Short-term tenants care little for EPCs

News Category: Industry News

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Energy performance certificates are unlikely to prove much of an incentive for short-term tenants, according to Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward.

As of today, all landlords and letting agents are obliged to provide prospective tenants with an EPC to enable them to assess the property's energy efficiency.

The certificates are expected to benefit landlords who have energy-efficient homes, since this will be made more apparent to cost-conscious tenants.

However, according to Judienne Wood, group lettings director at the firm, EPCs are unlikely to improve a property's appeal to short-term tenants.

She told themovechannel.com: "There's no doubt that it's certainly a good idea for tenants to understand the energy efficiency of a property they're about to rent.

"However, on short-term rentals it is thought that the EPCs will be of little or no use to the tenants, purely as they are there on a short-term basis and therefore, not as interested in the property's energy efficiency as they would probably be if they were buying.

Ms Wood added: "For landlords on the other hand, it is an additional expense that they will have to incur."

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