Question reference: S6W-26820
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 12 April 2024
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Current status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 8 May 2024
Question
To ask to the Scottish Government what incentives there will be for landlords to comply with the new Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) regulations, in light of the reported current lack of enforcement by local authorities.
Answer
The Scottish Government is not proposing any change in requirements that landlords will have to comply with as part of proposed amendments to EPC regulations, and therefore is not aware of the need for any incentives to do so. It will remain a legal requirement for landlords advertising a property for rental to ensure that there is a valid EPC.
We have proposed reducing the validity period from 10 years to 5 years and so in these circumstances a landlord may have to update their EPC more frequently. As set out in our consultation on EPC reform in 2023, this will ensure the EPC provides a more up-to-date assessment for current and prospective tenants of a property.
As part of the wider reform of EPCs in Scotland, we are currently reviewing the EPC operational framework in Scotland. This includes a review of the current enforcement mechanisms in place.
The Scottish Government is currently considering responses to the consultation and as set out in our response to S6W-26036 we intend to publish our response to the EPC reform and Heat in Buildings Bill consultations at the same point later this year.