Online Periodical
DPE - Energy efficiency levels to be shown on property rental adverts.
DPE - Energy efficiency levels to be shown on property rental adverts.
An Energy efficiency certificate or DPE (Diagnostic de performance énergétique) has been compulsory since November 01 2006 for all property sales in France and since July 01 2007 for property rentals. A new French law - La loi Grenelle 2 n° 2010-788 of 12 juillet 2010 - requires that as from January 01 2011 all adverts for property sale or rental in France display the energy classification from the DPE report. This applies to all rental properties whether they are furnished, unfurnished or rented seasonally. It is our understanding that if a property is rented for 4 months or more per year then a DPE is obligatory. Note, this 4 month period is not necessarily the lease period but the total length of time the property is rented out per year - it can be comprised of weekly and monthly rentals. "La location saisonnière est concernée dès lors que le logement est loué au moins quatre mois consécutifs ou non dans l’année." Ref: www.Pratique.fr (Note, the previous link we had in place to the government site is now a dead link and has been removed)
Example: It would appear that a DPE is required if a property is rented for 6 weeks as standard weekly holiday rentals and a three month winter rental. This begs the question how is all this going to be controlled? Estate agents' websites showing properties for sale and unfurnished rentals of 3 years cannot now advertise a property without displaying the relevant DPE results. At the time of writing, however, many such sites continue to advertise properties with no DPE classification being shown. The big unknown in terms of rentals though, are the vacation rental sites which are countless.
It looks as though the law was initially designed to exclude holiday rental properties from having to obtain a DPE as typically these rentals occupy a relatively short summer season of 10 to 12 weeks. The law does appear ill-conceived though, as many holiday rental properties do rent more than 4 months in total in a year, take properties near ski stations for example. These can enjoy a good winter and summer trade and thus fall into the DPE catchment. Also, what happens with holiday rental sites such as Gîtes de France? Again, at the time of writing there appears to be no DPE showing for properties advertised here. If a property advertised on Gîtes de France rents 10 weeks in the summer and 8 weeks on another specialist winter breaks site, are both sites required to show the DPE grades? If so, how do these websites manage this? It would appear to fall on the landlords in this situation to determine whether they need a DPE. If so, the landlord will need to pass on the gradings from the report to every site on which he advertises.
Should you rent your property out for 4 months or more in total per year then the bottom line will need you to obtain and pay for a DPE report. The good news is that this seems to be valid for 10 years. The energy classification from your DPE must then be shown on all adverts displaying your property for rent or sale and this would include your personal website.
It would certainly appear to be a generous Christmas present from the French government for the companies who inspect properties and compile the energy diagnostic reports. Unsurprisingly, there seems to be a backlog at the moment. Owners who have purchased recently will already be in possession of a DPE, many others will not, however, be aware of the requirement. If you are in need of a DPE for your property check under 'diagnostic immobilier' for your area in the telephone book. The price for a DPE report will vary depending on the type of property you have, but prices also seem to vary between companies so you may want to obtain several quotes. As with many things in life, it's probably best to follow a personal recommendation. As with many things in French life, it's another piece of officialdom.
Some other links that may be of interest:
(An example of a 'Diagnostic pour les locations saisonnières' can be seen here: wikiliciel.liciel.com )
(Published January/February 2011)
