New regulations for private landlords mean you could be in for a hefty fine if the property you rent out has an EPC rating of E or lower. But more than that you may be prevented from renting out the property at all, until improvements are made.
EPCs and the law
It is a legal requirement for all rented homes in the UK to have a valid EPC certificate. These must be renewed every 10 years. An EPC survey measures the energy efficiency and typical energy use of your property, giving it a rating from A (most efficient) to G ( least efficient). It then gives suggestions of how to improve your rating, such as installing measures like loft insulation.
From 1st April 2018, a change of legislation means that any properties rented out in the private sector must have a minimum energy rating of E on their Energy Performance Certificate. The regulations will came into force for new lets and renewals of tenancies with effect from 1st April 2018 and for all existing tenancies on 1st April 2020. It’s now illegal to rent a property which breaches the requirement for a minimum E rating, unless there is an applicable exemption. If there is a breach in this legislation and the property has a low EPC rating then the landlord could have to pay a £4000 fine.
It is well worth spending the minimal amount an EPC costs and avoiding a potentially hefty fine further down the line. Prices start at around £35, although it varies greatly depending on where you are, as well as the size and complexity of the building.
Plus, if you find that your property is not up to standard, then it gives you enough time to take remedial action. If you leave it until the last minute, then it could be a mad rush to get the property up to scratch, or risk losing out on valuable rental income whilst works are carried out.
How do you get your low EPC rating up to an E?
Most properties in the UK are at least an E rating. The UK average is a D. Having said that, there are still many properties with very poor ratings. It is relatively simple for most homes to reach an E rating. Just some simple loft insulation, efficient lighting and draught proofing will help immensely. There will of course be some properties where an E is very difficult to achieve, and with these, there may be significant costs involved in doing so. In this instance, it might be better to sell the property all together, but you won’t know until an EPC has been carried out.
Booking a residential EPC
Do you need a residential EPC? We have scoured the country for the best surveyors, so that we can make sure we only recommend those we really trust.
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Random question, do I need to serve a valid EPC at the start of a tenancy for HMO rooms?
Hi Rory,
Yes this property will need an EPC. Depending on the layout and how it is set up, you will probably need a commercial or ‘non-domestic’ EPC on this building. They are quite fiddly ones for us to do so costing is going to be in the region of £2-300 for a typical 5 bed HMO.
Let us know if you would like to book it in!
Best
Alan
My EPC is low, will forward you a result soon. How do I give my landlord a warning!! So that loft insulation can be arranged immediately, this is because my young kids fall sick almost all the time. How do I go about this?
If EPC rating is 36 (F) and had 30% of light fittings with energy efficient bulbs. Will changing all the bulbs get it up to a E rating or 39. Original EPC was done in 2015. should I get a new one done?
I was told that I needed energy efficient light FITTINGS not just the bulbs to make any difference to my rating.
Hi The Chapel has an epc rating of G. It is a stone wall construction. The reccomendation is wall insulation so I am getting some quotes but I am concerned both about whether I can afford the £14k for this, the damage to the building of insulating stone walls that need to breathe, and that I won’t get the exemption because I haven’t replaced the boiler (the current electric boiler is 5 years old) but it is not a very powerful one and less efficient than say a oil fired boiler or solar panels. It is currently rented. My agent is telling me to put in an oil fired boiler. Can you advise?
Hi. Some said floor insulation would help raise my score in an EPC. What is floor insulation?
My EPC is low. Assessor says the calor gas fire needs to be taken out and replaced with an electric one to raise the rating. Only problem is doing this means no heating at all if the electric fails as main oil boiler pump needs electric too. Any ideas?
You can look at the last page of the report where it lists the recommendations. Are any of them realistic?
My landlord wants a 15% increase in rent but the EPC rating is only an F and he’s not attempting to improve the property. Can we refuse to pay the extra £200 per month or will we be evicted. We have been in the property 10 years and paid over £100k in rent.
Thank you