Serving the Teesside Business Community | 13
Sanderson Weatherall’s head of building
consultancy Teesside, David Fairley.
Tees commercial property
owners urged to check EPC rating
C
ommercial property owners on
Teesside have ten months to
check their EPC rating and secure
an energy efficiency rating of E
or above, warns property consultancy
Sanderson Weatherall.
As of April 1, 2018, landlords will not be
able to let commercial premises or renew
leases if the EPC (Energy Performance
Certificate) rating is lower than an E, as
a result of minimum energy standard,
introduced in March 2015 by the Energy
Efficiency (Private Rented Property, England
and Wales) Regulations 2015.
David Fairley, partner at Sanderson
Weatherall, is concerned that many EPC
certificates may be inaccurate, therefore,
and many properties in Teesside may actually
drop below the required rating.
“Some estimates suggest that over 50%
of EPCs completed in the early years used
an incorrect default setting in the computer
model which generates the rating,” said
Fairley.
“During sense checking exercises over
the last few years we have come across
a number of inaccurate EPCs, particularly
those carried out between 2008 and 2011.
“With EPCs needing to be renewed every
ten years, or at the point of the next leasing
event, some landlords might be in for a
surprise from 2018.
“Checking the EPC rating and
understanding the cost and benefit of
improvement measures may be worthwhile
to prevent possible negative impacts on
property values.
“It has been a requirement for all qualifying
commercial buildings to have a valid EPC
prior to letting or sale, for nearly a decade
now, however to date there has been little
negative impact of owning a property with a
poor EPC rating.
“It will be interesting to see how the
regulations affect the market over the next
12 months and how they are enforced but
we advise affected landlords to register
exemptions ahead of the April 2018
deadline.”
According to the regulations non-
compliance of the new standards may result
in a fine, to be levied by the local Weights
and Measures Authority, and publication of
names of those who have fallen foul.
Sanderson Weatherall is a leading national
firm of UK Chartered surveyors, property
consultants and business asset advisors.
Its Teesside team moved to second floor,
1,532 sq ft space in Roseberry House on
Bowesfield Park, Preston Farm, over a year
ago – a move which has transformed its
property business.
Find out more about Sanderson Weatherall at www.sw.co.uk or give the Teesside team a call on 01642 426900.