Landord Information

Landlords will need to obtain an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for each property let after 1st October. This EPC will last for 10 years, though you may wish to renew it after heating and insulation improvements.

An EPC is only required for tenancies that commence after 1st October. An EPC is not required for the renewal of an existing tenancy.

If a landlord has obtained an EPC for letting and wishes to sell the property at a later date, the existing EPC can be used for up to 3 years from when it was created, and can be incorporated into a Home Information Pack (HIP) at no further cost.

Leaflet for Energy Performance Certificates

As a member of the steering group of the Institute of Domestic Energy Assessors (IDEA at www.whatstheidea.co.uk), I produced a Seller Information leaflet for the benefit of vendors and estate agents. This has now been modified for use by landlords and is called the Landlord Information leaflet. This is free to download and modify as necessary. It has undergone extensive drafting based on detailed feedback from practising energy assessors.

Landlord associations and estate agents can add their logo and contact details to the leaflet.

The leaflet is a 2-sided A4 document to be given to the landlord as soon as a tenancy is about to change. It describes the Energy Performance Certificate, the energy assessment, and how to prepare for an assessment. The reverse side contains a questionnaire for use by the energy assessor.

It includes useful information including:

The questionnaire prepares the landlord/tenant for questions from the assessor, and gives them time to assemble documentary evidence.

If the energy assessor is unaccompanied, as is often the case, a completed questionnaire can speed up the assessment. It can also produce a more accurate energy rating; for example, it may be difficult to date a property extension, possibly resulting in a lower energy rating. The more information available to the energy assessor, the more accurate the rating.

Using this Landlord Information leaflet, estate agents and landlord associations have the opportunity to inform landlords and tenants, help energy assessments run smoothly, and improve the accuracy of energy ratings. The leaflet directs queries from the landlord/tenant to the energy assessor, relieving the estate agent or landlord association of an additional burden.

Advice on using the Landlord Information leaflet

If you do not receive a copy from your landlord association, download the document and open it in Word.
Attach your company logo and contact details, if desired.
Print a supply of leaflets, back-to-back.
Give the landlord a leaflet before a change of tenancy. Ask them to leave it at the property, ready for the assessor.
Ask the landlord to ignore questions if they are unsure of their answers.

You are free to modify the leaflet as you wish, perhaps working with your local energy assessor.

You may already be giving an information leaflet and/or questionnaire to landlords. Please feel free to use parts of the above document to modify your own.

For further information and feedback, email Andrew Edmondson at research@SussexIDEAS.co.uk