Going green: Can social housing meet the 2030 deadline?

The Government recently announced the first statutory minimum energy performance requirements for England’s social rented housing stock that will make the next four years challenging for social landlords, leaseholders and residents. 

These new legal requirements, integrated into the Decent Homes Standard and enforced by the Regulator of Social Housing, will require all social rented homes to meet a minimum of EPC C by 1 April 2030.

According to the GLA Housing in London report 2025, local authorities and housing associations in London own or manage over 800,000 homes. If London broadly mirrors national trends, this could mean that between 240,000 and 400,000 homes do not currently achieve EPC C or above. That represents a significant investment challenge, even if the Government proceeds with the £10,000 per-property cost-cap exemption proposed during consultation.

London’s social housing stock is typically older than in other parts of the country, with an estimated 10–15% built before 1919. These homes, often Victorian or Edwardian terraces frequently converted into flats, are among the hardest to improve. Many struggle to reach EPC D, with a sizeable proportion falling below that. Solid wall construction, inefficient layouts, high ceilings, and heightened ventilation and moisture risks all limit retrofit options. Planning and conservation constraints further add complexity. Crucially, many of these homes have already had the easier wins delivered – boiler replacements, loft insulation and double glazing, leaving disruptive and expensive wall insulation as the key remaining route to improvement.

The interwar housing boom (1919–1945) fundamentally reshaped London’s housing stock, driving suburban expansion at an unprecedented scale and extending the city far beyond its pre-1914 footprint. For the first time, housing delivery was government-subsidised and explicitly framed as a public health and social welfare issue. These low-rise houses and mansion blocks were built to more generous space standards than earlier Victorian housing. Accounting for an estimated around a quarter of London’s social housing, many of these homes currently sit at EPC D, with EPC C relatively achievable through targeted insulation and heating upgrades, without the level of disruption required for earlier stock.

Of greatest significance is the legacy of post-war mass social housing programmes, delivered between 1945 and the late 1970s. These medium and high-rise estates, often system-built using concrete panel and other non-traditional construction methods, may account for up to half of London’s social housing stock. While some blocks have already benefited from earlier Decent Homes works or local retrofit programmes, many remain at EPC D and will require more than incremental improvements to reach C. 

Built at unprecedented scale and density, these developments often require whole-block retrofit approaches. While individual dwellings may appear close to EPC C on paper, delivering upgrades in practice brings added complexity, not least the potential need for resident decanting. Decant was possible during the Decent Homes programme of the 2000s, but that was in a system with at least some capacity slack. That flexibility no longer exists.

Social housing built after 1980 is, in most cases, already compliant with EPC C. Where it is not, compliance is often achievable through minor fabric improvements, low-energy lighting, and upgraded heating controls.

So where does this leave social housing landlords?

Simply put, in a difficult position, facing hard decisions about how to prioritise limited resources to meet statutory obligations without leaving behind the poorest-performing homes, which are often the most complex and expensive to improve. 

And for residents, the implications are equally stark. Meeting the 2030 standard will mean years of disruption and, in some cases, upheaval. For leaseholders living on social housing estates, it may also mean finding the money to pay their “fair share” of works, not easy during an ongoing cost-of-living crisis. 

Expert insight, intelligence gathering and knowledge sharing is in LCA’s lifeblood and ensures that our clients receive the highest quality strategic advice and counsel. Through regular and customised briefings and events, we help clients navigate through what can be a confusing and fast-changing landscape. If you’d like to discuss what any of these developments could mean for your organisation or your projects, contact us at insight@thisislca.com

Minimum energy requirements press release – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thousands-more-families-to-get-warm-secure-social-homes

Housing in London 2025, GLA report – https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-01/Housing%20in%20London%202025%20report%20%28002%29.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com