Residential landlords will be barred from letting their properties unless they pay thousands of pounds to make them more energy efficient.
The government is poised to announce legislation which will require all privately rented homes to be rated EPC-C or above, the third-highest level of energy efficiency.
Those who let out homes that do not meet the target will face fines of up to £15,000.
The rule could apply to all new lettings from 2026, a year later than originally planned, and all existing lettings from 2028.
The move will affect 3.2m landlords whose properties have an EPC rating of D or below.
They are expected to pay an average of £5,000 each, with a cap of £10,000 on spending. The estimated cost for the sector as a whole is nearly £13bn.
