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EPC C landlords Oldham: terraces, licensing and the 2030 rule

EPC C landlords Oldham: terraces, licensing and the 2030 rule (photograph)

Reviewed by Yasir Khan, Retrofit Coordinator at LAMTANS Engineering · Last updated 21 October 2026

EPC C landlords Oldham let in a borough where 44.7% of homes are terraced and a quarter were built before 1919. That mix shapes which measures work, what damp checks matter and how far the £10,000 cap stretches. Here is the local evidence, with sources and dates beside each figure.

Last checked: 21 October 2026. The EPC C by 2030 requirement is confirmed government policy, not yet law. Legislation is targeted for 2027.

Review my Oldham terraces

Oldham's housing stock: terraces first

Oldham's Local Housing Needs Assessment 2024 uses Valuation Office Agency (VOA) figures for 2022. Of 94,610 dwellings, terraced homes make up 44.7%, semi-detached 24.8%, flats 12.9%, bungalows 9.6% and detached homes 8.0%.

By age, 27.0% were built before 1919 and 22.5% between 1965 and 1982.

Private rented homes lean older still. A household survey, re-weighted to the 2021 Census, found 25.8% of rentals pre-date 1919 and 72.2% are houses. Over half have two bedrooms.

An older 2016 stock survey looked only at West Oldham. It found 67.8% terraced and 43% pre-1919. Treat that as a dated pointer, not a borough figure.

Private rented homes Oldham: the Census 2021 picture

Private renting rose from 12.2% of households in 2011 to 17.7% in 2021 (ONS, Census area changes). The North West moved from 15.4% to 19.2% and England from 16.8% to 20.5%, so Oldham is still below both.

GMCA counts 16,498 private rented households in its April 2023 briefing, up 51%. Owner-occupier numbers fell by 2,030, the largest drop in Greater Manchester.

Solid wall insulation Oldham landlords should plan for

Pre-1919 terraces usually have solid brick walls with no cavity. That changes the plan. Loft insulation and draught-proofing tend to come first. Wall insulation needs a damp assessment before anyone fixes boards to a wall.

Damp is a live issue. The needs assessment reports that 52.6% of private renters have repair problems, and 51.8% of those cite damp or mould (2018 survey). See our solid wall insulation guide.

Government policy offers an exemption if wall insulation would cause harm, typically for five years, on the exemptions register. The policy is not yet law.

Oldham selective licensing: wards, fee and documents

Oldham's designation was made on 1 April 2022 and began on 4 July 2022. The notice says it lasts five years. Oldham selective licensing applies to defined streets in nine wards the notice names as primarily affected:

  • Alexandra, Coldhurst, Hollinwood and Medlock Vale.
  • St James, St Mary's, Waterhead and Werneth.
  • Chadderton South.

The council fee is £582 a licence: £340.34 with the application and £241.66 when granted. Fees are not refunded once submitted.

Before applying you need an electrical report dated within five years, a valid gas safety certificate, a management statement, the tenancy agreement and proof of your address dated within six months. Those same papers help a grant application. We found no renewal decision after the five years, so check the council page.

Warm Homes Oldham and the Greater Manchester grant

The Greater Manchester Warm Homes: Local Grant is the funded route for rented homes. A landlord's first property can receive up to £30,000. Later properties receive 50%, up to £15,000. Our Warm Homes Local Grant guide has the steps.

GMCA names Warm Homes Oldham among local schemes that can refer households. Warm Homes Oldham's own page sets no landlord rules, so landlords apply through the GMCA portal.

What the £10,000 cap means for EPC C landlords Oldham

This is our analysis from ONS figures.

MeasureOldham figureSource and date
Average private rent£942 a month, up 12.5% in a year (North West 5.8%)ONS, August 2026
Average house price£217,000, up 4.7% in a yearONS, July 2026 (provisional)
Cap in months of average rentAbout 10.6 monthsOur calculation
Cap as share of average priceAbout 4.6%Our calculation

Rents here rose fastest of our five boroughs. The cap equals under a year of average rent, so a terrace needing wall work and a heating change could approach it. The government's impact assessment estimates average landlord spend of about £5,400. Our cost cap and exemptions guide explains what counts.

Oldham case study and enquiries

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Frequently asked questions

Which Oldham wards need a selective licence?

The designation notice names nine wards as primarily affected, though the licence follows street boundaries. Check the council's street list for your address, not just the ward name.

What papers do I need before applying in Oldham?

An electrical report under five years old, a valid gas safety certificate, a management statement, the tenancy agreement and proof of your address dated within six months.

Why do terraces need a damp check?

Solid walls cannot be filled like a cavity. In the 2018 household survey, 51.8% of private renters with repair problems cited damp or mould. Insulating over a damp wall can make that worse.

Does Warm Homes Oldham replace the Greater Manchester grant?

No. GMCA lists it as a local scheme that can refer households. Landlords still apply through the GMCA portal and must support the Good Landlord Charter.

Is the 12.5% rent rise a reason to wait?

No. Under the confirmed policy, spend on measures since 1 October 2025 counts towards the cap. ECO4 also ends on 31 December 2026, so waiting can cost you funding.

What happens when the licence period ends?

The notice gives five years from 4 July 2022. We found no renewal decision on the council pages we read. Watch the council's licensing page before mid-2027.