EPCs for Holiday homes in Broadstairs
We’ve noticed an increase in enquiries from owners of holiday lets over the past few weeks – particularly from Broadstairs, Whitstable, Canterbury and Sandwich where possibly there may be a concentration of Kent holiday homes for rent.
New rules that come into force on the 30th June mean that holiday lets that are rented for more than 4 months per year on a short term arrangement require the energy survey and EPC. This is the same type of survey and certificate that other rental properties have.
Depending on the Landlord’s view point this could either be very useful or a bit of a ‘carry on’ farce.
Aside from giving occupants a guide to the likely running costs of a holiday home, the 6 page EPC gives recommendations about how to reduce running costs. For Landlord’s there is both value and possibly hindrance to this idea.
Obviously there are some holiday homes that advertise their environmental credentials to attract customers who are likeminded. In these situations the EPC will give Landlords the chance for their holiday home to shine. But for others, particularly where the running costs rest with the landlord, the immediately advantages to having an EPC alone seem less clear.
Of course, the real value to the Landlord is within the recommendations that the EPCs contains. These are tailored to the way the property has been constructed.
Any Landlord who takes up on the EPCs recommendations will be in line for a financial saving from future energy bills, particularly in light of OFGEM’s predication that energy prices are likely to rise to £2000 per year for the average home. The EPC’s energy saving recommendations are grouped in order of their cost to implement and some improvements pay for themselves from the savings in energy within a few years.
Interestingly, social landlords have long found that for £100 spent on efficiency, an extra £100 is saved on maintenance. Not a bad ‘carry on’ for those who plan to make the EPC work for them!