EPC's

Energy Performance Certificate 

 - Residential & Commercial - 

EPCs were introduced in England and Wales on 1 August 2007.  The energy assessment needed to produce an EPC is performed by a Qualified and Accredited energy assessor who visits the property, examines key items such as cavity wall, floor and loft insulation, domestic boiler, hot water tank, radiators, heating controls, windows for double glazing, and so on. They then input the observations into a software program which performs the calculation of energy efficiency. The program gives a single number for the rating of energy efficiency, and a recommended value of the potential for improvement.

The residential property must achieve an E rating for rental purposes.



Fire Risk Assessment Building Plans

 - Scaled drawings of large buildings to be submitted for fire risk assessors-

All commercial properties require an Energy Performance Certificate when being sold or let. Ratings are often used by tenants or potential buyers to make energy comparisons between properties. A Commercial EPC comes with a recommendation report that outlines how the energy performance of the building could be improved.

The seller or landlord is responsible for ensuring there is a Commercial EPC for the building, or part of the building, being sold or let, even if an agent or another service organisation is acting on their behalf or providing an EPC. The seller or landlord must ensure any person acting on their behalf (i.e. estate or letting agent) is complying with the regulations.

Lease plans

-Land Registry Complaint Plans-

A plan that shows land or property that is subject to a land registry application. This type of plan is also commonly known as a boundary plan, lease plan, deed plan or conveyance plan.

Our land registry compliant plan will show :

- The layout of the building with your demise outlined in red

- Any communal areas, access areas, gardens, bin stores, bike stores etc

- Be scaled 1:100, 1:200 or 1:50

- Show the North Point

- Show a 1:1250 o 1:500 location plan

- Show the proximity of your property to the road

- Will be prepared for A4 or A3 plans

2025 -  EPC PLAN

-REACH A C RATING OR RISK A £30,000 FINE - I WILL PRODUCE THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO ACHIEVE THIS.

As part of the government’s objective to increase energy efficiency and achieve net-zero carbon targets, all newly rented properties will need an EPC of at least Band ‘C’ by 2025. Existing tenancies will have until 31st December 2028.  Fines for not having a valid EPC will also increase from £5000 to £30,000. 

It’s a perfect storm. The private rented sector (and wider housing stock) is old and needs upgrading which carries a financial cost that some landlords are simply unable to bear at this time.  Landlords are being subjected to obstacles that are making their business models more and more difficult to sustain.   Interest rates on BTL mortgages have risen exponentially and even the new Capital Gains Tax hike in the Autumn Statement feels like yet another attack on your portfolio that you have worked hard to accumulate.

According to the Energy Efficiency Investment Index, the total investment required to bring the national average rating to EPC ‘C’ will cost Landlords up to £48.3 billion.  The average improvement per unit is around £4,700.

Most landlords want to increase efficiency but if they lack the financial resources, what are they supposed to do?  Some landlords will have no choice but to increase rents to pay for the required changes, adding more financial strain for tenants already suffering through the cost-of-living crisis.

The government’s proposed changes seem to completely disregard the logistics of making energy improvements to rentals in apartment blocks. Many landlords own a single leasehold in a building of owner-occupied flats or other rentals, where retrofitting measures are extremely difficult. The more invasive recommended measures, such as external wall insulation and floor insulation are both highly impractical and disruptive for renters.

THIS IS WHERE I COME IN:

Despite the doom and gloom, this is not to say that there aren’t quick wins available when it comes to making rental homes more energy efficient. Simply adding an insulation jacket to a hot water cylinder can reduce heat loss by 75% and carbon dioxide emissions by up to 530g.  Basic cylinder insulation jackets cost from around £22, but there are also many other cost-effective measures that many could implement immediately to make a significant difference.

I have been an accredited energy assessor since 2007 and have vast experience of helping landlords and property owners to bring their costs down. I will work for you, the landlord, to make a plan to upgrade your property by installing the most cost effective combination of small and inexpensive measures to bring your property to the desired C rating. 

 Once you have achieved your rating you can sit back for another 10 years with no stress, the ability to re-mortgage a BTL property and be assured that you are off the ‘bad landlord radar’. 

Brighton and Hove City Council last week sent out a mail shot to all landlords who have not yet reached an E rating on their rental properties. They now have the means to identify the properties along with their landlords and send treats of fines directly to you/to the building (so keep your eyes peeled).  I therefore strongly recommend that you start the process of improvement right now preparing for your 2025 deadline.   

My practical plan will help to keep your costs down. I can run various options through the software until we come up with a plan that suits your property in the most financially efficient way. 

My fee is £85 per unit for a draft current EPC and a series of low cost measures to achieve your goal.  For each revisit there is a fee of £50.  Please note, flats in a roof space can be more tricky to achieve the C rating and will require more work which I would quote for in advance. 

Please do visit www.epcregister.com to check your current rating

HMO PLAN

-House of Multiple Occupancy Licence Plan-

As a landlord of a HMO (house of multiple occupancy), you will be obliged to provide a scaled plan showing the dimensions of your building to the local authority. 

Land Division Plan

-Land Registry Compliant Plan-

If you are selling off part of your land, I can provide a plan showing the new boundary of both parcels of land.  We can show :

- The new demise

- Access / sole or shared

- Wells

- Cesspits

- Rights of way