We wish to alert all our clients to the need to provide an Energy Performance Certificate for rental properties coming to the market from October 2008. To date the information provided is scant but this section of the Home Information Pack is apparently being applied to rental properties as well. For new and existing landlords this will be a further expense when letting their property. The Energy Performance Certificate will have to have been completed and a rating given prior to the property being advertised to let. The certificate will however then be valid for up to ten years providing that no significant alteration to the property is undertaken. The rating must be quoted in advertising material and property details but the certificate will be held in the office and supplied on request for reading by potential tenants.

We hope to bring quotations of costs for providing Energy Performance Certificates to our clients over the coming months with additional advice on improving the energy rating of their property and the cost efectiveness of undertaking such works.