Lettings and How EPC Changes could affect you & how they'll really matter in 2018!

Jeremy Wasden from Belvoir Lettings in Uxbridge talks about EPC changes.

Aside from April Fools, the 1st of April is significant in lettings because it seems to be the time for changes in Energy Efficiency rules and EPC’s.
They were a legal requirement when letting a property since 1st October 2008.
Last 1st of April the change for this year was that tenants can ask their landlords for permission to carry out improvements to property that make their home more energy efficient. Now that’s not the same as asking the landlord to pay for it. It’s up to the tenant to put the funding in place, so perhaps the impact of this measure may be limited. Tenants can certainly ask the landlord to contribute but that’s outside the remit of this.

The landlords should not unreasonably refuse consent for the work to be done. That’s consent for the work to go ahead or access say in the case of a block of flats.
This change really make more sense when the Green Deal funding was still in place. The tenant would apply for a change. It would be funded by increases in the utilities bills against the savings made by the more efficient system and everyone’s a winner. Now Green Deals gone it’s down to other schemes as provided by utility companies as part of their energy efficiency obligations or onto the tenants to provide.
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But now less than two years away is the governments major weapon to use to improve Energy Efficiency in let property. From October last year you should give EPC’s to tenants and have proof of having done so S21 notice. But you can’t start a new tenants after this date in a single let property if the EPC rating is an F or a G.

There are exceptions to this around some HMO’s, changes to listed property and making changes that are listed as recommendations. If you do what is recommended on the EPC and that does not bring you to an E rating than the property would still be okay to let.
Often the quick wins can have a major effect; such as hot water tank jackets, room thermostats, loft insulation or replacing an old boiler.

That means some landlords are going to have to do some work to make improvements. Good time to be a Gas Safe Plumber

Your can find your properties EPC rating at:

https://www.epcregister.com/reportSea...

Thanks - Jeremy

Jeremy Wasden of Belvoir Lettings in Uxbridge
113 Hillingdon Hill, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB10 0JQ
01895 257935
http://www.belvoir.co.uk/letting-agen...