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- Category: Energy Performance Certificate
Agents will be held responsible for making ‘reasonable efforts’ to secure an Energy Performance Certificate for their residential and commercial sales and rental stock within seven days of commission, due to regulatory changes set to be introduced on July 1.
The regulations currently require an EPC to be commissioned before a property is marketed, with the onus on the ‘relevant person’ – the seller or landlord or their representative agent – to commission it and secure it within 28 days.
The forthcoming changes to the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 (the EPB Regulations) extend the regulations to commercial property and reduce the required timeframe to seven days.
A further 21 days will be allowed to secure the EPC in the event that the seven-day timeframe is not met.
It is also expected that agents will be required to attach an EPC to written particulars along with a property’s asset rating, which is currently optional.
The changes are expected to apply to properties marketed after July 1, with Trading Standards officers authorised to require agents to produce evidence showing that an EPC has been commissioned where they are marketing a building without one.