LandAid’s Free Property Advice Programme matches the property skills of Bowman Riley with local charities in need of advice, enabling us to deliver our much-needed services sustainably. LandAid arranges free property advice for UK charities supporting disadvantaged young people, families and communities, including those experiencing homelessness.
Caroline Fattorini, Director of Bowman Riley Building Consultancy, was a former Ambassador of LandAid and Will Smithies, Building Surveyor is a current Ambassador.
Caroline commented:
“Using our skills to support a charity is a simple and rewarding way to make a real difference to our local communities. By giving expertise, our staff gain a satisfying level of engagement with local charities. It is definitely an important part of our corporate social responsibility.
From April 2018, it will be unlawful to let or lease a commercial property with a poor energy rating.
After the deadline, properties that do not meet the minimum standards cannot be re-let until improvements are made. If owners re-let, they could face a penalty fine.
The regulations apply to new lets and renewals with effect from 1 April 2018 and for all existing tenancies on 1 April 2020.
A property must achieve at least an E rating on the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) before they can be leased or rented unless there is an exemption.
Landlords must act straight away to verify the accuracy of any existing EPC report. To view an existing certificate for your property, visit www.epcregister.com.
Properties that currently have a rating of D or E may be at risk, as the standards have become more stringent.
The EPC may just need updating if improvement works have already been undertaken but the certificate has not been updated since the initial certificate. If you need a new certificate, we can organise this for you for £85 + VAT.
Please contact our team, if you need assistance in assessing how to increase the energy efficiency of your property and/or in arranging improvement works. Once remedial works have been completed, a new EPC report can be organised for you.
For further information, please contact Caroline Fattorini. Download Caroline’s vCard here.