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Landlords have been reminded that even if their tenants do not care what energy performance their property achieves, they still need to make sure they have their Energy Performance Certificate up to date.

The National Landlords Association has revealed that landlords all over the UK are questioning the need for EPCs as tenants are ignoring the information they contain.

By law, most tenancies in England and Wales are required to have an EPC. This details the energy efficiency of a property, giving a standard energy and carbon emission efficiency grade from ‘A’ to ‘G’, with ‘A’ as the most efficient.

However, the NLA says EPCs are often at the bottom of tenants’ lists of requirements, if there at all. Many tenants are unaware of the law, and even if a property receives a low grade, it does not seem to affect whether a tenant will want to live in a property.

Sussanne Chambers, director of the NLA, says: “It seems many landlords are left wondering about the effectiveness of an EPC. What has become apparent is that tenants don’t seem to be interested in them, or use them as a deciding factor in choosing a rental property. As always, it is the responsible landlords who have commissioned EPCs and for whom they are now part and parcel of their lettings business.”

There is a lot of red tape to get through if you are a landlord, but make sure you adhere to the letter of the law. One form out of place or one document misplaced may mean a fine or even legal proceedings. Being a landlord is a full time job, and must be approached as one – anyone who thinks they can make money and not take the time to do their job properly is mistaken.

SOURCE: NLA, 30/07/09

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