Whilst it is obligatory for home owners to have a domestic EPC if they are looking to sell or rent their property, there are other benefits as well. Firstly, your domestic EPC will give you (and future occupants) the chance to see how energy efficient your house is now, but also in the future. The recommendations that are given mean that you can make your property more attractive to potential buyers or tenants by making it more energy efficient. A domestic EPC will give you a good understanding of the energy efficiency of your property at a glance, and it is simple and easy to make sense of.
Your domestic EPC will last for 10 years – the same as a commercial EPC. Unless you make significant changes to your property, you will not need another one, and likewise, if you have had an assessment done in the last 10 years and haven’t made any changes to your home, you don’t need a new one.
Landlords of tenanted private rental properties are required by law to have an EICR. The same legal requirement doesn’t apply to homeowners, however, they are strongly recommended to have one.
All electrical installations degrade over time. Vermin, moisture, minor works and DIY are common reasons for problems. Safety regulations change over time as well as the quality and suitability of electrical parts.
Some people get confused by all of the many different names given to landlord safety certificates. Examples include CP12 certificates, CORGI certificates, landlord safety certificates and gas safety certificates, essentially they are all referring to the same thing. What does CP12 mean? The acronym CP12 stands for “CORGI Proforma 12”. From 1991 to 2009, the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI) was responsible for the regulation of gas safety in the UK. But, in 2009 this changed and was replaced by the Gas Safe register. From then on, the CP12 certificate officially adopted new names, such as the Landlord Gas Safety Certificate and Gas Safety Record, but many people continue to refer to it as the CP12.
This will largely depend on the size of the rental property and how many gas appliances and equipment needs to be tested and checked. On average, a Gas Safety check takes around 30-40 minutes to complete, however, if any issues are found during the audit and you decide to repair them, this will of course add more time and mean more cost. To avoid delays, it’s advised that you ensure all appliances are easily accessible and that there is enough gas in the property to operate all of the equipment without disruptions i.e. if your tenants have a gas meter, ensure it has adequate credit to keep the appliances running during the checks.
No, legionella testing is not compulsory. The HSE’s Approved Code of Practice (ACoP L8) HSG 274, states that you are currently legally required to undertake a legionella risk assessment, but not water testing. However, whilst it is not compulsory, the HSG 274 confirms that the assessment may require or request that samples are taken for a variety of reasons and is recommended as part of your control measures.
A legionella certificate is a phrase that is used regularly but it has little meaning. You are required to have a risks assessment in line with the Legionella Control Association Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, COSHH, Public Health England Management of Health and Safety at Work Act to name a few. This risks assessment is a live document that should be required periodically as required by law & the guidelines used to state an assessment was required every two years. After a legionella risks assessment, you should be issued with a risks assessment report, and after a legionella test, you should be issued with a legionella test sample report. Legionella is a bacteria that must be managed continuously, and therefore a one-off certificate is insufficient to prove compliance and control of the bacteria.
Our certified engineers can provide any certification needs for your property.
