Don’t be caught out by EPCS!

February 27, 2019

It was over 10 years ago that law was passed to make it compulsory for the sale of the Property to have an Energy Performance Certificate in place. It is also a legal requirement for an EPC to be in place for letting of a residential or commercial property (unless one of the exemptions apply).

For any property, it is worth checking the date of the EPC as some of these are coming up to the end of a 10 year period in terms of their validity. In addition, the energy efficiency of a property could have changed significantly within the last 10 years which could affect the rating for the EPC.

Whilst this arguably might not be a factor for owners or occupiers of residential properties, it is of significant importance when it comes to selling or leasing a commercial property or renting out a residential property. The reason being is that law was passed introducing the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) nearly 12 months ago and any property that does not meet MEES will therefore need work to be done to the Property to improve the energy efficiency level for MEES purposes. In April 2020, Landlords will not be permitted to continue to let out residential property if the certificate does not meet MEES. In the case of business tenancies, the relevant date is April 2023

If the certificate provides an “E” rating or above, then the property meets the MEES. If it is an “F” or “G” then you will need to undertake the works required to improve MEES. Usually the certificate will provide some guidance for the types of works that can be done to a Property to ensure that it improves its energy efficiency. It is best to check now if you are contemplating selling or letting a Property as having an inadequate certificate in place will cause delay in terms of getting the Property ready for sale or letting on the market. In addition, there might be financial penalties for not having the appropriate certificate in place.

If you are unsure as to whether a Property has a certificate, there are online registers for both domestic and non-domestic EPCs that you can check provided you have the postcode for the Property.

If you require some guidance in relation to Energy Performance Certificates or MEES, please contact our commercial team for further assistance. Call our Gloucester office on 0800 158 4147 to book an initial appointment today.