EPC Certificates in Islington
£85 for the commonest home in Islington, 56–75 m²: nearly 1 in 3 certificates here. Studios start at £65. No travel charge from our Stratford base, ready within 72 hours, and your exact price is confirmed before booking.
Abdul Motaleb Taher, Elmhurst and Quidos accredited assessor, EES/036265 QUID202220 · Check the GOV.UK register. Figures updated 30/10/2026.
ArchwayHighburyFinsburyFinsbury ParkWhat 30,814 Islington certificates record
- Walls51.1%solid brick, no added insulation
- Heating76.6%mains gas boiler
- Built36.2%before 1930
- Floor area62 m²median; houses 118 m²
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Boundary: ONS, OGL.
Ratings in Islington
How do homes in Islington rate?
68.9% of the 30,814 EPCs lodged for existing homes in Islington since January 2023 are rated A to C, against 61.7% across London.
89.3% of Islington’s certificates are for flats or maisonettes, the 5th highest share of 33 boroughs. The typical home is 62 m², against 69 m² across London, and a typical house 118 m².
- 68.9%of Islington EPCs rated C or above, 61.7% across London
- 9,142EPCs for privately rented homes, 17th of 33 London councils
- 62 m²median floor area of a Islington home
| Area | A to C | D | E | F or G | Certificates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islington | 68.9% (21,227) | 27.4% (8,448) | 3.2% (997) | 0.5% (142) | 30,814 |
| All London | 61.7% (542,996) | 32.8% (288,661) | 4.6% (40,358) | 0.9% (7,689) | 879,704 |
Source: MHCLG, Get energy performance of buildings data, certificates for existing homes lodged 01/01/2023 to 12/10/2026 (file of 13/10/2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Share rated A to C, by year lodged
| Year | Islington | London |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 66.2% of 6,746 | 58.0% |
| 2024 | 70.7% of 6,861 | 59.2% |
| 2025 | 68.4% of 7,480 | 63.5% |
| 2026 (to 12/10) | 69.8% of 9,727 | 67.2% |
Landlords
If you let in Islington
9,142 of the certificates in Islington were for privately rented homes. 29.1% of those were rated below C, against 35.0% across London, and 28 were rated F or G.
A rental needs an E or better today unless a valid exemption is registered.
Read the rules for landlords today, what the 2030 standard means, what a licence application asks for, or how we work with landlords.
Letting in Islington: selective licensing grows to seven more wards
Islington has three kinds of licence. Mandatory HMO licensing covers five or more people in two or more households sharing facilities, and additional HMO licensing covers three or four. Selective licensing covers privately rented homes occupied by one or two people, or by a single household.
Selective licensing is already in place in Finsbury Park, Hillrise and Tollington. That scheme was designated on 19 February 2024, came into force on 20 May 2024 and ceases on 19 May 2029. A second designation, made on 21 August 2026, covers Barnsbury, Caledonian, Highbury, Junction, Laycock, Mildmay and Tufnell Park. It comes into force on 23 November 2026, ceases on 22 November 2031, and online applications opened from 7 September 2026. The council tells landlords in those wards to apply by 23 November 2026.
Islington’s fees page lists a selective licence at £850 for the whole property and a mandatory or additional HMO licence at £900 plus £100 for each bedroom. The fee is paid in two parts: Part A when you apply and Part B if the licence is granted. Discounts come off Part B: £50 for an EPC rating of A, B or C, £75 for an accredited landlord and £25 for renewing without a gap, and they add together. The application asks for room sizes, floor plans and an EPC among its documents.
Islington Council, check what type of property licence you need, checked 28/10/2026. Islington Council, how to apply for a property licence, checked 28/10/2026. Islington Council, designation of an area for selective licensing 2026, checked 28/10/2026. Islington Council, public notice, designation of a selective licensing area 2024, checked 28/10/2026.
Homes in Islington
Why homes in Islington rate as they do
Islington is mostly flats in Georgian and Victorian terraces. Canonbury, Barnsbury and Highbury have large houses split into homes of every size, Holloway and Finsbury Park have long Victorian streets, and around King’s Cross and Clerkenwell converted warehouses and new blocks sit beside the old terraces. Post-war estates run through Bunhill, Holloway and Finsbury.
In a converted terrace the flat’s own floor, the roof above it and its heating are what carry the rating. The front of the building is often tightly controlled, but internal work is a different question, and the council’s own guide on it is set out below.
51.1% of certificates record solid walls with no added insulation, against 48.1% across London, and 36.2% are for homes built before 1930, against 31.3%. 13.0% record system-built walls, and 13.0% communal heating, against 10.8%.
| Recorded on the certificate | Islington | London |
|---|---|---|
| Built before 1930 | 36.2% | 31.3% |
| Solid walls, no added insulation | 51.1% | 48.1% |
| Cavity walls, insulated | 18.3% | 24.4% |
| Mains gas boiler | 76.6% | 76.2% |
| Communal heating | 13.0% | 10.8% |
| Electric heating | 9.8% | 12.2% |
On 87.3% of the certificates rated D or lower, the potential rating (every recommendation carried out) is C or better.
