New rules for Holiday Lettings
Anyone who has put their house on the market or offered a house for rent during the last few years will have become familiar with the need to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
Energy Performance Certificates were introduced to help improve the energy efficiency of buildings. They form part of a series of measures being introduced across Europe to reflect legislation which will help cut buildings’ carbon emissions and tackle climate change.
Other changes include requiring public buildings - for example town halls, libraries and hospitals - to display certificates showing the energy efficiency of the building and requiring inspections for air conditioning systems.
Did you know that buildings produce nearly half of the UK’s carbon emissions? That’s almost twice that of cars and planes. The way a building is constructed, insulated, heated, ventilated and the type of fuel used, all contribute to its carbon emissions.
From October 2008 EPCs have been required whenever a building is built, sold or rented out. The certificate provides 'A' to 'G' ratings for the building, with 'A' being the most energy efficient and 'G' being the least, with the average up to now being 'D'.
Until now, properties used for holiday letting have been exempt from these requirements.
However, as from 1st April 2011, this exemption no longer applies and any property used as a holiday let for more than 4 months in any 12 month period will require an EPC.
If you have a holiday let property and normally let this for more than 16 weeks a year, you will now need to have an EPC. Normally valid for 10 years, the EPC will involve an inspection of the property by a Domestic Energy Assessor and an EPC costs on average between £50.00 and £75.00.
Fairwood Energy are energy consultants and carry out a wide range of energy services for property owners across South and West Wales. They can carry out the EPC on your behalf and offer quick turnaround and are happy to fit in with changeover days to make sure that you and your customers avoid any inconvenience.
Call them today for a free quote on 01267 679145.
