Before you market your house for sale you or offer it for rent it is a legal requirement that you have in place a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
An EPC is valid for 10 years so it is worth checking the EPC Register to see if your property already has one in place.
If you don’t have a valid EPC the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published guidance on EPCs during the Covid-19 outbreak. The guidance can be found here- Coronavirus (COVID-19): Energy Performance Certificates.
The guidance states that:
- The legal requirement to obtain an EPC before selling or letting a property remains in place.
- EPC assessments should only be conducted in accordance with government advice on home moving during the COVID-19 outbreak
- EPC assessments should only be carried out if they can be conducted safely.
If a property is vacant, an EPC can be carried out. If a property is occupied, parties must endeavour to agree that the transaction can be delayed so that an EPC assessment can proceed when stay-at-home measures are no longer in place. No assessments should take place if any person in the property is showing symptoms, self-isolating or being shielded.