# Commercial EPC exemptions and the PRS register > How exemptions from the minimum standard work for commercial property, and why an unregistered exemption is no exemption at all. Source: https://commercialepcupgrades.co.uk/epc-exemptions --- # Commercial EPC exemptions and the PRS register Where a building cannot reasonably be brought up to the minimum, there is provision to register an exemption rather than do the work. It is a legitimate route and it is not a loophole: it is specific, evidenced, time-limited and registered on the PRS Exemptions Register. The part landlords most often get wrong is assuming it is a state the building is in. It is not. It is something you actively do, and then have to do again. General guidance, not legal advice Energy performance rules for commercial property in England and Wales have changed repeatedly, and proposals have moved during consultation. This page describes the position as we understand it and is written to be useful rather than definitive. Check the current position and your own obligations with a solicitor or a qualified assessor before committing to capital spend. ## An unregistered exemption is not an exemption This is the single most important thing on this page. Believing you qualify is not the same as being exempt. The exemption has to be registered, with the evidence that supports it, before it has any effect. A landlord who assumed they qualified, never registered, and then let the property is in exactly the same position as a landlord who never considered it at all. The assumption is common and the consequence is not theoretical. ## The shape of the grounds Without quoting durations or thresholds that need a solicitor to confirm, the grounds broadly cover a few recognisable situations: - All the relevant improvements that could be made have been made, and the building still falls short. - The improvements would not pay for themselves within a defined period, assessed on a prescribed basis rather than on your own view of value. - A third party whose consent is required has refused it, or has attached conditions that are unreasonable. Tenants, lenders, superior landlords and planning authorities all appear here. - The work would devalue the property by more than a specified proportion, confirmed by a suitably qualified independent adviser. - The landlord has only recently become the landlord, which gives a short period of grace rather than a permanent position. Each of those has conditions, evidence requirements and a duration attached. Those specifics are exactly what a solicitor is for, and we are not going to print numbers here that someone might rely on. ## Evidence is the work Registering an exemption is not a form you fill in with an opinion. It needs the supporting evidence: the assessment showing what was recommended, the quotations or the calculation showing the payback position, the written refusal of consent, or the independent advice on devaluation. That evidence costs money and takes time to assemble, which is why it is worth comparing honestly against the cost of simply doing the work. In a building a band short, the lighting upgrade is frequently cheaper than the professional fees involved in proving you should not have to do it. ## It expires, and the building does not improve itself Exemptions run for a limited period and then fall away. At that point the obligation returns, and if nothing has changed about the building you are back where you started, with less time. The useful way to treat a registered exemption is as a deferral that buys you a planned route to compliance, not as a resolution. Put the expiry in the same diary as the lease events. ## Questions we get asked ### Do I need to register an exemption, or does it apply automatically? ### What are the grounds for an exemption? ### How long does an exemption last? ### Is it cheaper to register an exemption than to do the work? Sources - A landlord who cannot meet the minimum may register an exemption on the PRS Exemptions Register. Registration is self-certified and must be supported by evidence. [Guidance on PRS exemptions and Exemptions Register evidence requirements, DESNZ, 2017](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/private-rented-sector-minimum-energy-efficiency-standard-exemptions/guidance-on-prs-exemptions-and-exemptions-register-evidence-requirements) - Under the MEES Regulations the minimum for non-domestic private rented property in England and Wales is EPC band E. [The Non-Domestic Private Rented Property Minimum Standard: guidance for landlords and enforcement authorities, under the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015, 2017](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-non-domestic-private-rented-property-minimum-standard-landlord-guidance) Last updated 8 October 2026 . - [MEES and the minimum The obligation an exemption sits against](https://commercialepcupgrades.co.uk/mees) - [Listed buildings Where consent constraints bite hardest](https://commercialepcupgrades.co.uk/buildings/listed-building) - [Improving the rating instead Often the cheaper route](https://commercialepcupgrades.co.uk/improve-commercial-epc-rating) Next step ## Find out where your buildings actually sit Before you plan against a deadline it helps to know the gap. Tell us the building and one commercial contractor comes back with what it would take to close it. Or call [07367 293494](tel:+447367293494). 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