London Lettings - September 2008
Energy Performance Certificates - these are the facts
Will EPCs be needed for all rental properties?
Susan Fitz-Gibbon of London letting agency Fitz-Gibbon presents the facts.
At present, Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are only required - as part of a Home Information Pack - if you are selling your property. New EU legislation requires that from October 1 it will be mandatory for landlords to provide them for prospective tenants too.
As part of this directive, EPC's can only be issued by qualified energy assessors and home inspectors, so savvy landlords have been trying to beat the September rush over the summer.
The certificate not only rates a property on its energy efficiency from A to G, with A being the most environmentally friendly, but also supplies information on CO2 emissions and recommendations on how to improve energy efficiency. Each certificate is valid for ten years, even if there is a change in tenancy during that time.
The cost of an EPC will be set by the market, rather than the Government, and will vary depending on the size and type of the property. Landlords with existing tenants in their properties on October 1 will not need to obtain an EPC for that tenancy, but will be required to produce one before subsequent property marketing can take place.