Last October, it became mandatory for landlords to obtain Energy Performance Certificates prior to the commencement of any new tenancy. A copy of this EPC must be provided to each prospective tenant, Failure to do so could result in a £200 fine and the landlord being prevented from marketing the property for rent.

Landlords planning to make energy efficiency upgrades this winter are advised to make use of the Landlord Energy Saving Allowance(LESA), which is a tax allowance that enables landlords to claim the cost of buying and installing energy efficient measures against their income or corporation tax. This is up to the value of £1,500 per property.

Landlords can claim the LESA for draught proofing and loft, floor, cavity wall, solid wall and hot water systems insulation. Landlords must include the expenditure as a deduction in their self-assessment tax return to claim the tax relief.

• Have you arranged the EPC?
• Do you need financing on that BTL?
• Do you have adequate rental property insurance?
• Do you have adequate Income Protection?

Call us on 01752 561981 for a free, no-obligation discussion of your circumstances and we’ll see if we can help you and get the right protection.

For further reading:

• www.hmrc.co.uk
• http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ria/8-landlords-energy-saving-allow.pdf