Last week, the Government published the latest advice on meeting the regulatory requirement to secure a valid Energy Performance Certificate on marketing a property during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. An EPC is a legal requirement when a property is built, sold or let and must be completed by an accredited assessor. This obligation on the part of housebuilders and homeowners remains in place.
Buying and selling homes have effectively been put on hold but there will still be cases where this is unavoidable and there will be circumstances in which renters need to move. Where possible, the parties involved have been asked to agree that the transaction can be delayed, so that an EPC assessment can proceed when stay-at-home measures to fight coronavirus (COVID-19) are no longer in place.
But if moving is unavoidable and the parties are unable to reach an agreement to delay, and a valid EPC is not available from the register, an assessment may need to be conducted. In these circumstances, government guidelines on staying away from others to minimise the spread of the virus must be followed alongside the guidance for carrying out work in people’s homes.
EPC assessments can continue in cases where a property for sale or rent is vacant.
No assessments should take place if any person in the property is showing symptoms, self-isolating or being shielded. So if securing an EPC is critical you should seek to reschedule your appointment when it is safe to do so in accordance with Government guidelines on staying away from others.