Key points
- The IT-Label does not move costs — it makes visible on which side of the lease they fall.
- From IT1 HIGH PERFORMANCE to IT3 READY, much of the digital groundwork is already there; the investment sits with the landlord and is reflected in the rent.
- In IT4 CORE and IT5 SHELL the tenant invests more, and in return has more freedom and more negotiating room.
- Without a classification, the digital investment remains an invisible item that surfaces only after signing.
- Transparency leads to more realistic investment planning — for both parties.
Why the IT-Label touches capex
When renting or buying commercial space, people look at rent, location, energy label and state of maintenance. Digital infrastructure often stays out of view, even though real money is involved.
The IT-Label provides insight into the digital quality and delivery level of a building. That affects capex directly — not because one classification is more expensive than another, but because the classification determines who makes the investment.
What the classifications say about investment
A building in IT1 HIGH PERFORMANCE through IT3 READY generally has a fast and stable internet connection, often redundant fibre, modern cabling, a professionally equipped technical room, backup power and integrated building systems. Those provisions already exist — paid for by the owner, and reflected in the rent.
A building in IT4 CORE or IT5 SHELL offers a basic internet connection, standard cabling, limited redundancy and little or no backup power. Whatever is not there, the tenant fits out themselves — their way, at their expense.
Neither is better. They are two ways of answering the same question: who arranges it, and who pays for it. See all classifications and what they cover.
What it means for a tenant
Anyone moving into a property often has to invest in an internet connection, network infrastructure, wifi, a technical room, access control and security. If the digital groundwork is already in place, start-up costs stay limited to fit-out and customisation: predictable, and quick to occupy.
If that groundwork is absent, the investment sits with the tenant — cabling, fibre, a server room, smart systems. That is a higher upfront cost, but it delivers something too: a fit-out that matches exactly what the business needs, without paying for provisions that go unused. More on what tenants should know when choosing a property.
The classification does not make the IT investment bigger or smaller. It makes visible on which side of the signature it falls.
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Request IT-labelWhat it means at acquisition
For investors, capex plays a role in valuation, due diligence and return calculations. Digital infrastructure belongs in that technical risk profile, just like installations and the façade.
With a building that has an equipped digital base, few direct investments are needed and the asset is immediately usable for tenants who depend on it. With a building delivered as a shell, future investments belong in the business case — or the expectation that the tenant will make them does, which affects the proposition and the rent.
Both can be modelled. The mistake is not choosing one or the other, but not knowing which of the two you are buying. More on digital infrastructure and property value.
Why transparency makes the difference
Without a classification, the digital investment need remains an assumption. It surfaces after acquisition or after occupation, at a point when the negotiation is already over. With a classification it is in the documents, and everyone can budget for it.
That is the core: the IT-Label does not make buildings better. It makes them comparable. More on fibre and network redundancy as building blocks of digital quality, or look up the IT-Label of a property. Read also how the certification process works and what appears on your certificate.
