It will be minimum EPC C not D and will be law by 2025 for all new tenants and law for ALL tenants by 2030.
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thanks christine for clarifying, i knew about the C and wondered if they would do an interim D. i think getting to a C on some of my older flats will be difficult as in the smaller flats i donāt fit gas heating but by then they may take more kindly on the epc ratings for electric as gas is no longer the goverment favoured heat source. Putting an electric boiler in older properties that have been split into flats will be difficult as you will really need independant 100A supplies.
Thats true. However they seem to be pushing towards solar heating and heat source pumps. I think if the latter is forced on us we definitly will call it a day. What annoys me is its only the PRS sector that are being stung with this. It doesnt matter in your own home or council homes. The tenants will eventually be the losers. This is going to go on and on with the likes of Shelter who wont put their own money where their mouths are. We sold one recently in a area taking a turn for the worst and in the process of buying anither better area. I only looked at current C rated EPCs so should be ok for next 10 years. After that it wont really matter to us. 
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Agree that heat pumps are their preferred option and in some cases will be only way of getting to a c rating. I was quoted 15k for a heat pump for a flat(coach house) so would cost 10k after 5k grant. After servicing costs it would reduce ongoing costs by Ā£300 a year so if I passed that saving onto tenant via increased rent it would give me extra net income of Ā£180 so would take 55 years to get my money back by which time i would have gone through several heat pumps!
It simply isnāt viable for small flats to incur costs of heat pumps and tenants are much better off with a slightly reduced rent to reflect the heating provided. For flats communal block heating is only real option for heat pumps but as not all owners will be landlords others in block have little incentive to share costs so fully agree if there is an environmental need for all properties to be C rated this has to apply to everyone.
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Different people react differently to room temperature.
Are they at home more than the previous ones?
As long as the appliance is properly tested etc it is a gesture
that shows you value them. Give them a chance
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Itās a very cold year. If you check the weather history- today the high is 2Ā° and last year it was 9Ā°! Thatās a big difference.
Frankly, much as I tend to encourage a cordial relationship with tenants, you are not obliged to augment their additional heating choices and appliances. I find things like this a bit rich when if they purchased their own home they would just go out and buy or replace one. Why should a Landlord offering an unfurnished property inherit a gradually burgeoning inventory that is superfluous to contract on the whims of each tenant that decides āIāll get the Landlord to buy itā ! I recently was asked to replace a damaged fence panel (my responsibility) and when I went round to see what was required my tenants boyfriend (not even a permitted occupant) asked if I could replace 4 other undamaged ones so that they matched aesthetically !! I then had a firm conversation with him alongside my female tenant reminding him of his inconsequential status in the property let alone his bloody nerve. His attitude then changed quite markedly to one of offering to do some work for me in return, if such a benevolent gesture on my part was to transpireā¦upon which I agreed once Iād seen the fruits of his labour. Sometimes you have to halt the progress up a thick wedge (starting at the thin end) !! Tell him to go and buy one himself as youāve already provided two heaters that have been sufficient for other tenants and he accepted them at the start of his tenure. All he wants to do is replace one of your heaters with a convection heater to bring his utility bill down and get you to pay for it.
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I have a tenant who has been complaining that
itās cold in flat and when I asked about Storage heater as itās under warranty because installed Nov 2019.
I live in the same size flat in same building so I
compared the electric energy usage and he has only used less than half the energy. I have explained to switch on at night time as economy 7, cheaper rate at night time and during days time heater gives out heat and if he feel cold can put heater on booster.
So I know the that he is not using his heating and complaining and keep saying he is using constantly and I know thatās not true.
Itās not about providing an extra heater or not but also does not allow me to go and check in the flat. I have given 7days this week and waiting for his reply.
Also just I have bought another oil filled heater today and has 3years warranty so can give to him if I get reply from him .
Then just end of the chapter and also got smart thermometers.
Also still waiting for the reply from Environmental officer
because he has complained to them.
Itās hard to resolve any issues with tenant when they complain and then donāt reply and start again after 2 weeks.
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Clearly, some tenants are much too dependant. It is an extra heater today and God knows what, tomorrow. You have already mentioned that this tenant has already made numerous requests before and that you have complied, so this is not a one off. Since this extra heater is so cheap, why isnāt the tenant buying it himself or herself?..I would be inclined to state that I have provided what is necessary, and my EPC and PAT testing are in order so if tenant has additional requirements then to obtain it him or herself, especially as they are not so costly.
