Tenants; have you seen your EPC? Article issued by Southend Borough Council

August 12, 2014 by Joanna Harrison

Wednesday 13th August 2014 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council is reminding local landlords and managing agents to ensure that they have in place and show an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) to prospective tenants when renting out a self-contained property.

They must also provide the eventual tenant with a copy. Tenants are also being asked to check if they have the relevant paperwork.

In one recent case the council’s Private Sector Housing Team had no choice but to take legal action against a landlord in the Borough over unpaid fines for breaching the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) England and Wales) Regulations 2007.

Where a dwelling is rented and it is a house or self-contained flat the landlord or managing agent must provide an EPC. Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) are exempt for the time being unless they have been sold since 2008 in which case an EPC is required at the time of sale for the whole property.

The regulations have been in force since 2008 and carry a £200 fine per breach. It is also an offence not to provide, on request, an EPC to a specified Officer of the Council however in the 2013/2014 financial year the Private Sector Housing Team were obligated to issue in excess of 160 fixed penalty notice. Failure to pay the fine will result in further action against the offender, be it a company or a private landlord.

Cllr David Norman, Executive Cllr for Adult Social Care, Health and Housing says: “It is important that landlords are providing tenants with the required documentation. The easiest way to check whether you should have been provided with an EPC is to find out whether the Council Tax Bill is for only your room or the whole flat or property.

“If it is for the whole flat or house you should be shown an EPC and, if you do rent the property then you should be given a copy of the EPC when you move in. If not then this is a breach of the regulations and enforceable by Law.

“In one case we had a landlord that not only did not have the EPC’s, they refused to address the requests for them and then did not obtain them within a reasonable time. This led to additional fines being imposed. The fines were not paid and led to the Council issuing a Statutory Demand which finally resulted in payment.

“The Private Sector Housing Team will seek recovery of these fines and all other costs resulting from enforcement action within the Borough.

” If you have purchased a property in recent months or if you have rented a property recently, and not been given a copy of an EPC then contact the Private Sector Housing Team as Southend on Sea Borough Council on 01702 215002. 

This press release is written and issued on behalf of Southend Borough Council.