Does a Tenant Fit-Out Need Its Own EMA Licence? Landlord LEWs, SP Accounts and the Switch-On
When a tenancy needs its own electrical installation licence, what the landlord’s LEW signs, the SP Group forms for each load, and the paperwork that can delay the switch-on — from EMA’s and SP’s own guidance.
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Near the end of a fit-out, the power can only be switched on once the paperwork is in place: whether the tenancy needs its own electrical installation licence, who signs the switch-on, and which forms go to SP Group. All three are easy to leave late.
This is how it works for a tenant fit-out in a Singapore commercial building, taken from EMA’s and SP Group’s own guidance.
When an installation needs an EMA licence
EMA requires an electrical installation licence for non-domestic installations with an approved load above 45 kVA, which EMA equates to 63 A three-phase at 400 V. Installations in hazardous trades, and non-domestic supply installations such as generators, need one whatever their load.
The tenant’s own licence, or the landlord’s
A larger tenancy does not automatically need its own licence. EMA will not issue a separate licence for a unit in a multi-tenanted building unless that unit has its own SP Services account. Tenants who buy their electricity through the landlord or the MCST are covered by the landlord’s licence, unless they chose to keep a licence they already held before the building began buying electricity that way.
Read together, those two rules make the SP account the question to settle early. A tenant with its own SP account and an approved load above 45 kVA should expect to need its own licence and its own appointed LEW. A tenant that buys through the landlord is normally covered by the landlord’s licence. Your LEW confirms which applies to the unit.
It decides whether a licence is needed, how the unit is metered, which SP forms apply and who signs the switch-on. Decided late, it moves the switch-on date.
What the licence application needs
The tenant’s LEW applies through EMA’s online system with the letter of appointment, a valid SP account, the single-line diagrams, the arrangement for maintaining the service cable, and a consent letter from the landlord’s LEW confirming that the landlord’s installation can take the tenant’s load. EMA aims to approve a complete application in two to three working days. The licence is then displayed near the main switchboard with the single-line diagram.
What the LEW is responsible for
The LEW designs, installs, inspects and tests the installation from the incoming supply to the fixed outlets, and certifies it on a Certificate of Compliance against the Electricity Regulations and SS 638. The design is the LEW’s responsibility: it is not submitted to SP Group for approval, and the LEW makes sure it meets SP’s connection requirements.
The switch-on
Where a tenant’s licensed installation is fed from the landlord’s switchboard, the tenant’s LEW sends the Certificate of Compliance and the single-line diagram to the landlord’s LEW. The landlord’s LEW checks them against the building’s connection requirements, inspects the tenant’s intake board, energises the supply and issues the Statement of Turn On.
The SP Group steps depend on the load:
- ›45 kVA and below, in a building on SP’s multi-metering scheme: the tenant opens an SP Services account, the LEW files form CS/5 online with the landlord’s letter of consent (CS/3), and SP inspects. If the installation is safe, supply goes on at the inspection, and the tenant’s LEW issues the Statement of Turn On.
- ›Above 45 kVA on the same scheme: the EMA licence comes first. The LEW then sends forms CS/3 and CS/7 (the meter request) with the Certificate of Compliance and the licence, SP installs the meters, and the landlord’s LEW issues the Statement of Turn On. SP will not energise before the licence is issued.
- ›A direct connection above 45 kVA: energisation is requested at least 14 business days ahead, and the LEW hands SP a Certificate of Readiness on site.
What can delay the switch-on
- ›The tenant’s load grows beyond what the landlord can spare. Without the landlord LEW’s consent there is no licence, and if the building itself needs more capacity the landlord has to apply to SP, which takes months.
- ›The SP account is decided late, changing the licence, the metering, the forms and who signs the switch-on.
- ›The paperwork is not ready on the day: the Certificate of Compliance, the licence, the account activation, or the 14-business-day notice for a direct connection.
Where we come in
Our own EMA-licensed Electrical Technicians design installations up to 150 kVA, and install, test and maintain installations up to 500 kVA; above their limits we engage an independent Electrical Engineer as project LEW. Our quotes routinely list the building’s consultant and LEW fees, the temporary supply and the tap-off, so they are not a surprise at the end.
Sources
These rules were read on EMA’s and SP Group’s websites and on Singapore Statutes Online in September 2026. They change from time to time, so check the current versions:
Planning a tenant fit-out?
Send us the layout and the landlord’s fitting-out guide. We will tell you early whether the tenancy needs its own licence, and plan the paperwork so the switch-on date holds.
FAQ
Does every tenancy above 45 kVA need its own EMA licence?
No. EMA issues a separate licence for a unit in a multi-tenanted building only if it has its own SP Services account. A tenant that buys its electricity through the landlord is normally covered by the landlord’s licence.
Does SP Group approve the electrical design?
No. The LEW is responsible for the design and makes sure it meets SP’s connection requirements; it is not submitted to SP for approval.
How long does EMA take to issue a licence?
EMA aims for two to three working days once the application is complete, including the landlord LEW’s consent letter.
Who switches on the supply to a tenancy?
For a licensed tenant installation fed from the landlord’s switchboard, the landlord’s LEW inspects the tenant’s intake board, energises it and issues the Statement of Turn On. For 45 kVA and below on SP’s multi-metering scheme, SP turns the supply on at its inspection and the tenant’s LEW issues the Statement of Turn On.
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