Led by EPC assessor or retrofit specialist?

Reply to the comment left by JB at 03/03/2022 - 17:54
...to the point you wont get a tenant at all!

What I've discovered regarding EPC grading is that a lot comes down to what the EPC assessor 'assumes' and what happens when this 'assumption' isn't shared with the landlord. HowthehellamI to know what generates points??
I'm 4 points short of being a C on one my Victorian properties. No surprise: it's a terrace house! In fact, the whole tree-lined avenue is terraced, both sides, with no other type of housing.
It is a popular rented area so there are lots of comparable EPCs now for the same size properties on the same street. I looked up the EPCs done second time around and it's a 50/50 split between them - it's either a high D or a low C. My second time around EPC took me into the high D category from a previous low C.
How so?
As we know, Victorian houses have a 'back addition' (usually the kitchen & bathroom) which means these properties have two roof areas, or three if there's a bay window. The main roof of my property had sufficicent insulation to be a 'C'. Great!
The 'back addition' however doesn't have loft access so nothing can be inspected. The assessor therefore 'ASSUMED' that as the age of the property was circa 1890 it would therefore have no insulation at all - so he calculated this area as 'POOR'.

Building regulations relating to roofs have long since corrected the lack of original insulation. A new roof by a reputable firm would include the required insulation.
The assessor did ask how old the property was without telling me why. In my mind, this made me query his competence - doesn't he recognise a Victorian terrace property when he sees one??? Whether early or late Victorian - oh fergawdsake - they're all over a hundred years old!! Still standing, too, and the country has plenty of them in great use today.
The visit lasted all of 15 minutes and the assessor didn't stand back and look at the property from the street before he came in, nor did he enter the garden to look at the property from the rear. If he had done so, he would have seen a recently fully re-roofed property (the main roof, the roof over the bay window and the roof over the original double storey back addition).
I wasn't asked about any changes I'd made to the property during its refurbishment nor was I asked about any roof works I'd undertaken. Yes, I'm a landlord but I'm a lay person in the process of obtaining a points-based EPC certificate! That most certainly doesn't make me an expert in checking whether the government-approved recorder has been efficient for his £50 + VAT very short visit - by someone who doesn't want to engage with the 'customer'.
It's only landlords or house sellers subject to this process. Easy money - no service level required! (Quick in, quick out and don't talk to anyone - there's a fast buck to be made).
I'll have to pay out again to have one of the C grade Assessors of the other houses in the terrace to put mine right. I'm out of time to complain to the duff assessor's company - they want to charge me a fee to revisit their data collection. As if I would? I have many other comparables to challenge them with now that weren't available at the time of their assessment.
Rubbish, eh?

"Like everything this is all speculation" - precisely. Nobody knows what will be in the regulations when they are published. We know what was proposed in the consultation but not what the detailed response will be. What is the point of constantly debating the best approach to something that does not yet exist, especially when there could be major modifications such as including requirements about the environmental impact rating, restructuring the EPC assessment basis to favour electricity over gas, reducing or increasing the maximum expenditure required of landlords etc.?

Reply to the comment left by DSR at 03/03/2022 - 19:47
If you calculate a 7 year pay back that's still £119pcm on the rent.

My point is that tenants will be squeezed over this - and crickey haven't they already been squeezed enough in the last 5 years.

Reply to the comment left by JB at 04/03/2022 - 09:22
The government response to this will be that the expenditure is a capital investment which will enhance the value of the property and the landlord should not therefore expect the tenant to bear the cost.

Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 04/03/2022 - 10:00
Rents are still related to the value of the property. One way or another the tenants wil pay for this.

Reply to the comment left by JB at 04/03/2022 - 15:39
All that you could reasonably expect the tenant to pay would be the net cost of borrowing the money on an interest only mortgage, say £250 per annum if you have to spend £10,000.

When does the C requirement apply For existing tenants who have new tenancy agreements annually please.

Reply to the comment left by LordOf TheManor at 03/03/2022 - 20:00
£50 for an EPC is incredibly low , which reflects in the quality of the assessment you received. Unfortunately there are companies and individuals pitching "dirt cheap", thus doing a diservice to the many competent DEA who take the time to fully and correctly assess the SAP rating.

Thanks for putting this out there, it needs to be discussed cause many of us that don't want our houses anyway, this will be final straw & we'll be selling.
Spending 10 to 30k on a house we don't want.

Govt: But u will get your money back in 10 years Mr Landlord.

Landlord: I'm ruddy 71, when do u want me to stop work? Am I not allowed to retire like most UK human beings?