What is a FENSA Certificate & Do I Need One?
Estimated reading time 5 minutes
Selling a home is never as straightforward as you’d hope. Aside from the potential for delays, expense and stress, you have the burden of paperwork, and there can be a lot of it! One particular item you’ll need for prospective homeowners is the FENSA certificate. This important document confirms that windows and doors comply with specific standards and is essential when you sell a house.
What is a FENSA certificate?
A FENSA certificate certifies that double-glazed doors, windows or skylights meet specific building standards, energy efficiency requirements and have been fitted by certified installers who comply with building regulations. In addition, the FENSA certificate will also show that the company fitting the windows or doors has registered the installation with the relevant local authority.
Do I need a FENSA certificate?
Yes, if your doors or windows have been fitted since April 1st, 2002, you’ll need a valid FENSA certificate for them. The certificate will prove that your windows and doors comply with building regulations. Without a certificate, you run the risk of being fined, especially if it can be proven that an installation does not comply with regulations.
So, is a FENSA certificate a legal requirement?
No, a FENSA certificate is not a legal requirement for the fitting of new windows or doors, but it’s a far more cost-effective way of proving that the installation complies with building regulations. Without a FENSA certificate, you’ll have to pay for a third party to inspect the work and provide a building regulations certificate, and this can cost more than £300.
Can I still sell my house without a FENSA certificate?
It doesn’t necessarily mean you are trying to sell an unsellable house if you don’t have a FENSA certificate. It just could slow things down a little. Buyers will want to know that the property they are buying is safe and compliant, and without a FENSA certificate, this is a little harder to prove. Therefore, a conveyancer will conduct additional enquiries to uncover whether the installation was made in line with building regulation compliance. If no FENSA certificate can be found, you’ll need to pay for a building regulation certificate instead or take out a suitable indemnity insurance policy.
How to get a FENSA certificate
Upon completion of your window or door installation, the FENSA registered installer will certify the job. Around two to four weeks later, a certificate will arrive in the post.
How to get a FENSA certificate retrospectively
If you have lost your FENSA certificate, and know that you had one, you can order a replacement directly from FENSA for around £25. You’ll just need to provide the house number and postcode, and the replacement certificate will be sent out.
How long does a FENSA certificate last?
A FENSA certificate is intended to last for the lifetime of the newly installed doors and windows. It also acts as an insurance-backed guarantee. This normally lasts for ten years.
What happens if I don’t have a FENSA certificate?
If you don’t have a FENSA certificate, you could find yourself being fined or instructed to remove the window and doors if they are not compliant. To safeguard yourself and potential future homeowners against this, you should apply for a buildings regulation certificate or obtain a FENSA indemnity insurance policy.
What is a FENSA indemnity insurance policy?
A FENSA indemnity policy gives you and future homeowners some protection if there is no FENSA certificate in place. The policy means that future fines or costs for replacing the windows and doors due to non-compliance will be covered by the insurance. It’s important to know that you can only take out such a policy if the work was completed more than a year ago. You should also make sure that the policy covers the potential costs you or others may face if the installation never complied with building regulations.
A FENSA certificate fills a buyer with more confidence that the house they wish to buy fulfils specific safety regulations. Without one, you could be looking at additional costs, a delayed sale and potentially, a lifetime of it being on the market. At Bettermove, we do things differently. We buy any property, in any condition, in any location. We enable you to sell your house fast, so you don’t need to worry about chasing up missing FENSA certificates or indemnity policies. We simply make an offer on your home and buy it ourselves in a timeframe that suits you, or, if you prefer, we find you a buyer from our network of pre-approved cash house buyers. Either way, your house sells! What’s more, we won’t charge you either, so you can say goodbye to the costly legal fees involved with selling a house. Sell your house for free and keep more of the cash you are offered!
