EPC OBLIGATIONS WHEN SELLING OR RENTING A PROPERTY

The law requires communication of the EPC certificate in property sale and rental ads. Owners wanting to either sell or rent their property can no longer avoid this, and the penalty is significant in case of breach! The EPC certificate is the result of an energy certification system for buildings covered by European Union law. It aims to assess the energy performance of buildings. To do this, it takes different criteria into consideration: the level of thermal insulation, the performance of the heating system, the use of solar energy and the building’s ventilation system. The aim is to find out about the building’s performance. This document is used to assess if it is energy efficient or not, which is essential when buying or renting a property.From 1 January 2015, the law requires communication of the EPC certificate in property sale and rental ads. Owners wanting to either sell or rent their property can now no longer avoid this. That being said, the owner is also required to provide this certificate bearing a signature when selling the building and before signing the lease agreement in case of a rental. Failing this communication, the region may impose a financial penalty on the seller or lessor. The latter is not insignificant since it can be €2 per cubic metre constructed with a minimum of €250. Therefore, it is important to be very attentive. Finally, we would also point out that the EPC certificate is valid for ten years. In case of resale or renting of the building during this period, it is not necessary to establish a new certificate provided that the building is not subject to transformations having an impact on its energy performance. In this case, a new certificate will need to be produced.