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  • Landlord's responsibility for EPC

    Since 1 October 2008 landlords have been legally required to provide prospective tenants with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). EPCs are needed for any house or dwelling with its own bathroom and kitchen facilities.

    EPCs are however, not required for any property that was occupied prior to 1st October 2008 and is still rented by the same tenant. The EPC must be provided free of charge to the buyer or tenant, and the EPC rating must be shown on all commercial media advertising the property.

    For a rented property the certificate can be re-used for up to 10 years, but landlords are free to update the certificate more frequently if they have undertaken improvements that they feel will benefit from an improved rating.

    An assessment will usually cost you around £100 and involves an internal and external examination of the property, looking at elements such as how well the heating system works and how well the property retains heat.

    If you are a landlord letting a residential property, then in addition to providing a valid EPC, it is also necessary that you have the appropriate landlord insurance in place to protect your properties and income from your investment which may even include a full portfolio.  Needless to say, not having the right protection in place can prove catastrophic with the many possibilities of risk such as tenants refusing to pay, loss of income, a forced closure, and damage to property.

    What is an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)?

    Landlords EPC

    An EPC provides information to the tenants on how energy efficient the property is. The energy and carbon emission grade is from ‘A’ to ‘G’ with ‘A’ being the most efficient. The certificate will also provide information on potential changes to the property that could help to make it more energy efficient which are split between low level improvements with costs up to £500 and high level structural improvements with costs over £500. Such improvements will also indicate how these could change the energy efficiency rating.

    The certificate also provides details on the typical energy costs for the property, details on who carried out the assessment and who to contact in instances of complaints.

    What happens if you fail to provide the EPC certificate?

    Penalties for failing to provide an EPC are £200 for landlords or letting agents, whom will incur a £200 charge per advert. This penalty has a six month time limit before enforcement action is taken.

    Who can produce an EPC?

    EPCs must be produced by an accredited assessor, such as a Domestic Energy Assessor or a Home Inspector. An assessor applies a specific formula provided by the Government to produce the rating of the property.

    As a landlord of a property there are many responsibilities that you need to be aware of, such as providing an EPC, and one of the main responsibilities will be ensuring you have the correct landlord insurance in place to protect your investment from the many pitfalls as a landlord. Bluedrop provide flexible landlords insurance which can be tailored to your individual needs.

    Want to find out more about Bluedrop's Landlord Insurance?
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