Page 26 - December 2023

EXPERT ADVICE PROPERTY ADVICE
Landlord FAQs
ESPC on EPCs
Nicky Lloyd, Head of ESPC Lettings, answers the most frequently asked
questions from landlords. ESPC’s CEO, Paul Hilton, shares his thoughts on the Scottish Government’s
plans for new EPC certification ratings.

Is the rental market busy? What are the legal requirements?
Absolutely. The average rental property In Scotland it’s a criminal offence to rent your
now receives three times as many enquiries property without registering as a landlord, and failure
from prospective tenants than in 2019, to do so could result in fines of up to £50,000.
demonstrating how strong demand is. Demand
massively outweighs supply across the market, Your home must have an Energy Performance
but especially in Edinburgh, so there’s lots of Certificate (EPC). All privately rented properties
opportunity for potential landlords. will be required to meet a minimum standard
rating of C by 2028.
What’s the most popular property type
to rent? Rental properties must have regular gas and
The most recent Citylets report found that electricity safety checks carried out.
one-bedroom properties are currently the
most popular to rent in Edinburgh, renting in You should place tenants’ deposits in one
just ten days. of three Scottish Tenancy Deposit Schemes
(TDS): SafeDeposits Scotland, mydeposits
Should my property be offered furnished Scotland or Letting Protection Service Scotland
or unfurnished?
It depends on your budget and the tenants What are the best areas?
you want to attract. Furnished properties are According to data from ESPC’s House Price
attractive to students who don’t have their own Reports and the latest Citylets report, the most
furniture, while unfurnished generally appeals popular areas in Edinburgh to rent are the New
to those looking for a family home. Town, and the postcode areas of EH12 and EH4. arlier this autumn, the Scottish may not be possible to achieve in some
Government held a public consultation property types – for instance, those located on
What tenant checks should happen? What about the future? Eon the future of Energy Performance Edinburgh’s strictly-governed World Heritage
You should ensure the following checks are As we approach the end of 2023 and uncertainty Certificates (EPCs), and how these will affect sites, or in tenement buildings.
carried out: around the financial climate remains, it becomes properties moving forwards. With changes
• Credit rating harder to predict how markets will perform. proposed to rental properties – including that In the current system, the most prominent
properties must have a rating of C or above metric is the property’s Energy Efficiency
• Adverse credit check
at the change of tenancy by 2028 – this is a Rating, which is banded from A (the most
• Affordability check However, the rental industry remains strong move that has been long anticipated, and will efficient) to G (the least), with a 1-100 rating
• Current landlord reference with more tenants choosing to rent and rent affect homeowners the length and breadth based on the cost to run the dwelling. However,
• Employment reference levels consistently increasing. of Scotland. the Scottish Government intends to change
this, by creating three new headline metrics
However, ESPC fears that while these plans for EPCs: fabric rating; cost rating and heating
are well intentioned, the proposed changes system type.
ESPC Lettings can provide expert advice on all aspects of being a landlord – contact the team today by emailing
landlord@espc.com or calling 0131 253 2847.
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