EPCs – New ones issued via email link only?

EPCs – New ones issued via email link only?

14:25 PM, 23rd October 2020, About 4 years ago 27

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I have had a raft of new EPC’s done and the assessors have just emailed me the link to the .gov site where they are stored. You can’t download them (I have tried).

Question – do I have to send a copy of the new EPC to the existing tenant? (they already had a copy of the previous valid one when they moved in)

Can I just send them the link also for reference?

As I understood it you DON’T have to give the tenant a copy of the new EPC (unless you plan on issuing them with a S21) as the whole point of an EPC is to alert the incoming tenant about the eco status of the property before they enter into a contract to move in, so they are aware of the costs of running the property etc. Am I right?

Is it also the case that you don’t even have to carry out an EPC even if its date has expired if the existing tenant is in situ – in other words, you only really need to get a valid EPC in place before the NEXT tenant moves in?

Many thanks

Reluctant Landlord


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Comments

Jireh Homes

19:26 PM, 23rd October 2020, About 4 years ago

Correct in that with an existing tenancy there is no requirement to renew an expired EPC, so long as rating meets the Band E minimum energy efficiency standard. Once current tenant gives notice to leave, then a valid EPC must be in place before marketing commences.

Gunga Din

20:14 PM, 23rd October 2020, About 4 years ago

"...the whole point of an EPC is to alert the incoming tenant about the eco status of the property before they enter into a contract to move in, so they are aware of the costs of running the property etc. Am I right?"

Call me a cynic, but no. The point of an EPC is to comply with rules and avoid a fine, and be able to issue Section 21. I've taken to asking my tenants (after they've settled in) whether the EPC was a factor in the choice. Some aren't even sure what it is, and I've never had a single person who paid any attention to its contents.

Richie

20:53 PM, 23rd October 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Chris Harris at 23/10/2020 - 17:35
You certainly can on a PC either as a pdf or an XPS file, Basically both the same and will open in Adobe. Just click others on the print screen if XPS is not shown.

Clint

22:12 PM, 23rd October 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Gunga Din at 23/10/2020 - 20:14
I must have had well over a hundred tenancies since epc's were required and I only know of one occasion when a tenant actually went through it. On all the other occasions they just took it and signed the tenancy agreement after they signed a receipt saying they received the epc. In the past couple of years I have been emailing it to them so I don't know if they actually took it more seriously.
I personally don't think tenants care about epc's. Tenants tend to want to see what type of heating there is and if the windows are double glazed and that is about all in terms of energy efficiency.

Clint

22:14 PM, 23rd October 2020, About 4 years ago

I must have had well over a hundred tenancies since epc's were required and I only know of one occasion when a tenant actually went through it. On all the other occasions they just took it and signed the tenancy agreement after they signed a receipt saying they received the epc. In the past couple of years I have been emailing it to them so I don't know if they actually took it more seriously.
I personally don't think tenants care about epc's. Tenants tend to want to see what type of heating there is and if the windows are double glazed and that is about all in terms of energy efficiency.
I generally look at it as to comply with rules or to be more precise to catch the landlord out for not providing one.

12:11 PM, 24th October 2020, About 4 years ago

When I produce an EPC now on the new government system I can choose to print and this gives me the option to save as PDF, allowing me to email my clients the EPC in a format their familiar with.
Ask your assessor to do this for you and then your free to store and supply the EPC as before.

Cheers
Ed

Jon D

13:15 PM, 25th October 2020, About 4 years ago

Just a reminder readers - make sure you have sent your tenant an EPC.

You can't remove a tenant if they have not received an EPC, Gas safety check and the offical "how to rent" leaflet. Do it now!

"Neither a section 21(1) nor 21(4) notice may be given in relation to a dwelling-house in England at a time when the landlord is in breach of a prescribed requirement"

gachilleos

16:53 PM, 28th October 2020, About 4 years ago

Hi RL,

In response to your questions, the EPC legislation had 2 recent updates; the first in April 2018 when the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) where introduced for new tenancies to have a min of an E-rating (or exemption) and the second in April 2020 where the MEES applies to all tenancies including existing.

Unfortunately you still need to provide the tenants with a valid EPC even if they are existing tenants. The good news, you now only need to provide them with the link as of Sept 2020 which can be found on the new EPC website https://find-energy-certificate.digital.communities.gov.uk/

Although a valid EPC is required when you have to serve a S.21 you still need to have one throughout their tenancies, therefore if the old one expires you need to get a new one in place (unlike 2018 when you could wait for the contract to expire or tenants to leave).

If you want to download a PDF copy of the EPC, there is a "print this certificate" option just under the blue box where the valid date is located. If you click it and change the destination (normally its your printer name) to save as PDF you save and download your copy.

Kind regards,

George
Achilleos Energy Assessors

Reluctant Landlord

17:06 PM, 28th October 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by gachilleos at 28/10/2020 - 16:53
so George, if the EPC expires now with the tenant in situ and not going anywhere, I still have to get a new EPC conducted and issued to them?

gachilleos

17:23 PM, 28th October 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by WP at 28/10/2020 - 17:06
Hi WP,

Yes that is correct. As a valid EPC is required in place during the tenancy a new EPC would be required when the current one expires. This was brought into effect from April this year, as the MEES applies to all tenancies NEW and EXISTING.

When you stated the S.21 requiring an EPC, this was brought into effect in 2015 so the current law surpasses that as well.

If you also look to re-mortgage your properties, the lender would also ask for a valid EPC to be in place that complies with the MEES.

Hope this helps?

Kind regards,

George

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