Energy Performance Certificate

From 1st October 2008 where a house or flat is being let, an Energy Performance Certificate – EPC – will be required under UK law.

An EPC is required as follows:

• Individual house or flat, ie. a self contained property with its own kitchen / bathroom facilities – one EPC for the property
• Self contained flats, ie. each behind its own front door with is own kitchen / bathroom facilities – one EPC per flat
• Bedsits, ie. shared kitchen and/or bathroom – no EPC is required
• Shared flats or houses, eg. a letting of a whole flat or house to students or young professionals etc – one EPC for the whole property
• Mixed self contained and non self contained accommodation – one EPC for each self contained flat or unit but no EPC for the remainder of the property
• A room in a hall of residence or hostel – no EPC is required
• Individual room in a flat or house, eg. where a tenant rents a room so he/she has exclusive use of his/her bedroom and shared use of the kitchen toilet and bathroom – no EPC

The requirement to make a copy of the EPC available to a prospective tenant does not apply where a landlord has reasonable ground to believe that a prospective tenant is:

• Unlikely to have sufficient financial means to rent the dwelling
• Not genuinely interested in renting the dwelling of that particular type
• Not a person to whom the landlord would be likely to be prepared to rent out the property

There are fixed penalties for failing to provide an EPC or make one available when required. The fixed penalty for dwellings is £200 per dwelling. There is a six month time limit for any enforcement action to be taken.

There is nothing to stop you providing this Certificate before the 1st October 2008. However, unlike with Home Information Packs, there is no exemption from the EPC requirement although the property may have been on the market to rent before the 1st October 2008. You will have to provide an EPC even though you have the property advertised to let before that date.

If you wish to order your Energy Performance Certificates the cost is £75 plus VAT – call us on 0161 945 5777.