I am an accredited domestic energy assessor, and the City is the smallest patch I cover: 4,914 households in the 2021 census. Most live on a handful of estates — the Barbican and Golden Lane in the north, the Middlesex Street Estate by Aldgate — and the rest in flats scattered through converted buildings and above offices, shops and hotels, which between them house 9.6% of City households. Access matters more here than anywhere, so tell me about the concierge, the porters’ lodge or key collection when you book, and the visit is arranged around it. There is no travel surcharge anywhere inside Greater London.
| Households (2021 census) | 4,914 |
|---|---|
| Rented privately | 48.3% (London 30.0%) |
| Owned outright or with a mortgage | 36.5% (London 45.2%) |
| Social rented | 14.9% (London 23.1%) |
| Households living in a flat | 98.0% (London 54.0%) |
| …of which in a converted house | 1.3% of all households (London 11.1%) |
| Households in a house | 2.0% (London 45.9%) |
| Typical (median) EPC score | 74, band C (London 70) |
| Homes with an EPC rated C or above | 67% (London 58%) |
| Licensing schemes | Mandatory HMO licence only (5 or more tenants from 2 or more households) |
| HMO licence fee | £600 on application, then £450 to £1,050 on grant |
| Operating an HMO without a licence | A criminal offence; a fine of £20,000 may be imposed |
Sources: Census 2021, Office for National Statistics, tables TS054 (tenure) and TS044 (accommodation type) via Nomis; London means the 33 local authorities added together. Licensing: City of London Corporation, “Private rented accommodation” and “Houses in multiple occupation HMO” pages (last updated 2023), checked 22 October 2026. EPC figures: ONS, “Energy efficiency of housing in England and Wales” (28 October 2025), the latest certificate for each home lodged in the ten years to March 2025, at the score when it was assessed; homes without an EPC are not counted.
Renting out a flat in the City
48.3% of City households rent privately, the highest share in London, against 30.0% across the capital. The City of London Corporation’s pages describe only the national mandatory licence: a property let to five or more tenants who form two or more households needs a house in multiple occupation (HMO) licence. It is granted only if the licence holder is a fit and proper person, the property is managed appropriately and it meets the City’s minimum standards. The fee comes in two parts — £600 when you apply, then £450 to £1,050 when the licence is granted, depending on the number of lettings — and operating an HMO without a licence is a criminal offence, for which a fine of £20,000 may be imposed. The Corporation’s pages were last updated in 2023, so check with its environmental health team before you let; City Hall’s property licence checker covers the City too.
For a flat let to one household there is no City licence to apply for, but the national rules still apply: most privately rented homes must have a valid EPC rated E or above unless an exemption has been registered. The landlord guide explains how that works.
Listed estates: the Barbican and Golden Lane
The Barbican Estate — around 2,000 flats, maisonettes and houses built between 1965 and 1976 — is Grade II listed as a whole and a prominent example of British brutalist architecture. It was built to be let by the Corporation at market rents, but because the Corporation counted as a local authority, Right to Buy applied, and almost all of its flats are now privately owned. Its northern neighbour, the Golden Lane Estate, is 1950s council housing by the same architects, Chamberlin, Powell and Bon; it has been Grade II listed since 1997, and 359 of its 554 homes are studios and one-bedroom flats. By Aldgate, the Middlesex Street Estate of 1965 to 1970 combines the 23-storey Petticoat Tower with low-rise homes around Petticoat Square.
Two things follow for an EPC. Being listed does not exempt a flat on its own: a listed home is exempt only where meeting minimum energy performance requirements would unacceptably alter its character or appearance — the sellers’ guide sets out every exemption. And changes to a listed building, such as new windows, can need listed building consent, so check any improvement the EPC suggests against what the listing allows before you plan the work.
What the assessment looks at in a City flat
How homes in the City of London score today. The ONS’s latest figures use each home’s most recent EPC lodged in the ten years to March 2025. The typical (median) score here is 74, band C, against 70 across London, and 67% of those homes are rated C or above (London 58%). Homes built before 1929 have a median of 69, against 85 for homes built since 2012. How every London borough compares.
87.0% of City households live in a purpose-built block, the highest share in London. In a block, the result depends on the flat’s position — whether there is a heated home or space above, below and beside it — and on how it is heated, so it helps to know whether the flat has its own heating or shares a system with the building. For a flat above offices or shops, say whether the space underneath is heated. A flat in a conversion or a newer building completed in the last ten years probably already has an EPC: check whether it is still valid before booking a new one.
Selling in the City
36.5% of City households own their home. If you are selling, the EPC must be ordered before the flat goes on the market; the sellers’ guide covers the timing and whether an older certificate will still do.
Prices
- Domestic EPC from £69
- EPC + floor plan from £123, in one visit
- Floor plan only from £69
Guide prices by size: £69 for a studio or flat up to 52 square metres, £75 from 53 to 70 and £85 from 71 to 95. Confirmed in writing before you book and paid after the visit. How EPC prices compare across London.
Common questions
Do I need a licence to let a flat in the City of London?
Only if it is a house in multiple occupation: five or more tenants forming two or more households need a mandatory HMO licence. The City Corporation’s pages describe no other licensing scheme, but they were last updated in 2023, so check with its environmental health team before you let.
Does a listed Barbican or Golden Lane flat need an EPC?
Being listed does not exempt it on its own. A listed home is exempt only where meeting minimum energy performance requirements would unacceptably alter its character or appearance.
How much is an EPC for a flat in the City?
From £69 for a studio or flat up to 52 square metres and £75 for 53 to 70, rising with floor area. There is no travel surcharge, and the price is confirmed in writing before you book.
Can the visit work around a concierge or porters?
Yes. Tell me how access works when you book, whether it is a concierge, a porters’ lodge or key collection from an agent, and the appointment is arranged around it.
Nearby
Next door: Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Camden and Westminster, with Southwark across the river. I cover every London borough.