September 2020 – London Property Certificates

The rules to be observed by landlords for electrical safety

As a landlord, you need to keep in mind the following regulations:

All electrical devices and installations at your property must be in good working condition at the beginning of a tenancy and be safe for use during the entire tenancy period

The qualified electrician should check all wiring, sockets, light fixture, fuse boxes and permanently fixed appliances in the property

You need to obtain an EICR once in every five years from a qualified electrician. Only a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) is legally obligated to conduct an electrical check

Devices like cookers, kettles, and others, provided to tenants, must have the CE marking and must be safe for use

An Electrical Safety Certificate will be given on successful completion of the safety test. The certificate can be retained for five years, and at the expiry of the period, you must get a new one

You need to get a smoke alarm installed at every floor of your property. The alarm must be in working condition at the start of the tenancy. Each room which has an open wood fire must have a carbon monoxide alarm installed

The tenant needs to be handed a copy of the certificate before he occupies the property

The tenant must be handed the certificate’s copy within 28 days after the test is conducted

You need to keep ready a copy of the certificate to be given to local authorities on demand

The tenant must be handed a copy within 28 days if he makes a requests

You must have a ready copy to be presented to the next electrician carrying the test

Steps to be taken after getting EICR

The landlord is obligated to take the following actions after getting the Electrical Safety Certificate:

If faults were found during the inspection, the landlord needs to get them rectified by a skilled electrician within 28 days of the findings

The landlord has to get a written confirmation stating that the needed repairs have been done

The tenant has to be given a duplicate of this confirmation with 28 days of the repairs

What the local authorities are authorized to do

The regulations give the local authorities the following rights:

The landlord should hand over a copy of the EICR to local authorities within seven days of their request

In case urgent repairs are required, the local authorities can notify the landlord. The landlord is obligated to do the needful within 28 days of the notice

In case of the landlord’s non-cooperation, the local authorities can themselves carry on the repairs and ask for reimbursement from the landlord

The local authorities can impose a penalty of £30000 if they can prove that the rules have been violated. For all succeeding violations, additional fines can be imposed

Some additional electrical safety recommendations

In addition to the above rules, these recommendations will ensure tenants are not at risk:

It would be advisable for tenants to report any electrical issues noticed by them at the property

The property should have proper RCD (Residual current device) protection

An EICR should be obtained before each new tenancy. In case of a short tenancy period, the landlord can conduct just a visual inspection

Always conduct the electrical test with the help of a qualified electrician even for minor jobs

The Electrical Safety Certificate ensures the tenant that the property is safe from the dangers posed by faulty electrical devices and wiring.

From the landlord’s point of view, the EICR will prevent him from paying hefty fines and suffering financial losses due to legal actions taken by a tenant.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is an authorized requirement for residential and commercial properties before you put up your property for rent or sell.

The Energy performance certificate will be added to the EPC Register online. This certificate is essentially a report of energy management. It confirms how energy efficient a residential building or commercial premises is.

With this certification, you get a detailed idea on your energy utilization and tips on saving them

With your EPC survey, you can abide by some energy saving tips, which can definitely save you a lot of money.

This will help you improve your energy efficiency scale. The ratings on a commercial EPC start from “G-least energy efficient”, going up to an “A for the most energy-efficient structure.”

The EPC shows the best of the energy efficiency levels and carbon dioxide releases of a building, by using an average table from A to G (A being very efficient, G being very inefficient).

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What happens during an EPC assessment?

First of all, the energy survey is conducted by a qualified energy assessor. He examines the critical items within the property such as domestic boiler, loft insulation, radiators, hot water tank, windows for double glazing, etc.

Once he collects the data, he uploads them on a software -program which calculates the level of energy efficiency.

There is a similar report which delivers figures on the conservation impact.
This report shows a table of projected energy bills per annum and the probable for improved and lowers fuel costs, but without any location to the actual householder energy bills.

5 Steps to get an EPC in London

If you are planning to give your property on renting or selling in London, you must acquire an Energy Performance Certificate to go ahead.

This rule has been set up in the April-2018 as per change in legislation. The process of getting EPC in London is straightforward:
Step 1: Get in touch with the EPC team in London. You need to check if your property requires an EPC in London. Not every property require this certification.

Step 2: Book online or find a team member of EPC. They will send professional and experienced assessors who will visit your property.
Step 3: Make sure you are present when the assessor assesses the building. Support him when he takes pictures of your property to attach them with their report. You must answer the required questions to him. The larger the building, the longer the report. However, the assessment can be completed in an hour.

Step 4: Get an estimate of the energy performance certificate cost from the assessor. Check if it meets your budget. To let you know, different assessors offer different cost estimates. So, you can get your building assessed by more than one professional.

Step 5: You can then find out the EPC certificate on the registered website of EPC.

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Why do you need an EPC in London?

Property Owners and Landlords in London are required to provide EPC’s to any prospective tenant or buyer when they rent or sell and lease a Commercial or Residential Property.

Cost of Energy Performance Certificates

EPC cost varies on three important factors:

Residential or commercial area
Size of the place
Layout

The estimate of the cost of EPC is as follows:

Domestic EPC Cost:

1 Bedroom £45
Up to £65 for a 6 bedroom area.

Commercial EPC Cost:

£180 for Warehouses
£130 for Small Shops
£150 and more for offices based on area and storey

The EPC cost for Hotels can be slightly higher than above as they different zones and en-suite bathrooms add to the cost too. Amongst all of the properties stated above, warehouses and open office plan are cheaper.

Validity and Law Of Energy Performance Certificates

If you have already made this report, then there is no need to create a new EPC report for every new client or renter.

Once the EPC certificate is issued, it is valid for the next ten years, and you can present it to anyone who is interested in your property.

After ten years, you will have to set up an additional inspection of the New property. If any changed done with the property within this validity time, then a new report or an updated EPC will be required to go.

The owner or landlord of the property holds this accountability and is obliged by law to ensure the certificate update.

The building cannot be listed for letting or sale without the certificate if it falls under the category of EPC listed buildings.

In case an agent has been tasked to market the property/building, they must include a copy of the reports document in all commercial media such as a brochure, websites, written materials they produce.

Any changes like increase or decrease in the energy requirements of the property, you must get a new survey conducted.

The same situations also apply as when a new building developed. The builder in charge of the construction is responsible for the establishment of an original certificate.

If you do not get a certificate for your property/building, you can be charged with a hefty fine.

The Department of Finance governs the enforcement of energy, and it can directly impact the bills and of your property.

Hence, it is recommended that you always take energy improvement suggestions seriously.

If you are asked to produce the documentation or EPC by an inspector and fail to do so, then you will receive a penalty charge notice and defined action.

The approximate fine for a home is £500, and for the other properties, it may go up to £4000. So, avoid the penalty and invest in the energy performance certificate cost for better energy utilities.