Why some homes are rated lower than they should be
Almost three in ten homes in these areas have an EPC more than 10 years old. Older certificates were produced under earlier versions of the assessment method, and many were done with details such as wall or loft insulation assumed rather than checked.
That matters if you are close to the line. A careful survey that records what is really there can move a home up a band without any building work. Our Whitstable case study is one example: a detached house that often ends up at D when details are assumed earned an accurate C once every room was checked.
My advice to landlords is not to leave it until 2029. Check your current certificate, find out how far you are from C, and plan the work while there’s still time to get installers booked. – Bruce Adams
What to do now
- Check your current EPC free: enter your postcode in our EPC checker to see the rating, expiry date and recommended improvements.
- Landlords: our landlord EPC checker tells you whether a rental meets Band E now and how far it is from Band C.
- Close to C? A draft EPC shows your likely rating before anything is lodged, so you can plan the cheapest route.
- Need a new EPC? Get a quote from our local team, or see our landlord EPCs page.
About these figures
Figures use the latest certificate for each home in the postcode districts shown, from the Energy Performance of Buildings Register (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government), searched in October 2026. They cover all tenures; homes that have never had an EPC are not included. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.