Energy Performance Certificates and private landlords: guidance
Guidance on Energy Performance Certificates for landlords in the private rented sector, EPC-03.
Do I have to provide an EPC to all tenants?
No. An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) only has to be provided to a new tenant. EPCs do not have to be provided where an existing tenant is renewing their lease.
Can I wait until a tenant decides to lease the property before I commission an EPC?
No. The EPC rating will be required for inclusion in property advertisements in commercial media and must be available for issue to all prospective tenants. If you do not provide this information, you may be subject to a penalty charge notice of £500, minimum.
Can I charge the tenant for the EPC?
No. The EPC must be made available free of charge. This is a legal requirement.
Can the tenant insist that I carry out the energy efficiency improvements?
No. There is no legal requirement to carry out these works. Similarly, this legislation does not require that a landlord grant permission to tenants who want to carry out recommended improvement works.
Can I receive a funding towards the cost of energy efficiency measures on the EPC?
For information on what help is available, contact Home Energy Scotland, contact details are listed at the bottom of this leaflet.
I own a block of flats, do I need an EPC for every dwelling?
A separate EPC is required for each dwelling. You cannot commission one EPC for the whole building.
My building consists of a mixture of dwellings and non-domestic units, what type of EPC do I need?
An EPC will be required for each dwelling and a further EPC for the non-dwelling part or parts of the building. An EPC is only required for the dwellings or the non-domestic units which will be offered for lease.
Where individual parts of the non-dwelling parts of a building are designed or have been altered to be used separately (e.g. retail units within a shopping mall), separate EPCs may be produced for each part rather than one certificate which covers all such parts. The benefit of this approach may depend on the complexity and subdivision of the building spaces. The EPC assessor will be best placed to provide advice in this case.
More information
We also produce a number of other EPC guidance documents that deal with specific issues:
- EPC-01, introduction
- EPC-02, new dwellings and non-domestic buildings
- EPC-04, information for private tenants
- EPC-05, information for social landlords
- EPC-06, information for social tenants
- EPC-07, guidance on representative sampling
- EPC-08, frequently asked questions
- EPC-09, requirement to display an EPC
- EPC-10, high-efficiency alternative systems
- EPC-11, guidance on changes to production
- EPC-12, guidance on holiday let accommodation
Contact
E-mail: EPCenquiries@gov.scot
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