ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATES
Information For Landlords
General requirements
The landlord must commission an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and ensure a copy of it, including the recommendation report, is available free of charge to prospective tenants at the earliest opportunity. As a minimum, this should be when prospective tenants are first given written information about a dwelling or are arranging to view it, and before any rental contract is entered into. A copy of the EPC (rating and recommendation report) must be given free of charge to the person who ultimately becomes the tenant before any rental contract is entered into.
From 1 October 2008, an EPC will be required whenever a building in the social or private rented sectors is let to a new tenant. A building can be: the whole of a building; or part of a building where the part is designed or altered to be used separately.
An EPC is only required for a dwelling that is self-contained, meaning that it does not share essential facilities such as a bathroom/shower room, wc or kitchen with any other dwelling, and that it has its own entrance, either from outside or through common parts, that is not through another unit.
In instances of lettings where marketing activity is initiated pre-October 2008, an EPC is only required if the property continues to be offered for let on or after 1 October 2008. Where the landlord has an agent, they may be given the task of ensuring that these requirements are met. However, the landlord will remain responsible for any breaches.
Lease renewal
The landlord is not required to produce an EPC when an existing lease is renewed, only when the tenant changes.
Communications
Landlords should bear in mind the most appropriate way of communicating with prospective tenants. Weblinks or electronic communications are acceptable, provided that prospective tenants will be able to access information in this way and consents to receive it in this form. The Landlord should maintainan auditable trail of communication to show: whether a tenant has agreed to receive an EPC electronically; and whether they have in fact received it.
Existing EPCs
If a landlord already has an EPC for a property, for example because it was recently purchased and the EPC was part of the Home Information Pack, this EPC can be used for the subsequent rental. EPCs are valid for 10 years from the date of its production for rental purposes but only for 12 months if it is to be used for a HIPs related sale.
Validity period of EPCs
EPCs are valid for ten years and can be reused for new tenants as many times as required within that period. If a new EPC is commissioned, this then becomes the only valid one. EPCs are not invalidated by renovation works or improvements. However, a landlord may wish to obtain a new certificate to demonstrate the energy efficiency improvements to potential tenants. An EPC will relate to a single dwelling, so if a building is converted such that it will contain more, or fewer, separate dwellings than before, a new EPC will be required in relation to each new self-contained dwelling.
Production of EPCs
EPCs must be produced by an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) or a Home Inspector (HI). Home Inspectors are accredited to produce HomeInformation Packs for private marketed sales, of which the EPC is one element. Dwellings for rent only require EPCs and the associated Recommendations Report.