Scotland to introduce EPC Min Band D

Scotland to introduce EPC Min Band D

17:12 PM, 3rd December 2020, About 3 years ago 12

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The Energy Efficiency (PRS) Regulations which were to be enacted this year are now to be introduced next year with the Min EPC rating being Band D w.e.f. 01 Apr 2022 on new leases and by 31 Mar 2025 for existing leases. This skips the previous Min Band E which was to take effect in April this year and doubles the “excessive cost” threshold to £10,000.

This is the same timetable as originally proposed, which also has Min Band C on new leases a requirement from 01 Apr 2025.

As the average EPC Rating for Scotland is D61 this leaves a lot of properties which will struggle to achieve Band D and more importantly less time to evaluate the challenges in improvements to achieve Band E which would have become evident on the original plan.

Allan


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Comments

Porky

11:52 AM, 4th December 2020, About 3 years ago

Oh Dear. All those rented castles in Scotland will never get this rating.

Chris @ Possession Friend

12:04 PM, 4th December 2020, About 3 years ago

You just know the childish mentality of the Devolved Governments are going to do this,
' We've got higher energy efficiency standards than you,' na na na - you can't play with our ball. !
Just reminds you of Kelis' song Milkshake -
... " Our EPC costs landlords more, the tenants life is better than yours, we could teach you but we'd have to charge 😉

Hywel Morgan

12:22 PM, 4th December 2020, About 3 years ago

Let’s hope they stop at a D rating as the cost jumps massively if you try to go from D to C on older properties as it usually means having to fit 50mm insulation on the inside of every external wall and the cost of plasterboard, plastering, decoration etc.

I’m sure the tenants will love putting up with such disruption in every room that will end up being smaller than it was. Will Landlords be expected to pay for the refitting of tenant’s items on walls such as TVs too? Probably.

And will some rooms become too small for them to meet the minimal size requirement to be rented out? Probably.

I’ve already decided that I will sell all older properties that will be costly to upgrade should they introduce a minimum target of C in England and Wales which will mean 8 tenants on benefits will need to be housed by the Council.

I really hope the powers that be think this through but these days I think that is too much to ask!

Colin Brammeld

15:54 PM, 4th December 2020, About 3 years ago

Usual incompetence from SNP and curly Greens. They have screwed up and delayed several times now and with out fully thinking through the proposals. Where are landlords going to get £10,000 to carry out insulation with out hiking rents up massively. Scotland is full of rural properties that will struggle to get E rating never mind a C. To try and retrofit floor insulation is nearly impossible in most homes with out ripping up the whole floor, rooms built in the attic space are again impossible to insulate with out massive upheaval and cost. The cost past on to tenants will never be saved by them on their heating bills.
However what do you expect from the financial illiterate Marxist running Scotland.

Porky

16:10 PM, 4th December 2020, About 3 years ago

If your property is below the new regulations when it comes in and you do not raise the EPC to meet the new regulations by 2025 and you still have a tenant and your tenant refuses to vacate so you can sell the property easier what happens next? You can't be forced to raise the energy efficiency surely.

Jireh Homes

16:37 PM, 4th December 2020, About 3 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Hywel Morgan at 04/12/2020 - 12:22
Hi Hywel - unfortunately Scottish Government are not going to stop at Min Band D, having already advised their tagget is Min Band C in the PRS by Apr 2025, and that this rating is also to apply to Owner Occupied homes as well!

Allan

Jireh Homes

16:43 PM, 4th December 2020, About 3 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Porky at 04/12/2020 - 16:10
Hi Porky - one of the "exemption" clauses is where tenants refuse consent for work, so this may be used to stall whilst they remain in the property. However, once they vacate you would not be able to market till the EPC rating raised to the Min Band applicable at the time. And if this is for sale, if the recent consultation relating to ratings for owner-occupied homes is enacted, then forced to sell BMV and let someone else pick up the challenge!

Gunga Din

17:25 PM, 4th December 2020, About 3 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Jireh Homes at 04/12/2020 - 16:37
Interesting that its going to apply to owner occupied as well. I always assumed the English gov't would never dare impose that, although with 4 times the number of rental properties it of course makes sense from an energy efficiency standpoint.

Hywel Morgan

20:48 PM, 4th December 2020, About 3 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Jireh Homes at 04/12/2020 - 16:37
Hi Alan,

They had better get cracking building Council Houses then, otherwise a lot of people will be made homeless.

Cheers

Hywel

Mick Roberts

11:44 AM, 5th December 2020, About 3 years ago

I & many others like Hywel Morgan will be in same boat.

Out of all my houses, I've got a lot of 1970's. And many of them are EPC rating D. And they have latest combi boiler, UPVC, loft insulation, I'm sure I have many E's.
So to get to C if anything more can be done, this is gonna' cost & who is paying for this? I can give tenant a brand new house if Govt wish, but we all know New-Builds cost more to buy & rent.
I think this C rating if comes in will be the final nail. I reckon supply will reduce then more than now, & remaining rents will rocket.

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