Coverage
Areas and postcodes we cover in Islington
Angel, Barnsbury, Canonbury, Highbury, Holloway, Archway, Finsbury Park, Clerkenwell, Finsbury, Pentonville, Newington Green and Tufnell Park.
| District | EPCs | A to C | Typical size |
|---|---|---|---|
| N1Islington, Barnsbury and Angel | 8,749 | 67.1% | 63 m² |
| N7Holloway and Caledonian Road | 7,392 | 70.9% | 61 m² |
| N19Archway and Upper Holloway | 4,919 | 66.0% | 61 m² |
| N5Highbury | 2,992 | 66.6% | 63 m² |
| EC1VClerkenwell and Finsbury | 2,246 | 77.6% | 64 m² |
| N4Finsbury Park | 1,920 | 69.7% | 54 m² |
| EC1RClerkenwell | 863 | 68.3% | 65 m² |
| WC1XPentonville | 542 | 59.4% | 65 m² |
| N16Newington Green | 438 | 73.7% | 62 m² |
| EC1YBunhill | 371 | 75.7% | 63 m² |
Districts with fewer than 200 certificates are not listed (382 certificates in 6 other districts).
Next to Islington
Local rules
Council rules that affect improvement work in Islington
Conservation areas and Article 4 in Islington
Islington has 42 conservation areas, and the council has removed permitted development rights in 40 of them with an Article 4 direction. Its page says you may need planning permission for minor alterations or home improvements such as changing external doors and windows or painting brickwork. The council also wants six weeks’ written notice before pruning or felling a tree in a conservation area.
The council’s net zero guide lists the conservation areas where the right to replace front windows is removed: Aberdeen Park, Arlington Square, Barnsbury, Calabria Road, Canonbury, Cross Street, Duncan Terrace/Colebrooke Row, East Canonbury, Highbury New Park, Hillmarton, Keystone Crescent, Mercers Road/Tavistock Terrace, New River, Sotheby Road, St John’s Grove, St Mary Magdalene, Tollington Park, Tufnell Park and Whitehall Park. At Keystone Crescent the right is also removed for the rear. The guide is an older document, so check a street on the council’s interactive map.
Islington Council, conservation areas, checked 28/10/2026. Islington Council, permitted development, checked 28/10/2026. Islington Council, permitted development guide for net zero works, checked 28/10/2026.
What Islington says about windows, insulation and solar
The net zero guide says replacing windows in a flat, maisonette or block of flats is not permitted development and needs planning permission. For a house it treats swapping single glazing for double or triple glazing as permitted development if the conditions are met, and says a composite window may replace a timber one if it looks similar.
On insulation, the guide says internal wall insulation is not considered development and needs no planning permission for a residential building, though a listed building needs listed building consent. External insulation is likelier to need permission, because many Islington homes are brick and the guide considers it unlikely an external system could match the original.
For solar, the council prefers panels that cannot be seen from public views, particularly in conservation areas, and says panels on a wall fronting a highway in a conservation area need planning permission.
Islington Council, permitted development guide for net zero works, checked 28/10/2026.
Questions
EPC questions for Islington
Which Islington wards need a selective licence?
Finsbury Park, Hillrise and Tollington now, and from 23 November 2026 also Barnsbury, Caledonian, Highbury, Junction, Laycock, Mildmay and Tufnell Park. It covers rented homes with one or two occupants or a single household. HMOs have their own licences.
Does a better EPC cut the Islington licence fee?
Islington takes £50 off the second payment for an EPC rating of A, B or C. An accredited landlord gets £75 off and a no-gap renewal £25 off, and the discounts add together.
Can I replace the windows of my Islington flat?
Islington says replacing windows in a flat, maisonette or block of flats is not permitted development, so it needs planning permission. For a house, the right to replace front windows is also removed in many conservation areas.
Can I insulate the inside walls of a Victorian house in Islington?
The council’s guide says internal wall insulation is not considered development and needs no planning permission for a residential building. A listed building would need listed building consent, and external insulation will probably need planning permission.
Which Islington postcodes rate lowest?
Of the districts with enough certificates to compare, WC1X has the lowest share rated A to C at 59.4%, from 542 certificates, and EC1V the highest at 77.6%. The table above has every district.
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Abdul Motaleb Taher, Elmhurst and Quidos accredited. Check the GOV.UK registerRead next
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Borough figuresEPC ratings in every London boroughIslington: 68.9% rated A to C. London: 61.7%.See the figures - Ready to book?Tell us the address and size. We confirm your exact price before you book.Get my exact quote
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