service for letting agents
To comply with EU legislation, the Government has stipulated that all residential property will require an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) from October 2008.
This means that rented accommodation will be introduced into the scheme and an EPC will have to be presented to the tenant at the point of rental. Even if you appoint a chartered surveyor, he or she must be a qualified and accredited energy assessor to issue an EPC.
The EPC will be valid on the property for ten years from the date of issue unless there are radical changes to the accommodation, such as structural alterations or changes that affect the heating efficiency. If this is the case, EnAsCo can carry out a brief inspection and, because basic records are held on file for a minimum of 12 years, provide an upgraded certificate for a reduced cost.
EnAsCo recognises that letting agents want to advise their clients easily and simply, and are responsible for getting the best arrangement for them, so we have prepared a solution that combines these requisites. We have an EPC pricing structure to be used as a guide and to which agents can introduce fair administration overheads as they see fit.
As opposed to assessment providers that give their quotations according to the type of house, number of bedrooms, floor area, etc., we have a standard rate for the number of habitable rooms.
- Habitable rooms include bedrooms, sitting rooms, dining rooms, studies, etc
- Halls, landings, utility rooms, kitchens and bathrooms are not habitable rooms
- Rooms that are combined, for example a kitchen & dining or a lounge extension, are counted as one room for EPC assessment purposes
As you are acting in the best interests for your clients, this simplifies matters so you can reduce your time and expenses when you have to prepare costs for them.
Considering that an EPC for rented accommodation lasts for ten years, it could be beneficial for you to advise your clients to act in good time. October could be a busy period for assessors and having to wait for a certificate could cause a delay in resuming rental income.