To comply with EU and UK law all property offered for rental in England and Wales will require an Energy Performance Certificate from 1st October 2008. These certificates must be issued by fully qualified and accredited Energy Assessors. Property in Northern Ireland will also require an EPC by 30th December 2008 and those in Scotland by 4th January 2009.
This is the schedule which points towards Energy Assessors being in high demand in England Wales and Scotland:
The demand will be high, one important point to consider is the possible delay that may be caused in marketing your property for rent because you do not have an EPC. From October 2008 it will be illegal to rent your property without a certificate. It will be a busy time for Energy Assessors and so turn around of your EPC could cost you significant rental income, as you could experience a delay in getting your certificate and in turn getting your property on the market.
There are many qualified Domestic Energy Inspectors already producing EPCs for the Sales Market but landlords have the option to use a company that they can trust to understand their needs. Assure Property Inventory Services can now receive instructions directly from landlords or agents for the production of EPCs. There is no impersonal call centre based panel to deal with, all EPCs are delivered within the industry standard three day turn around time. Our assessors are fully qualified with full advanced background checks by the Criminal Bureau Agency and are members of the Elmhurst Energy accreditation scheme. Full professional indemnity and public liability insurance are held.
APIS can also provide EPCs for private home owners or solicitors to include in their own HIP prior to sale.
EPCs will be valid for 10 years on rental properties. Unless you make changes to your property to improve its energy efficiency there will be no need for another inspection until 2018 or later.
To book an energy assessor and get an energy performance certificate, call Greig Oliver on 0845 0940023 or email contact@assure-property-inventory.co.uk