From the 1st October 2008, you'll need to provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for every home* in the private rented sector.
A few things to consider:
- The EPC provides prospective tenants with information about how energy efficient the property that they are considering renting is
- An EPC is not required for any properties which were occupied before 1st October 2008
- You must make the EPC available to all prospective tenants FREE OF CHARGE at the earliest opportunity
- EPCs are valid for 10 years, and can be re-used within this time regardless of the number of tenants - although landlords can commission EPCs for their properties at any time to prepare for a change in tenant
* an EPC is only required for a property which is self contained - it is not required when a tenants rents a room and shares facilities.
How do I get an EPC?
- EPCs must be produced by an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA)
- Once an EPC is created you can download more copies
What does the assessment involve?
- The assessor will need to access all rooms, the boiler and the loft space; they may also need to take photographs of items such as heaters and meters
- An assessment of an average 3 bed semi would normally take up to 60 minutes
Getting ready for the assessment
To get the most accurate rating for your property it is important that the assessor has access to the following information:
- When the property was built
- If the property has been extended and when
- If it has double glazing, and any certificates that may be available
- If the walls have been insulated, and what by - i.e. cavity wall, internal or external insulation
- Boilers and cylinders - when they were installed, plus any manuals you may have
- Location of thermostats and heating timers
- Location of gas and electric meters
- The type of heating fuel you use and the types of heating you use for your rooms
After the visit the assessor will feed the information gathered into a software programme, this will then produce your EPC and recommendation report.
Each recommendation in the report is accompanied by the typical cost savings per year as well as what the performance rating could be after the improvements are made.
What sort of recommendations are made?
The recommendations report includes cost effective recommendations split into low cost (under £500) and high cost (over £500) improvements.
The recommendations are there as guidance for you and your clients, there's no legal obligation to make the improvements, however, taking action on the recommendation is likely to improve the energy rating of your property, thus making it more attractive to potential tenants.
Please see 'Related Links' on the right of the page for more information.