Lay My Hat

I've just read that DCLG have announced a change to the Energy Performance Certificate guidance:

Page 27 of DCLG’s document ‘Energy Performance Certificates for Dwellings in the Social and Private Rented Sectors: A Guide for Landlords’ currently contains the following guidance:

Q. Will an EPC be needed for holiday accommodation?

A. If the agreement between the parties expressly allows for a short period of holiday occupation only and no intention to create a tenancy can be inferred, then an EPC is not required.

From 30th June 2011, this guidance will be replaced with the following:

Q. Will an EPC be needed for holiday accommodation?

A. An EPC will be required for a property rented out as a holiday let where the building* is occupied as a result of a short term letting arrangement and is rented out for a combined total of 4 months or more in any 12 month period.

It is specific to England and Wales. I don't know yet what happens in Scotland. Also, it doesn't mention what the trigger is (e.g. for residential lettings, the trigger for needing the EPC is advertising for a new tennant).

Can you provide a link Ben? I had a quick look and found a document from 2008, but nothing else (without wading through treacle looking for it!)

I received this info in an email from Elmhurst (one of the Energy Assessor accreditation companies). I'm a domestic energy assessor myself - so I'm on their mailing list.

http://www.communities.gov.uk/archived/ ... w=Standard

Ok, I found the document as a pdf in this page. Although it's dated 2008, it has the amendment you stated on page 27. I will read it in due course, but won't be surprised if it doesn't provide a definitive answer!

If anyone is particularly interested PM me and I'll forward the newsletter from EASCO on the subject. It probably wouldn't be right to post the contents up here without permission from EASCO, especially as you have to pay (not much) to be a member and get the information. They are apparently posting updates on their facebook page at www.tiny.cc/fbeasco

The whole thing seems half-arsed, as usual; for some weird reason properties that are let for a total of less than 4 months will be exempt..... duh.

And who is seriously going to not book an old inefficient to heat character cottage in the summer because its energy performance when heating is required in winter is below par?

Nothing from VB on the subject........

Thanks GB. What a load of tosh. To put it bluntly, that's just another money earner for someone (sorry Ben!). If you are a tenant on a six month lease it makes sense to have an indication of its energy efficiency, as you will be picking up the bills. But a holiday guest does not (usually) pay the bills and therefore it has virtually no relevance to them. Will it make them more energy efficient when they stay? Hardly.

A few days ago we received an email from one of our letting agents tellings us about this and that it will probably come in for June......and if we want him to arrange to get it sorted for us, it will cost us £80 !!!!!!!!! more money!!!!!!

Eighty quids is quite a lot, but then you have to consider that holiday properties tend to be in out-of-the-way places so you won't get it done for the £35 to £40 that is the going rate in town centres. By the way, the landlords are paying a little more as they tend to get it done through the agents instead of direct. The 35+ is the amount that I charge to letting agents.

I don't want to get into defending the EPC, but its message is really directed at the landlord anyway. At least in the holiday rentals sector, it's the landlord who pays the energy bills and has an interest in energy efficiency. In rented accommodation it REALLY doesn't work because the tenant pays the bills so the landlord has no interest in energy efficiency.

Sorry if it's been posted before (I did search) but here is a link to the up to date consultation results. Dated November last year but it's the first time I've seen it.

http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents ... 907201.pdf

See section 4.

What have you been quoted for these EPC's?

£45 each for 6 properties for us at the moment.

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but who do you even approach to get a quote?

An electrician??

Aha... thanks. Since our apartment is a new build, is it possible/probable that we've had one of these done already?

Hi
I'm new here, so first of all, hello.

I came across this quote on a communication sent to me:

""that any holiday lets which are let out for more than 4 months a year will require an EPC when first rented out". "

and wondered if anyone else had seen it as it states "when first rented out"

I enquired to a EPC assessor and they said it meant ALL properties, but then he would, wouldn't he!

Has anyone else come across that statement anywhere as I have googles without success?

I asked the insurance company who had included it in an email they sent me and they replied:

"That’s a very good question! And one I tried to find the answer for before I sent the email, but without success.

It depends on your reading of it, personally I would read it that it only applies to new lets, not existing ones.... but there again I might be wrong"

So, really none the wiser, just some more mud in the pool to make it even more cloudy, I suppose, but thought it worth passing on.

P

Aha... thanks. Since our apartment is a new build, is it possible/probable that we've had one of these done already?

Doubt it. It's up to the landlord of AST's and now from June holiday rentals to arrange it.