Hazel Green Ltd

28/07/2023

f you own one or more rental properties, you’ll know that it’s a legal requirement for each one to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). These certificates rate a property’s energy efficiency on a scale of A-G. ‘A’ is the most energy efficient, while ‘G’ is the least. Since 2020, landlords have been banned (in most cases) from letting any property with a rating below ‘E’. However, if a recent Daily Telegraph article is correct, upcoming EPC rental changes will make it largely illegal to let a property with a rating below ‘C’.

What are the EPC rental changes?
Originally, the plan was to ensure all new tenancies were in bands A-C by 2025. All rented properties (including existing tenancies) then had to be in bands A-C by 2028.

After much lobbying by landlords and others, it looks possible that Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has decided to alter these deadlines. It’s understood that the 2025 deadline will be scrapped. If so, this will mean all rental properties must have an EPC rating of A-C by 2028.

While, on the face of it, these potential EPC rental changes are good news, there’s also a sting in the tail.

Beforehand, there was an upper limit of £3,500 expenditure on upgrading properties. If you were to spend this sum upgrading a property’s energy efficiency and it still didn’t meet the requirements for an EPC ‘C’ rating, you wouldn’t be banned from renting it out.

This is likely to change. If consultation proposals go ahead, the maximum spend will be capped at £10,000, meaning more landlords will face larger bills.

28/07/2023

UK landlords are grappling with a multitude of challenges as the clock ticks down to the 2028 Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) deadline. Property owners are finding themselves in the throes of a financial whirlwind, as retrofitting their properties to meet the new energy efficiency standards can carry hefty costs. Failing to ensure that their EPC ratings are C or above by the deadline could result in crippling fines up to £30,000.

More than half of the UK’s rental properties currently hold an EPC rating of D or lower, according to data from LandTech. While the government is partnering with financial institutions to cap expenditure per property at £10,000, irrespective of the EPC rating, landlords are understandably anxious about the significant initial investment.

Many property owners are also expressing concerns about the potential implications on tenants, given that rental increases might be necessary to offset retrofitting costs.

28/07/2023

All newly rented properties (both residential and commercial) MUST reach an EPC rating of 'C' or above from 2025. Any existing rented properties (both residential and commercial) MUST have an EPC rating of 'C' or above by 2028.

28/07/2023

By 2027, the minimum EPC rating is set to rise to C, and by 2030, it will further increase to B. These forthcoming changes elevate the potential risk to regional rent to staggering figures of £3bn and £4.8bn, respectively

17/01/2019

Today the government announced that the Tenant Fees Bill will come into force on 1 June 2019. Following today’s Third Reading in the House of Lords, the Bill is likely to receive Royal Assent in the coming weeks.

08/01/2019

Only 2 more clients will be able to receive the 12 months' of discount and free floorplans. Offer ends on 25/01/2019.

All Green Deal Reports booked prior to the 25/01/2019 will receive a 25% discount. Along with free floorplans for any EPC booked prior to the 25th of January, 2019. And the first five customers to book will receive this discount/offer for all of 2019.

08/01/2019

Just had to inform a potential customer that they had been given the wrong information - they did not require an EPC as they own a Grade II listed dwelling (exempt from EPCs).