domestic energy assessors
Landlords urged to get ready now for October 1st
Landlords and letting agents are being urged to get ready now for the October 1st deadline when EPCs will be extended to the rental sector.
Any rental property undergoing a change of tenant after October 1st will require an EPC to be produced and a copy shown to the new tenant. The EPC has a very long validity at 10 years and there is still much unease within the ranks of Domestic Energy Assessors who feel that the period is too long to cover what could amount to wholesale changes to the property, out of date energy costings on the certificate and an ongoing lack of work for DEAs.
David Lea of Hipright recently attended a workshop in London held by the Department of Communities & Local Government. When questioned on the life span of the EPC, delegates were informed that it was part of a European directive and even if the government wished to change the length of validity they would need the current system to have run for at least five years before they would make any decisions on its future.
Although many landlords and agents will undoubtedly leave it until the deadline to act, it is expected that in light of spiralling energy costs, many will take the initiative and act early by getting EPCs commissioned on their properties and possibly use these to promote lower running costs or planned future energy saving initiatives for their properties to potential tenants.
Hipright is a national supplier of Home Information Packs and a supplier of Energy Performance Certificates throughout the Midlands. For more information on HIPs & EPCs call Hipright on 0845 680 1875 or visit http://www.hipright.co.uk
Hipright Home Information Packs (HIPs) &
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)
Tel: 0845 680 1875 - Email: david@hipright.co.uk
Comments
Landlord EPCs and energy costs
Yes 10 years is a very long time, but the energy estimates are updated twice a year. Now in a few months time given the recent price rises these estimates will be out by some way.
Hopefully, some form of index /ready reckoner table can be produced so that a multiplier value can be used on older certificates, produced some time ago, to predict likely values of lighting/ heating costs for the year ahead.
Fast forward 9 years and these estimates of energy cost will be way out. Perhaps a table like this could bring this estimate back into some form of reality. Of course it would be good to see Landlords making improvements to their property in which case it would benefit them to get a new EPC in place.
This coming Winter all of us will be watching energy costs and if you had a choice of renting 2 similar properties, with similar rents, in similar areas, which property would you choose?
Domestic Energy Assessor in St Albans and Hertfordshire