Do I need an EPC Certificate?

Before booking an EPC assessment, you can check whether your property already has an EPC by entering your postcode in the government website here.

 It is a legal requirement to have an EPC certificate whenever a property sold rented or built.
The EPC is intended to provide prospective buyers and tenants of a building with correct information about the energy performance of the building and practical advice on improving such performance 

Existing buildings need an EPC Certificate when they are to be sold or rented out.

An EPC is valid for 10 years or until a newer EPC is produced for the same building no matter how many times the property is sold or rented out during that period. Existing occupiers and tenants will not require an EPC unless they sell, assign or sublet their interest in a building.

A building offered for sale or rent, must include the energy performance indicator of the building as shown on the EPC, for example C, in any advertisements in the commercial media1. There is no requirement to display the full EPC.

An EPC Certificate is generally not required where the seller or landlord can demonstrate that the building is any of these:

• Buildings protected as part of a designated environment or because of their special architectural or historical merit are exempt from the requirements to have an energy performance certificate as far as compliance with minimum energy performance requirements would unacceptably alter their character or appearance. Asto comply with minimum energy performance requirements, many of the recommendations in an EPC report e.g. double glazing, new doors and windows, external wall insulation, and external boiler flues would likely result in unacceptable alterations in the majority of historic buildings. These can include buildings protected as part of a designated environment or because of their special architectural or historical merit (e.g., listed buildings or buildings within a conservation area). In these cases, an EPC would not be required.  Building owners will need to take a view as to whether this will be the case for their buildings.  
  
  If there is any doubt as to whether works would unacceptably alter the character or appearance of a building, building owners may wish to seek the advice of their local authority’s conservation officer.

• Temporary buildings with a planned time of use of two years or less

• Residential buildings which are intended to be used less than four months of the year or where the owner or landlord could reasonably expect the energy consumption of the building to be less than 25% of all year-round use.

• Stand-alone buildings with a total useful floor area of less than 50m² (i.e. buildings entirely detached from any other building)

A building is also exempt where the seller or landlord can demonstrate that:

• the building is suitable for demolition
• the resulting site is suitable for redevelopment
• all the relevant planning permissions, listed building consents and conservation area consents exist in relation to the demolition, and
• in relation to the redevelopment, either outline planning or planning permission exists and where relevant listed building consents exist

Holiday lets may not need an EPC. An EPC will only be required for a property rented out as a furnished holiday let, as defined by HMRC, where the building is occupied for the purposes of a holiday as a result of a short term letting arrangement of less than 31 days to each tenant, and is rented out for a combined total of four months or more in any 12 month period, and if the occupier is responsible for meeting the energy costs for the property.