What documents should be kept for a commercial building?
Last reviewed 6 October 2026
The short answer
Keep the documents that tell the next person what the building is, what is installed in it, what has been inspected or serviced, who did the work and what was found. The legal list is shorter and depends on the building and its use. The practical list below is wider, and worth keeping because it saves time, avoids repeat cost and supports a handover or sale.
This guide does not list retention periods. Some documents have retention or availability rules attached to a particular duty, and those depend on the rule, the building and the nation. Where one matters to you, take it from the official source for that duty.
Documents by purpose
Grouping by purpose is easier to maintain than a single long list.
| Group | Examples | Why keep them |
|---|---|---|
| Property and building information | Title or lease details, plans and drawings, floor areas, building description, utility meter and supply details, key contacts | The reference set. It answers “what is this building and who is responsible for what?” |
| Certificates and inspection reports | Fixed-wiring inspection reports, gas and water-hygiene records where relevant, fire risk assessment, lift and lifting-equipment examination reports, energy performance certificate | Evidence that inspections took place, what they found and what was done about it. |
| Maintenance and service records | Service reports and visit sheets, planned maintenance schedules, defect logs, completion sign-offs | Shows the history of each system and what is overdue. |
| Plant and asset documents | Manuals, operation and maintenance information, commissioning records, data sheets, warranties, serial and model details | Needed for repairs, parts, warranty claims and replacement planning. |
| Contractor and provider records | Contact details, contracts and service agreements, insurance and accreditation evidence, quotations and invoices | Shows who looks after what and on what terms. |
| Work and project history | Records of alterations and refurbishments, as-built drawings, specifications, completion certificates and sign-offs | Explains why the building is as it is and prevents re-discovering past decisions. |
| Handover and reference material | Handover packs, health and safety file where one exists, key and access registers, emergency information | Lets a new manager, owner or tenant get started without starting from scratch. |
The fabric and equipment side of this list is the same information that underpins a plant and equipment register, and the inspection side is what the maintenance checklist asks you to record.
Useful to keep, or legally required?
Two questions are worth asking separately for each document: does a legal duty tell me I must have this, and would I be worse off without it?
- May be required. Official guidance, for example, says the person responsible for non-domestic premises in England and Wales must keep a written record of the fire risk assessment, and that lifting-equipment thorough examinations are reported in writing with records kept. These are specific duties tied to specific premises and equipment.
- Not required, but sensible. HSE says there is no legal requirement to keep maintenance logs for portable electrical equipment, but that a log is a useful management tool. Many records follow this pattern: nothing forces you to keep them, but the building is harder to manage without them.
Sources for the examples above are listed at the foot of this page. For a rental property rather than a commercial building, see what records a landlord should keep.
Keeping them findable
- File each document against the thing it relates to: the building, the area, the asset or the piece of work, not only a general folder.
- Keep the latest and the previous certificate or report. The comparison is often what a surveyor or contractor wants.
- Name and date consistently, and record the date separately from the file name so you can see what is coming up for renewal.
- Keep the evidence with the work: the invoice, the report and any photos that show what was done.
- Store files securely with controlled access. Insurance, contract and tenant information may be sensitive.
- Treat paper originals and scans consistently. Where official guidance allows electronic records, such as HSE’s note on lifting-equipment reports, they still need to be producible when asked for. HSE guidance
Official sources
Related guides
- Commercial property maintenance checklist (UK): what to inspect and what to record
A practical checklist, grouped by building system, of what to inspect and what to keep a record of.
- What is a plant and equipment register?
What a building’s plant and equipment register is, and which details are worth recording for each item.
This guide is general information about keeping records. It is not legal, safety or technical advice. MyPropertyRecord stores the records and dates you enter; it does not check or determine whether a property meets any legal requirement. Requirements differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and by property type, use and tenancy, and they change. Where this guide mentions a legal duty, check the current official guidance linked on this page before relying on it.