A letting held up by a certificate
Heads of terms are agreed on a vacant unit. The tenant's solicitor asks for the EPC. The property team finds one, but it has expired. A new assessment is ordered, and the assessor's visit is a fortnight away. When it arrives, the rating is lower than the old one, and the asset manager needs to take advice before the letting can proceed.
Across the portfolio, nobody knows how many other units are in the same position.
Why EPCs slip through
Energy performance rules for commercial lettings have tightened over time and may change again. Your advisers keep you informed on what applies. The administrative problem is simpler: certificates are scattered and dates are not watched.
- Certificates were commissioned at different times by different people.
- Some cover a whole building, some a single unit, some combined units.
- Units split or merged since the certificate was issued no longer match it.
- Expiry dates are not tracked against lease events.
- Ratings are not reviewed alongside refurbishment plans.
What missing certificates cost
Lettings and sales are delayed while certificates are commissioned. Assessments are ordered in a hurry. Poor ratings are discovered at the point of letting, when there is least time to respond. Refurbishment plans are made without knowing which units most need energy improvements. And investors increasingly ask for a portfolio view of energy performance that is hard to produce.
Multi-let buildings complicate things further. A building-level certificate may have been used for years when individual units are let, and when a unit is refurbished and let on its own, its own certificate may be needed. Whether that is so is a question for your assessor and advisers, but it is only asked if someone knows which certificate covers which space.
The EPC register we build
- Each unit and building in your portfolio is matched to its certificates on the public EPC register by address, with a person confirming matches that are not clean.
- Certificate details are stored: rating, issue and expiry dates, the area covered and a copy of the certificate.
- Units whose layout has changed since the certificate are flagged for your review.
- Expiries are flagged ahead of time, and earlier where a lease event such as an expiry or break is coming up.
- Ratings are shown against the thresholds your advisers tell you to monitor, so you can see which units need attention.
- A portfolio view shows ratings by building and by floor area, for asset planning and investor reporting.
| Question | Answered by |
|---|---|
| Is there a valid EPC for this unit? | The unit record |
| Which EPCs expire in the next year? | The expiry list |
| Which units does our adviser want reviewed? | Rating against your chosen thresholds |
| Does the EPC match the current unit? | Layout change flag |
| What is the portfolio's energy profile? | The portfolio view |
What your EPCs mean for your ability to let or sell is a question for your advisers. The register keeps the facts current and in one place.
How it helps the asset plan
No more discovering an expired certificate in the middle of a letting. Assessments are booked ahead of need. Refurbishment plans can include energy improvements where they matter most. Investor and lender questions about energy performance are answered from the register.
It also becomes easier to track the effect of works. When a unit is refurbished and reassessed, the old and new certificates sit side by side on the unit record, with the works that happened in between.
Is your EPC position clear?
- You have found expired EPCs during a letting or sale.
- Nobody holds a list of all certificates and expiry dates.
- Units have changed shape since their EPC was issued.
- You are not sure which units have low ratings.
- Investors ask for energy data you struggle to produce.