Property enquiry certificate (PEC) meaning

A property enquiry certificate (PEC) is a consolidated local authority search used in conveyancing to reveal planning, building standards and regulatory matters affecting a property. It is a descriptive term rather than one defined by statute or case law, and the precise content varies by authority and search provider. A PEC typically discloses: planning policies; planning applications, permissions, refusals and enforcement; building warrants and completion certificates; any statutory notices (for example environmental health, housing or contaminated land); whether the adjacent roads and footpaths are adopted or private and any road proposals or traffic orders; conservation or listed building status; and whether public water mains and/or public sewers are present in or adjoining the property. PECs are obtained from the local authority directly or via a search agency and are commonly exhibited by sellers’ or landlords’ solicitors to buyers’ or tenants’ solicitors as part of due diligence, often alongside title and mining searches. Usage is broadly consistent within Scotland. In England and Wales, equivalent information is obtained through the Local Authority Search (LLC1 and CON29) and a water and drainage search (CON29DW). In Northern Ireland the nearest equivalent is the Property Certificate. In Ireland no single “PEC” is standard.