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I donāt think itās your responsibility. Iām a tenant and I have storage heaters but one in my living room is not that good and so I purchased a halogen heater only Ā£15 and they are super warm and I got another for my bedrooms and turned all the storage ones off and it reduced my bills significantly. My landlord did offer to give me the money back for them but I refused as it was me that didnāt think the room storage heater was not good enough and yes I get that everyone feels the cold/heat differently but I still think if your tenant feels heās not benefiting from the radiators then he should buy one he feels will be better.
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Thanks for the tip. I had no idea that halogen heaters exist. When you buy a heater yourself, you can also take it with you, when you move on, and when that happens, you may not find a heater as effective as the one you bought at that price. Also you have already invested your time in shopping around and obtaining it, so no more time wasted in the future.
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I accept I can take it with me although I did leave one accidentally in my previous home in a loft cupboard. The halogen heaters are very common and are in most supermarkets especially Morrisons and places like B&M my last one I actually purchased from Iceland. But point being they are really inexpensive and easy to locate. They are also really safe because they have a mechanism that if the heater falls over it automatically switches off. Iād recommend all day long.
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Hi Julie1
Halogen heaters are very good as my mother-in-law used to have it many years ago in her kitchen to keep warm.
I have flats and in my last 12 years and no complains this is the first tenant.
You are like my other good tenants.
As everyone knows that if anyone feel cold then they have to keep heating on longer and also put extra layer of jumper.
But what me think that even the proof that he is not using electric and suggested what to how to use the storage heater.
People donāt listen.
I have a tenant and when she had baby she did not complained and kept the her flat warm for herself and her baby by using enough heating.
I will wait and see what happens next week.
Hi Mike
I have given 7 days and from my past a few bad experiences , I always stick to my principles and be very strong.
If itās my responsibility I will do it but if itās tenants responsibility then I will make them do it. The reason is that they will never understand their responsibility as tenants and give a hard time to next landlord.
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Hi
He could just be one of those tenants who wants his monies worth and just demanding whatever he can, and unfortunately nothing is going to appease him. Itās up to you if you buy the halogen heater or just pass on the info or even suggest an electric blanket! Personally Iād just pass on the info on where to buy, youāve obviously already provided with a proven heating system. I hope you get sorted out, I find it so wrong when I see landlords on here fretting about doing the right thing when a lot of tenants are uncaring.
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april 2021 this year
I thought EPC D is this year 2021 unless they changed it
When I have been in this situation my sollicitor has advised if you supply they can infer that the heating was not adequate
If you are legal with EPC I would advise you tell them to buy his own
You requirements are to meet legal standards not what the tenant wants all the time
Since discussing most of these situations with a solicitor I have saved a lot of money meeting the demands of tenants as most of them are not required
Solicitors think in your best interest
Estate agents are firm when they manage houses and know when to say NO
The more you agree to the more you dig yourself a hole and set a precedent of what they begin to expect
No. I donāt agree as I know am right and since he has complained to environmental officer so waiting for their reply .
Also I donāt provide anything before I check by myself thoroughly now.
I had a one tenant in my past and he wanted a new oven and he turned off the off one of the main switch under the cupboard and hidden the with things. I forgot about that switch
and checked everything and I had one of my builder too so he checked.
So ordered the new oven and electrician came to
change new oven. He changed the new oven and would not start so electrian checked and tested everything found out the switch was turned off.
So my electrician so since old oven was working fine he will change back to old one so can new can be use at anytime in any other flat as since packaging was removed so cannot get refund.
Then tenant said now you fixed the new one to leave new one and can dispose old one so I knew he played a game with me. Then I said completely NO to that tenant.
Then I used that new oven in another flat as I had plan to upgrade the new kitchen and in that flat had old oven with metal rings.
Itās so bad when sometimes some tenants do things like this
and landlords can loose trust.
We just learn from experience and sharing information.
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If you have a few places its easy to forget where switches and stop valves are , even when you have fitted it all out yourself
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Julie1 you are what I call a good and responsible tenant that Landlords like me would go the extra mile for. Its the mutually respectful relationship that you build between tenants and Landlords that oils the wheels. My tenants have been with me for 5 years and are fab such that I discounted their rent for two months during the COVID lockdown which across my portfolio was a big hit but they had children and difficult working circumstances.
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