I have a property (listed building) that was given an EPC rating of F in 2012. I have carried out some improvements since then, and the tenant has been living there happily since 2012. I plan to update the Storage Heaters to achieve a higher rating, in due course. As I believed with existing tenancies I did not need to be at least an E rating before 1st April 2023.
I have had a letter from my local council saying the requirement was for all properties (including existing tenancies) to have a rating of at least E by 1st April 2020.
The easiest solution would be to just get on, install the new Quantum heaters and get a new EPC, this is complicated by the fact the tenant is shielding due to aggressive cancer treatments so understandably doesn’t want anyone in his home.
Are the council correct all tenancies including existing need to be at least an E rating now?
2 Comments
Yes, the local authority are correct that all properties should have a minimum E rating from 1 April 2020.
The first and preferable course of action would be to immediately contact the tenant and ask if it’s okay to do the works. Get them done, new EPC and hopefully that will be the end of it.
If they refuse the works (which would be totally reasonable in our view), you could then apply for an exemption on the basis of being unable to obtain consent/access to do the works.
Please see this page which has all the information about the minimum energy levels and a link to the exemptions register.
Thank you Guildy, I really try to stay up to date thanks to all your articles, so not sure how this slipped by me. I was set on the 2023 date for existing tenancies. I will contact the tenant today and take it from there.