Commercial EPC before a London lease: four checks for landlords
A commercial EPC is more useful when the lease team checks the certificate, premises and rating before the timetable is fixed.
Check the certificate against the premises
Before agreeing dates for a shop or office letting, find the existing commercial Energy Performance Certificate on the government register. Confirm the address, unit or floor, issue date and area it describes. A whole-building certificate may not answer the same question as a separately let unit; ask the assessor when the boundary is unclear. Our earlier commercial EPC scope guide explains how to define that boundary.
Read the rating in its legal context
For privately rented non-domestic property in England and Wales, the current minimum energy efficiency standard generally requires an EPC rating of at least E, unless a valid exemption is registered. The rule can affect new, renewed and continuing tenancies. It is a separate decision from whether a commercial EPC is required for a transaction, and the detailed exceptions matter. Use the official non-domestic MEES landlord guidance with your property adviser before relying on a rating or exemption. A certificate alone is not a blanket approval to let.
Reconcile the document with what has changed
A retail fit-out, altered heating or a reconfigured office floor can mean the description behind an older non-domestic EPC no longer resembles the space on offer. Record what has changed and when. An internal refit does not always trigger a new EPC by itself; the government's non-dwelling EPC guide sets out the triggers and assessment approach. Where the existing certificate is missing, expired or incorrectly scoped, seek an assessor's view early.
Give the assessor a transaction-ready brief
Send the lease plan, full address, approximate floor area, current use, building-services details and any existing EPC. Say whether the entire building or one unit is being marketed. This lets our Commercial EPC Certificate service identify the correct assessment and access needs. The result is a clearer path to the certificate the transaction actually requires, without treating the EPC as a substitute for specialist advice on the lease or energy standard.