FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS EPCs Q. When did the obligations to provide EPCs for rented dwellings come into force? A. 1 October 2008. Q. When did the obligations to provide EPCs for the sale of dwellings come into force? A. For the marketed sale of dwellings this requirement started on 1 August 2007. For other types of sale, such as non-marketed sales, this requirement started on 1 October 2008. Q. When did the obligations for newly constructed dwellings come into force? A. 6 April 2008. Q. How long is an EPC valid for? A. 10 years. Q. Where does the 10 year validity period come from? A. The requirement for an EPC is driven by the European Union legislation, which includes a provision that the validity period of EPCs should not exceed 10 years. Q. Where can I find an energy assessor? A. Details of accredited energy assessors can be found on epcregister. Q. Can a landlord charge a tenant for the provision of an EPC? A. No. It is not permitted for the landlord to charge for the provision of the original EPC. However it is permissible for a tenant who has already received the EPC to be charged for the provision of a copy document. Q. How do I decide whether to keep the work in-house or use an external contractor? A. This is a decision for individuals. A key factor to consider when choosing between in-house and external DEAs will be the number of dwellings that require EPCs and the expected frequency of turnover. Q. Is it possible to amend and update an EPC without the need to commission a new assessment? A new EPC may be wanted for example if a replacement boiler is fitted. A. An EPC cannot be amended or updated. If you want to capture the benefits of any energy efficiency measure that you have installed, you will need to commission a new EPC, for which a new survey will be required. However, if the work has been funded through the Green Deal, a new assessment is not required, provided that suitable evidence that the work has been done is available. Q. Is it always the building owner who is responsible for producing the EPC? What if the building owner has no direct relationship with the tenants? A. Where a tenant sub-lets a dwelling, the responsibility to make an EPC available lies with the sub leaseholder. Q. Who has access to the EPCs on the domestic register? A. Data held on the domestic register is publicly available. It is possible to search for an EPC on the register by entering either the certificate’s unique reference number (RRN), or the property’s postcode. Anyone with an EPC can opt out of having their data made publicly available. Q. Are asset management databases available that can hold property specific reduced data standard assessment procedure (RdSAP) input data and the central register reference number in addition to the other asset details? A. These are being developed by the market in response to a recognised need. Q. Is it possible to advertise a property before the EPC has been produced? A. There is nothing to prevent a dwelling being advertised for sale or rent before the EPC is available. However, the landlord/seller will be expected to have made contact with a domestic energy assessor and commissioned the EPC with a view to receiving it within one week of the date it was commissioned. Q. If an EPC is being produced when the dwelling is empty, what impact will occupying tenants or owners have on the accuracy of the energy and environmental ratings when they move in? A. The occupier will have no impact on the EPC ratings, as these are produced using standardised occupancy data (i.e. number of occupants and hours of heating per day). Q. What if the tenant wants to buy the dwelling they already occupy? Can I use the same EPC as I used when they took the tenancy? A. If the tenant wants to purchase the dwelling they rent, the same EPC can be used. Q. Is an EPC needed if tenants are moving via a mutual exchange? A. Whether advertised for exchange via a choice based lettings system or not an EPC will be required. Q. Is an EPC needed for shared ownership dwellings? A. The first equity purchase of the dwelling creates a trigger for an EPC to be produced. The purchase of subsequent equity does not create a need for a further EPC. Q. What happens in the case of stock transfer? Can we have one EPC for a whole block in that case? A. For a stock transfer an EPC is required for each dwelling. However, it may be possible to employ techniques which will reduce the number of dwellings that need to be assessed. Separate guidance is available on these. Q. What happens if I need to get an EPC to advertise the property, but I am going to improve before the new tenant moves in/ the sale is completed? A. Either explain to the tenant or buyer that improvement works were carried out since commissioning the EPC and so the dwelling’s energy efficiency rating may now have changed. It may be beneficial to commission another EPC after completion of the improvements. Q. Will I have to issue an EPC if I have a lodger in my house? A. A letting of a room within your house does not constitute a rental of a building or part of a building - so a separate EPC for that room is not required. Q. Will I need to show an EPC to prospective residents of, for example, a care home or a boarding school? A. These examples do not constitute a rental of a building or a part of a building. Therefore, an EPC is not required. Q. Is an EPC required under a long term regulated tenancy where a tenant dies and a partner, member of their family or other individual is able to succeed to the tenancy under the Rent Act 1977? A. Under such circumstances an EPC is not required. Q. Will an EPC be needed for holiday accommodation? A. An EPC will be required for a property rented out as a holiday let where the building is occupied as a result of a short term letting arrangement and is rented out for a combined total of four months or more in any 12 month period. An EPC will not be required where the property is let under a licence to occupy, regardless of the length of time it is rented out for. Q. Do static caravans or houseboats require an EPC? A. No – static caravans and houseboats do not require an EPC because they are not buildings.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Jul 2013 18:07:41 +0000
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