A commercial EPC does not last for ever. If yours has lapsed, whether that matters depends on what you are about to do with the unit. This page covers the clear cases and flags the one that is not clear.
How long a commercial EPC lasts
An EPC is valid for 10 years from the date it was lodged. After that it has expired, even if nothing about the unit has changed.
Checking yours
The date is on the certificate. You can also look a certificate up on the GOV.UK Find an energy certificate service.
If your certificate is close to ten years old, treat it as expiring now. Booking an assessment takes time, and you do not want to find out at the point a tenant gives notice.
Before you market it
If you are offering the unit to let, you need a valid EPC. Failing to make one available to a prospective tenant or buyer can lead to a fine of £500 to £5,000, depending on the rateable value of the building.
So if the unit is coming to market and the certificate has expired, commission a new one first. That new certificate will also need to show E or better, because the minimum standard applies to the letting.
If there is a tenant in place
This is the case that is not clear-cut. The Government's landlord guidance does not cover what happens when an EPC expires during an existing tenancy. If this is your situation, take advice rather than relying on general commentary.
What is clear is that the minimum standard of E has applied to all existing lets since 1 April 2023, and that you will need a valid certificate as soon as you next market the unit. We would not rely on an expired certificate as evidence that a unit meets the standard.
Renewals and extensions
The Government's guidance is clear that the minimum standard applies when you extend or renew an existing tenancy, as well as when you grant a new one. That has been the case since 1 April 2018. So at a renewal or extension, the unit must meet E unless an exemption is registered.
If a renewal is coming up and your certificate has expired or is close to it, the safe course is to get a new one beforehand, so that you know the rating while you still have options.
Your new rating may differ
A new certificate is a fresh assessment, not a copy of the old one. The rating can move for several reasons:
- The method has changed. The national calculation methodology behind non-domestic EPCs changed on 15 June 2022. In the register, electrically heated buildings assessed after that date are rated markedly better than before it, while gas-heated ones are not.
- The unit has changed. New heating, lighting or fabric works should show up.
A rating can go down as well as up. A unit that was E on its old certificate could come back F, and the reverse is also possible. Either way, it is better to know before a tenant is lined up.
If the new rating is F or G
You have two routes: improve the unit to E, or register an exemption if one genuinely applies. See MEES exemptions for commercial property. Letting below E without an exemption for three months or more can cost up to £150,000, plus a publication penalty; the full bands are on MEES penalties for commercial property.
How common this is
On our count from the Energy Performance of Buildings Register (load dated 1 October 2026), 58,741 let units of up to 1,000 m² in England and Wales have an EPC that has expired, about 1 in 8. That is by far the largest group of units we count as needing action before they can be let, much larger than the 4,465 rated F or G on a valid certificate.
"Let" means at least one certificate for the unit was lodged for letting. That is evidence of letting, not a count of every let unit, and some expired units will no longer be let at all. See how we count, and your council's figures under every area.
In short
- A commercial EPC lasts 10 years.
- You need a valid one before you market a unit to let.
- The new one must show E or better for the letting to be lawful, unless an exemption is registered.
- With a tenant in place, the guidance does not cover expiry: take advice, and get a new certificate before any renewal or extension.
Sources
- Energy Performance Certificates for your business premises, GOV.UK. Checked 30 September 2026.
- Non-domestic private rented property: minimum energy efficiency standard, landlord guidance, GOV.UK, updated 5 May 2026. Checked 30 September 2026; read again 6 October 2026.
- Energy Performance of Buildings Register (MHCLG), non-domestic certificates, load dated 1 October 2026.
Checked against GOV.UK and the regulations on 2026-10-06. More help