A Guide to EPC Certificates

Since 2008 landlords have been legally required to have an EPC. Any property being rented, sold, or built cannot have an EPC rating graded lower than E, which has also been a legal requirement for all rentals – whether existing or new – since April 2020. If the minimum energy efficiency requirement is not met, you could be fined up to £4,000.

There are some exceptions. For example, a single rented room within a house does not require an EPC.

Listed buildings can also be exempt if upgrade work cannot be carried out to make them more energy efficient. Residential buildings that will be used for less than four months a year are also exempt.

You will need to find an accredited domestic Energy Assessor to carry out an energy performance assessment. Anyone living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland can find one here. Alternatively, if we are the agency managing the sale or letting of your property, we will be able to organise this in the early stages of the process.

EPCs last for ten years and typically cost £35 to obtain. However, an EPC for a larger property may cost more, especially if it is in a city with a high cost of living.

If you do not have a valid EPC, you can be fined £200 by the Trading Standards Office. Landlords can also be fined for not commissioning an EPC before the property is put onto the market.

Commissioning an EPC means that either the landlord or agent working on their behalf has requested an accredited Energy Assessor to conduct an energy performance assessment of the property.

Before a property can be put onto the market and made available to rent, the landlord must have ordered an EPC. If you purchased the property within the past ten years and the energy efficiency of the property has not declined during that period, you may be able to use the EPC provided to you at the time.