Published: 03/11/2017
Last Updated: 03/11/2017
Author: Denise Wheatley
Tags:
EPC Rating
From 1st April 2018, you won’t be able to rent out your property on a new tenancy in England and Wales (renewed tenancies included, and all existing tenancies from 1st April 2020), unless it passes on the Energy Performance Certificate as a minimum of an E grading. Over one million dwellings in England and Wales would not currently pass the new rules, and could face huge fines.
As of 1st April 2018 It will be unlawful to rent a property which breaches the requirement for a minimum E rating, unless there is an applicable exemption. A civil penalty of up to £4,000 will be imposed for breaches.
The 2018 rules only apply to new or renewed tenancies, but in 2020, the same rules will apply to all tenancies. After April 2018, if your minimum term ends and you fall below a band E, your only option if you have not upgraded your property will be to go into a statutory periodic tenancy. From 2020, even this is no longer an option, so the time to act is now!
What Should I Do If My Rental Property Has an EPC that Is Lower than an E Rating?
If your last EPC rating was below an E, the first thing to do is to get an up-to-date EPC carried out if you have done improvements on the property since the last assessment, even small changes such as energy efficient light bulbs may help bring it up a grade.
If the property’s new EPC rating is still below an E, then you will need to make efficiency improvements to boost your rating before you let it out or renew your contract.
Your EPC report will have a list of recommended measures for improving your property’s energy efficiency performance. You will need to carry out enough of these measures to improve your score to above an E rating. After the energy efficiency changes have been made to the property, you will then need to get another EPC to show the new energy rating.
If your property is managed by Ellisons, do contact our property management team who can help you arrange any upgrades that may be necessary in plenty of time!
For more information on how we can arrange your EPC immediately, call 0208 944 8626.
As of 1st April 2018 It will be unlawful to rent a property which breaches the requirement for a minimum E rating, unless there is an applicable exemption. A civil penalty of up to £4,000 will be imposed for breaches.
The 2018 rules only apply to new or renewed tenancies, but in 2020, the same rules will apply to all tenancies. After April 2018, if your minimum term ends and you fall below a band E, your only option if you have not upgraded your property will be to go into a statutory periodic tenancy. From 2020, even this is no longer an option, so the time to act is now!
What Should I Do If My Rental Property Has an EPC that Is Lower than an E Rating?
If your last EPC rating was below an E, the first thing to do is to get an up-to-date EPC carried out if you have done improvements on the property since the last assessment, even small changes such as energy efficient light bulbs may help bring it up a grade.
If the property’s new EPC rating is still below an E, then you will need to make efficiency improvements to boost your rating before you let it out or renew your contract.
Your EPC report will have a list of recommended measures for improving your property’s energy efficiency performance. You will need to carry out enough of these measures to improve your score to above an E rating. After the energy efficiency changes have been made to the property, you will then need to get another EPC to show the new energy rating.
If your property is managed by Ellisons, do contact our property management team who can help you arrange any upgrades that may be necessary in plenty of time!
For more information on how we can arrange your EPC immediately, call 0208 944 8626.
