Energy Performance Certificate required or not?

[Crow]

My wife rents her flat (because she could not sell it) and has had the same tenant since November 2008. The Estate Agents rang her today demanding that she pay for an Energy Performance Certificate. They are of course trying to get her to pay them to do it, and I am suspicious that it may not actually be required as all that happens is that the existing tenant renews each six months and the property is not marketed to anyone else. Does anyone know the exact rules about these certificates?

EDIT: We just checked the dates, and the flat was actually rented to these tenants in November 2007, not 2008!

Does that mean that the Estate Agents are just trying it on, and that no certificate is required?

[Melboy]

From 1 October 2008, if you are renting out your property, you will need to provide a certificate to any prospective tenant. There is no need to obtain a Energy Performance Certificate for an existing tenancy. Once obtained, a certificate remains valid for up to 10 years.

If a valid Energy Performance Certificate still exists when changing tenants no new certificate is required. This applies to both private and social sector landlords and tenants.

Mel.

[Crow]

From 1 October 2008, if you are renting out your property, you will need to provide a certificate to any prospective tenant. There is no need to obtain a Energy Performance Certificate for an existing tenancy. Once obtained, a certificate remains valid for up to 10 years.

If a valid Energy Performance Certificate still exists when changing tenants no new certificate is required. This applies to both private and social sector landlords and tenants.

Mel.

Thank You. It appears to have been a try on by the Estate Agent then, hoping to get a fee for a certificate that is not even required. Either that, or they don't know the rules. They claim that they are being audited and have discovered that there was no certificate.