UK Landlord Forum / Life

Hello Lords/Ladies,  I have just read on facebook about new law coming in on 1st April that landlord and letting agencies have to provide an EPC for new tenant or renewal of tenants contract
The EPC must have at lease grade E Fail to comply with this new law would get you a find of up to £5,000   Does anyone know anything more on this.

                              Regards    prefab

An EPC has been a prerequisite for letting a property for some time now.

And yes, needs to be E Prior to letting http://www.arla.co.uk/news/february-2017/government-guidance-on-complying-with-2018-energy-regulations.aspx

What if an existing tenant goes onto periodic? Can I wait until they move before making any changes required?

"before granting a tenancy to new or existing tenants"

Will need some clarification I guess as an EPC needs to be in place prior to marketing currently AFAIK.  What is a new tenancy for existing tenants? New fixed term or is periodic classed as new or a continuation of existing? Have you got any F Properties?  Doubled checked my worst property and that is a D, and F must be a quite terrible property surely.

There are cheap ways to make improvements, LED lights, loads of loft insulation and programmable timer for the heating controls along with TRVs.

I am a huge fan of LED lights... but my experience to date has that they improve the rating by 1 or 2 points. Which feels unfair, but I bet it's because the assessors are stuck in the past - it really calls for low-energy lighting in all outlets, and those 11w slow-on bulbs count... but I think 4w LEDs count just the same (I could be wrong). Anyway, try to target any improvement so it takes you into the next letter band rating... no real point (for appearances) moving from a Dlower to a Dhigher.

An EPC should be given to a prospective Tenant who views your property - it is supposed to form part of their decision-making process. Giving it to only actual Tenants at the start of the tenancy they're already signed up for has robbed (robbed, I tell ya) them of informed choice. Bloody Landlords.

I assume that if the EPC is provided in the advert, prospective tenants don't need to be given a hard copy at viewing, just at AST signing?

Yes Riptide,I have one flat that got an F rating 9 years ago.All 3 flats in the same block were tested the same day,same person.The other two got D.Two have a shared wall downstairs.yet one got Good for wall insulation,the other got Poor/ Average. Ditto the double glazing,fitted just months before the test,same company, same day.The flat is not truly terrible,the tenant has been there years.Because the rents started out low,I have never been able to catch up,so 2 are £100 pm less than the third.I will be having them all retested this year

Changes to the F rated flat (and the other 2) are the heater,and low energy bulbs (going to take Hippogriff's advice and get LED) so I hope it will pass this time.

I changed from lined curtains to roller blinds years ago,which the tenants prefer to dry cleaning bills.Would it make any difference to rating to go back to curtains?
 

Quote from: SimonC on January 26, 2018, 09:46:22 AM
I assume that if the EPC is provided in the advert, prospective tenants don't need to be given a hard copy at viewing, just at AST signing?

I give them a hard copy at viewing and touch on a few things... it's my dedication to good service. I gauge their interests levels - they're generally very low.

Quote from: Hippogriff on January 26, 2018, 10:44:49 AM

Quote from: SimonC on January 26, 2018, 09:46:22 AM
I assume that if the EPC is provided in the advert, prospective tenants don't need to be given a hard copy at viewing, just at AST signing?

I give them a hard copy at viewing and touch on a few things... it's my dedication to good service. I gauge their interests levels - they're generally very low.

Thanks for the reply Hippogriff, think I'll start giving them more of the paperwork at viewing too. Especially as my next let will be for a B rating. If they think I care about their energy savings, legionaires etc that can only be a good thing...!

I print it in colour too.

I do duplex though, to cut down on costs... I'm not an idiot.

Besides, printing stuff in black and white sends the wrong message that you're a skinflint... I might well be, but I'm trying to hoodwink everyone on that front.

I even print black and white documents in colour.