Property Certificates in Hillsborough

Hillsborough is a suburb in north-west Sheffield, in the S6 postcode district, centred on Hillsborough Corner, where Langsett Road, Middlewood Road, Holme Lane and Bradfield Road meet. The area was largely built up in the decades after the Great Sheffield Flood of 1864, as the city's steel and engineering industries created demand for suburban housing, and most of its road layout was in place by around 1909. Terraced houses from around the turn of the 20th century still make up much of the area, alongside inter-war and post-war semi-detached homes.

In Hillsborough, an old bank and a church have become flats — and each new home needs its own certificates before it can be let.

Converting Buildings into Flats in Hillsborough

Hillsborough's older buildings are finding new uses. The former Sheffield Union Bank at the bridge over the River Loxley was converted into eight apartments in 2024, and a former church on Carlton Road became ten apartments in 2016. Getting an EPC for a building you're converting into one or more dwellings isn't the same as getting an EPC for an existing home. Each new dwelling needs a new build EPC, based on SAP calculations and produced once the work is complete. The rules are explained in our section on EPCs for New Build and Conversion Properties. If the dwellings are then let, each one also needs an EICR and, wherever there are gas appliances, a Gas Safety Certificate. The shared hallways and stairwells will need a Fire Risk Assessment.

• A valid EPC, which lasts 10 years and must show at least an E rating unless there is a registered exemption.
• An EICR, renewed at least every five years.
• A Gas Safety Certificate, renewed annually, wherever the property has gas appliances.

Older Housing and the 2030 Target

Around a third of the S6 homes on the EPC register were built before 1930, and the figures below show how many rented homes still sit under band C. With the government confirming a C minimum for rented homes by 1 October 2030, our MEES consultancy can model which improvements will actually move your rating.

Shops and Industry in Hillsborough

Hillsborough is a busy shopping area in its own right, with independent shops, butchers, greengrocers, restaurants, cafés, pubs and bars serving its large residential population. It's also home to a number of industries, including food manufacturing. Whatever the business, the law requires a Fire Risk Assessment of the premises. Electrical safety works differently: employers must keep their wiring and equipment safe, and an EICR and PAT testing are the recognised way to prove it, rather than a certificate the law names. For industrial and food production sites, an EICR every three years rather than five is the accepted standard. Factory offices and larger shops with air conditioning totalling 12kW or more need a TM44 inspection every five years. If you sell or let a unit, you'll also need a commercial EPC.