Can I sell my house without an EPC?

The legal requirement

In England and Wales you must have commissioned an EPC before a property is put on the market, and the certificate must be available to prospective buyers within seven days of marketing starting. The duty sits with the seller, though in practice the estate agent usually chases it.

The rating must also be displayed on any property advertisement, which is why portals show the band alongside the listing.

Exemptions

A small number of buildings are exempt: places of worship, temporary structures intended to be used for less than two years, certain listed buildings where compliance would unacceptably alter their character, and stand-alone buildings under 50 square metres of useful floor area.

Listed buildings are the most misunderstood category. Being listed does not automatically create an exemption — it applies only where the improvements an EPC would recommend cannot be made without unacceptably altering the building.

What happens if you do not have one

Trading Standards can issue a penalty for marketing a home without a valid certificate, and conveyancing will typically stall until one is produced. Given a certificate can usually be arranged and lodged within 48 hours, it is rarely worth the risk or the delay.