All information about the energy performance certificate
Since 2009, an energy performance certificate (Energieausweis) is mandatory when renting or selling residential and commercial properties.
Anyone who intends to lease, rent, or sell a property must present a valid energy performance certificate at the latest when signing the contract.
Exceptions to this rule include, for example, listed (protected) buildings and properties that are heated for less than four months per year. Certain information from the energy performance certificate must also already be included in the listing or property brochure.
Energy performance certificate: Needs-based or consumption-based?
There are basically two types of energy performance certificates: the needs-based certificate (Bedarfsausweis) and the consumption-based certificate (Verbrauchsausweis).
The consumption-based certificate is significantly cheaper because it requires less effort. It is based on the energy consumption of the past three years and can, for example, be prepared by a chimney sweep or heating engineer. The downside is that the result heavily depends on the behavior of the occupants.
The needs-based certificate, on the other hand, determines the energy demand using a complex calculation method, making it more accurate and allowing for a detailed breakdown of individual factors. Although the needs-based certificate is considerably more expensive than the consumption-based one, it provides a better insight into the actual energy demand of your property—regardless of how the property is used.
The following overview shows which certificate you need in which case:
An energy performance certificate is valid for ten years.
Thanks to the detailed data in a needs-based certificate, the issuer can provide recommendations on which measures would be sensible as part of an energy-efficient renovation for the property.
This allows the building’s energy efficiency rating to be improved and energy costs to be reduced. If no energy performance certificate is presented when renting or selling a property, sellers or landlords are acting in violation of the Building Energy Act. This should not be taken lightly, as fines of up to €15,000 can be imposed.
We recommend that landlords and sellers arrange a valid energy performance certificate well in advance. We are happy to assist you with this.