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Domestic private rented property: minimum energy efficiency standard - landlord guidance

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Domestic private rented property: minimum energy efficiency standard - landlord guidance

5. Registering an exemption

5. Registering an exemption

There are various exemptions that apply to the prohibition on letting a property with an energy efficiency rating below E.

If your property meets the criteria for any of the exemptions, you will be able to let it once you have registered the exemption on the PRS Exemptions Register.

Information required for all exemptions

  • address of the property
  • type of exemption you are registering
  • landlord details

Exemptions and their requirements

All relevant improvements made exemption
High cost exemption
Wall insulation exemption
Third-party consent exemption
Property devaluation exemption
Temporary exemption due to recently becoming a landlord

All relevant improvements made exemption

Register this exemption if the property is still below EPC E after improvements have been made up to the cost cap (£3,500 incl VAT), or there are none that can be made.

This exemption lasts 5 years. After that it will expire and you must try again to improve the property’s EPC rating to E. If it is still not possible, you may register a further exemption.

To register this exemption, you need to provide this additional information:

  • if you didn’t rely on your EPC report to select measures appropriate for your property, and instead opted for a report prepared by a surveyor for example, you must provide a copy of that report
  • details, including date of installation, of all recommended improvements you made at the property (unless none were recommended)

(back to list of exemptions)

High cost exemption

Register this exemption if no improvement can be made because the cost of installing even the cheapest recommended measure would exceed £3,500 (including VAT).

This exemption lasts 5 years. After that it will expire and you must try again to improve the property’s EPC rating to E. If it is still not possible, you may register a further exemption.

To register this exemption, you need to provide this additional information:

  • 3 quotes from qualified installers for purchasing and installing the cheapest recommended measure, demonstrating that the cost would exceed £3,500 (including VAT)
  • written confirmation that you are satisfied that the measure exceeds £3,500 (including VAT)

(back to list of exemptions)

Wall insulation exemption

Register this exemption if the only relevant improvements for your property are:

  • cavity wall insulation
  • external wall insulation
  • or internal wall insulation (for external walls)

AND

you have obtained written expert advice showing that these measures would negatively impact the fabric or structure of the property (or the building of which it is part).

This exemption lasts 5 years. After that it will expire and you must try again to improve the property’s EPC rating to E. If it is still not possible, you may register a further exemption.

To register this exemption, you need to provide this additional information:

  • a copy of the written opinion of a relevant expert stating that the property cannot be improved to an EPC E because a recommended wall insulation measure would have a negative impact on the property (or the building of which it is part)

(back to list of exemptions)

Register this exemption if the relevant improvements for your property need consent from another party, such as a tenant, superior landlord, morgagee, freeholder or planning department, and despite your best efforts that consent cannot be obtained, or is given subject to conditions you could not reasonably comply with.

This exemption lasts:

  • 5 years
  • or, where lack of tenant consent was the issue, until the current tenancy ends or is assigned to a new tenant

In either case, once the exemption comes to an end, you need to try again to improve the EPC rating of the property, or register a further exemption.

To register this exemption, you need to provide this additional information:

  • copies of any correspondence and/or relevant documentation (such as a letter from your tenant, or a planning department decision notification) demonstrating that consent for the recommended measure was required and sought, and that this consent was refused, or was granted subject to a condition that you were not reasonably able to comply with

(back to list of exemptions)

Property devaluation exemption

Register this exemption if you have evidence showing that making energy efficiency improvements to your property would devalue it by more than 5%. In order to register this exemption you will need a report from an independent surveyor. This surveyor needs:

  • to be on the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) register of valuers
  • to advise that the installation of the relevant improvement measures would reduce the market value of the property, or the building it forms part of, by more than 5%

This exemption lasts 5 years. After that it will expire and you must try again to improve the property’s EPC rating to E. If it is still not possible, you may register a further exemption.

To register this exemption, you need to provide this additional information:

  • a copy of the report prepared by an independent RICS surveyor that provides evidence that the installation of the recommended measures would devalue to property by more than 5%

(back to list of exemptions)

Temporary exemption due to recently becoming a landlord

If you have recently become a landlord under certain circumstances (see section 4.1.6 in Chapter 4 of the full Guidance document for details of those circumstances) you will not be expected to take immediate action to improve your property to EPC E. You may claim a 6 months exemption from the date you became a landlord.

This exemption lasts 6 months from the date you became the landlord. After that it will expire and you must have either:

  • improved the property to EPC E
  • or registered another valid exemption, if one applies

To register this exemption, you need to provide this additional information:

  • the date on which you became the landlord for the property
  • the circumstances under which you became the landlord

(back to list of exemptions)

How to register an exemption

  • create or log in to your account, using One Login
  • enter the address of your property
  • select the exemptions you want to register
  • upload all the required evidence (the Register can accept pdf, png, jpg, jpeg, doc or docx files, with a maximum size of 20 MB per file)

All exemptions apply from the point you register them.

If you improve an exempt property to E after having registered an exemption (or stop renting the property out) you can cancel the exemption by going to your account dashboard page and selecting ‘End’ next to the relevant exemption.

Register or manage an exemption

Assisted digital support to register an exemption

If you need assisted digital support to register an exemption please call the digital helpline on 0800 098 7950.

The Assisted Digital service provides digital support in lodging an exemption on the register, but it is the responsibility of the landlord to ensure that their property meets the eligibility criteria for an exemption. The service is not able to provide advice on whether individual properties meet the criteria for an exemption.

The exemptions register

Members of the public can search the Exemptions Register for details of exempt properties and penalties issued to non-compliant landlords.

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