An EPC is valid for ten years and belongs to the property, not the owner. When you can reuse an existing one and when it is worth commissioning a new assessment.
An Energy Performance Certificate is valid for ten years from the date it is lodged. It attaches to the property rather than the owner, so it survives a sale — the new owner inherits whatever validity is left.
Check before you buy another
If a Solihull property has been sold or let at any point in the past decade, there is very likely a live certificate on the register already. Search the government’s Find an energy certificate service using the postcode. Plenty of people pay for an assessment they did not need.
When to commission a new one anyway
- You have improved the property. The old certificate does not update itself — insulation, a new boiler or new glazing only count once a new assessment records them.
- You are a landlord near the threshold. If the certificate says E and the floor is moving to C, an up-to-date assessment tells you the real gap.
- Expiry falls inside the transaction. If the certificate lapses mid-sale, renew before you list.
- The old one looks wrong. Defaulted assumptions from a rushed assessment are common, and correcting them can be worth a band.
What happens when it expires
Nothing automatic. An expired EPC is simply no longer valid for a new sale or letting — you need a fresh one before marketing. There is no penalty for holding an expired certificate on a property you live in and are not selling.
Does a new EPC replace the old one?
Yes. The register holds the history, but the most recent lodged certificate is the valid one. If your rating has improved, the new certificate is what buyers, tenants and lenders will see.
Book a new assessment
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