EPC Certificates in Kensington & Chelsea
£85 for the commonest home in Kensington & Chelsea, 56–75 m²: about 1 in 4 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.
ChelseaEarl's CourtNotting HillWhat 25,005 Kensington & Chelsea certificates record
- Walls67.8%solid brick, no added insulation
- Heating66.3%mains gas boiler
- Built60.0%before 1930
- Floor area68 m²median; houses 176 m²
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Boundary: ONS, OGL.
Ratings in Kensington & Chelsea
How do homes in Kensington & Chelsea rate?
61.0% of the 25,005 EPCs lodged for existing homes in Kensington & Chelsea since January 2023 are rated A to C, against 61.7% across London.
Flats and maisonettes are 88.4% of Kensington & Chelsea’s certificates, against 64.4% across London, and 21.9% record communal heating. The share rated A to C runs from 53.3% in W2 to 71.7% in W14.
- 61.0%of Kensington & Chelsea EPCs rated C or above, 61.7% across London
- 7,932EPCs for privately rented homes, 21st of 33 London councils
- 68 m²median floor area of a Kensington & Chelsea home
| Area | A to C | D | E | F or G | Certificates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington & Chelsea | 61.0% (15,256) | 32.1% (8,026) | 5.9% (1,487) | 0.9% (236) | 25,005 |
| 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 | Kensington & Chelsea | London |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 57.3% of 5,995 | 58.0% |
| 2024 | 55.3% of 5,983 | 59.2% |
| 2025 | 66.7% of 8,279 | 63.5% |
| 2026 (to 12/10) | 63.0% of 4,748 | 67.2% |
Homes in Kensington & Chelsea
Why homes in Kensington & Chelsea rate as they do
Most of the borough is stucco terraces and garden squares in Kensington, Notting Hill and Chelsea, built as single houses and now mostly divided into flats, often one per floor. Red-brick mansion blocks fill Earl’s Court and South Kensington, and Victorian streets of smaller terraces run through North Kensington and Ladbroke Grove. Post-war towers and estates sit in between.
A flat in a converted townhouse is assessed on its own: which floor it is on, what sits above it, and how it is heated. Mansion flats often share a boiler or a roof. A first-floor flat in a stucco house with original sash windows cannot be treated like a ground-floor flat in a 1930s block, and the assessor records each as it stands.
60.0% of certificates are for homes built before 1930, against 31.3% across London, and 67.8% record solid walls with no added insulation, against 48.1%. Homes from 2012 onwards are only 2.4%. A typical house is 176 m² and a typical flat 63 m².
| Recorded on the certificate | Kensington & Chelsea | London |
|---|---|---|
| Built before 1930 | 60.0% | 31.3% |
| Solid walls, no added insulation | 67.8% | 48.1% |
| Cavity walls, insulated | 10.1% | 24.4% |
| Mains gas boiler | 66.3% | 76.2% |
| Communal heating | 21.9% | 10.8% |
| Electric heating | 10.9% | 12.2% |
On 86.0% of the certificates rated D or lower, the potential rating (every recommendation carried out) is C or better.
Landlords
If you let in Kensington & Chelsea
7,932 of the certificates in Kensington & Chelsea were for privately rented homes. 36.0% of those were rated below C, against 35.0% across London, and 52 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 Kensington and Chelsea: mandatory and additional HMO licensing
The council requires a licence for every privately rented property occupied by three or more people living as two or more households who share facilities. Mandatory licensing covers five or more occupiers. The additional scheme, in force from 1 June 2023, covers all other HMOs with three or more occupiers, including purpose-built flats in blocks of more than two flats.
The council’s page says a building converted into flats below the 1991 Building Regulations standard is an HMO in law, but in this borough that type does not need a licence. Its HMO pages describe mandatory and additional licensing only.
Both schemes charge the same, in two parts: £1,004 with the online application and £489 once the licence is approved, for up to five units of accommodation, plus £72 for each extra room. A £200 reduction applies to accredited landlords, and £30 off each application where one landlord and agent submit more than three. No discount is given to a landlord whose unlicensed HMO came to the council’s attention first.
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, houses in multiple occupation, checked 28/10/2026. Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, HMO licence fees, checked 28/10/2026.
