9 Crown Row, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 0TH
Liam McDonnell
Lettings Valuer
Liam attended school locally in Ascot and began his career in estate agency aged 18 in the Bracknell area. He has gone on to gain experience within the Maidenhead, Reading and Wokingham markets too. Building relationships is what Liam enjoys the most in his role, which gives him the opportunity to meet and help all kinds of people. Away from work, Liam enjoys playing football throughout the week and for a local Bracknell team on a Sunday (some say the next Sunday League Pirlo).
The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is…
The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing.
Top of my bucket list is…
To travel around America and Australia.
On Sunday mornings, you can usually find me…
On a football pitch in all weathers – potentially a little jaded from the night before.
My guilty pleasures are…
Watching Super Sunday and the F1 whilst devouring a takeaway. Highly recommended.
The thing I like best about my job…
Helping and advising landlords on how to make the process of letting their property as stress-free as possible, and assuring tenants throughout the process so that it becomes an enjoyable and exciting experience.
The person I’d most like to go for a drink with is…
Sir Alex Ferguson.
28 Mar 2017
As from the 1st April 2018 any properties rented out in the private rented sector must have a minimum energy performance rating of E on an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). This is set out in the 2015 Energy Efficiency Regulations, passed in March 2015.
The regulations (known as the MEES Regulations) come into force for new lets and renewals of existing tenancies from 1st April 2018 and for all existing tenancies from 1st April 2020. There are separate regulations effective from 1st April 2016 under which a tenant can apply for consent to carry out energy efficiency improvements in privately rented properties.
It will then be unlawful to rent a property which breaches the requirement for a minimum E rating, unless there is an applicable exemption. A fine of up to £4,000 will be imposed for breaches.
There are several exclusions to this regulation relating to listed buildings, conservation areas and monuments, where an EPC might not be required anyway, but the primary exclusions that might apply to most landlords are;
- Residential buildings which are intended to be used less than 4 months of the year or
- Stand alone buildings with a total usable floor area of less than 50 square meters.
A domestic private rented sector property is considered to be ‘substandard’ if the EPC rating is F or G, unless an exemption applies. The legislation then prohibits a landlord from renting out a ‘substandard property’. Therefore, if there is an EPC in place which shows that the property is an F or G, the property must not be let.
Landlords may apply for an exemption from 1st October 2017. The exemptions register will be essentially a database of exemptions and will be open to public inspection. Failure to register any exemption will render the exemption ineffective, and will amount to non-compliance with the regulations. Exemptions will last for 5 years.
The Enforcement Authority will be entitled to require landlords to furnish them with evidence supporting a claim for an exemption. Landlords will also be in breach of the regulations if they claim an exemption to which they are not properly entitled.
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