EEEEEH - PEEEE - CEEEE?!?
What you talkin’ about, Willis?!
Well landlords and property investors, just in case you missed the new Government legislation that came into force this year, here is what you need to know!
“From April 2018, landlords of privately rented domestic and non-domestic property in England or Wales must ensure that their properties reach at least an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E before granting a new tenancy to new or existing tenants.”
So if you’ve bought a old grotbox to do up; a house that hasn’t been touched or updated for years, the likelihood is that it won’t meet the criteria needed.
This was the case with my recent project; when I bought it, it was rated at Energy Efficiency Rating G, therefore making it illegal to let out.
Now that I’ve had various works done to it - full rewire and energy efficient lighting, brand new combi boiler and central heating with thermostatic system and heat control valves, amongst a host of other things - it meets the criteria.
But that doesn’t matter a jot if your new updated rating isn’t listed on the national EPC register! No certificate, no point!
So yes, you’ve to pay a domestic energy assessor to come out to your house, check what you’ve changed, and then they’ll prepare you a new EPC and put it on the online database.
And this is exactly what happened at my project today, so I thought I’d share some insights to help you with yours.
1.) Know beforehand what the assessor is likely to be looking for, by...
2.) ...acquainting yourself with the www.epcregister.com online. It’s free, and you can nosy at the majority of properties in England and Wales by postcode.
3.) Usually there is an old EPC telling you recommendations of what to do to improve the rating. Simply do these within your refurb!
There are a few things to consider which are generally applicable to all properties, the list is here...
4.) Once all the works are complete, book your EPC assessor. Many can be found online locally, so shop around (today’s price for a 3-bed house was £39)
5.) Make sure your chosen assessor is approved, they should be able to tell you their EES membership number.
6.) Remember, to legally let out a residential property, the house must be rated as a minimum of E. You will get in bother if they are F or G! Don’t panic though, if they are, you are currently still allowed to rent them out, but only on the basis that they started their tenancy before the new rules came into force in April 2018.
So if you need to upgrade, you can wait until:
a) there’s a changeover in tenants and you get new ones
b) your current tenants sign a new tenancy
c) or there's a change in Government policy!
You can't avoid it forever though, and why would you? Sort your houses out so they're legal!
So if you need to upgrade, you can wait until:
a) there’s a changeover in tenants and you get new ones
b) your current tenants sign a new tenancy
c) or there's a change in Government policy!
You can't avoid it forever though, and why would you? Sort your houses out so they're legal!
7.) Give your tenants the new Energy Performance Certificate, a tangible paper copy (and get them to sign to say they've received it!), and email a copy to them as well. as evidence of a paper trail audit. Because if the tenancy all goes horribly wrong, if you haven’t give them an EPC beforehand, you won’t be able to start the procedure to evict them!
So there we go, a brief overview to being street legal with regards to energy efficiency - Enjoy your energy!!!
If you’re local to Leeds/Bradford, here is the lovely chap I used today, and Adnan is happy for me to let you know about him.
To find out more about my work, please feel free to visit my website at www.kellyannmartin.co.uk