Coverage
Areas and postcodes we cover in Kensington & Chelsea
Kensington, Notting Hill, Holland Park, Chelsea, World’s End, West Brompton, Earl’s Court, South Kensington, Knightsbridge, North Kensington and Ladbroke Grove.
| District | EPCs | A to C | Typical size |
|---|---|---|---|
| W11Notting Hill and Holland Park | 4,219 | 59.6% | 64 m² |
| W10North Kensington and Ladbroke Grove | 3,836 | 67.3% | 61 m² |
| SW3Chelsea | 3,630 | 57.8% | 69 m² |
| SW10West Brompton and World’s End | 3,281 | 59.0% | 70 m² |
| SW5Earl’s Court | 2,584 | 61.5% | 50 m² |
| W8Kensington and Holland Park | 2,529 | 56.6% | 85 m² |
| SW7South Kensington | 2,282 | 59.7% | 79 m² |
| W14Olympia and Holland Road | 1,355 | 71.7% | 76 m² |
| SW1XKnightsbridge | 737 | 62.1% | 111 m² |
| W2Bayswater edge | 379 | 53.3% | 61 m² |
Districts with fewer than 200 certificates are not listed (173 certificates in 1 other district).
Next to Kensington & Chelsea
Local rules
Council rules that affect improvement work in Kensington & Chelsea
Conservation areas and article 4 directions in Kensington and Chelsea
The council describes nearly three quarters of the borough as protected by 38 separate conservation areas, and offers a planning map to check an address.
Its article 4 page lists one borough-wide direction and several for parts of the borough or named sites. The borough-wide one removes the right to extend a single dwelling house into a basement across the whole borough, in force from 28 April 2016. Another removes the right to change commercial, business and service space to a home in part of the borough; the Secretary of State modified it on 22 July 2022 to a smaller area, from 27 July 2022. Site-specific directions inside conservation areas are listed on a separate page.
The council says to check any article 4 information with its planning team on 020 7361 3012. If an EPC recommendation would change the outside of a house in a conservation area, ask before the work is booked.
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, conservation areas, checked 28/10/2026. Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, article 4 directions, checked 28/10/2026.
What the borough’s conservation area descriptions say about the homes
The council’s conservation area maps give a short description of each area. Avondale holds Victorian terraces laid out and built between 1870 and 1895. Avondale Park Gardens is a post First World War development of artisan cottages around a garden square, originally designed as Homes for Heroes. Colville, known as the Portobello Estate, was mainly developed between 1860 and 1875. Chelsea keeps its residential character with predominantly single family houses showing the styles of development from 1830 to the present day.
The same pages describe Courtfield as formal terraces with mature gardens and generous road widths, surrounded by major roads.
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, conservation area maps, checked 28/10/2026.
Questions
EPC questions for Kensington & Chelsea
Do I need a licence to let a shared flat in Kensington and Chelsea?
If three or more people living as two or more households share facilities, yes. Five or more need a mandatory licence. Three or four need an additional licence, which has applied since 1 June 2023 and also covers some purpose-built flats in blocks of more than two flats; check the council’s page for the exceptions.
How much is a Kensington and Chelsea HMO licence?
The council’s fee page lists £1,004 when you apply and £489 once the licence is approved, for up to five units, plus £72 per extra room. Accredited landlords get £200 off. The page was last updated on 1 April 2026.
Can I add a basement to my Kensington and Chelsea house?
Not without planning permission. The council’s article 4 direction removed permitted development rights for basement extensions to single dwelling houses across the whole borough from 28 April 2016.
Is my Kensington or Chelsea home in a conservation area?
The council says nearly three quarters of the borough is in one of 38 conservation areas. Its planning map shows whether an address is inside one. It does not change the certificate, but it can limit which recommended works you can carry out.
Which Kensington & Chelsea postcodes rate lowest?
Of the districts with enough certificates to compare, W2 has the lowest share rated A to C at 53.3%, from 379 certificates, and W14 the highest at 71.7%. 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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Understand your EPCWhy Is My EPC Rating Different From My Neighbour's?Why similar homes score differently.8 min read 
Borough figuresEPC ratings in every London boroughKensington & Chelsea: 61.0% 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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