FAQs: Non-domestic private rented property: minimum energy efficiency standards for commercial property

From 2031, privately rented non-domestic buildings over 1,000 sqm in England and Wales will be expected to meet EPC B, where it is cost-effective. Buildings below 1,000 sqm are expected to remain as the current minimum EPC E. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DENZ) has stated the changes will only take effect after Parliament has passed secondary legislation.

The commercial property sector continues to play extreme strategic relevance across the entire of the UK, often taking the lead on shaping the success of communities by accurately provisioning to both current and future needs.

Money must be allocated in a practical, properly targeted, and flexible way to work across the country’s varied residential stock. Improving energy efficiency is vital, but it must be achieved in harmony with the protection of housing supply, support for responsible landlords, and warmer, more affordable homes for consumers.