Energy audit on sale: which homes are affected?

The energy audit on sale progressively applies to residential homes rated D, E, F or G in the energy performance diagnostic (DPE), when they belong to a single owner or to owners in undivided co-ownership. The obligation depends on the energy rating, the date on which the property is offered for sale and, for the scheme's entry into force, the conclusion of certain sale deeds.

The scheme covers detached houses and collective residential buildings under single ownership. The audit supplements the DPE: it does not replace it and presents the purchaser with work scenarios, their estimated cost and the performance that could be achieved after renovation.

Key points to remember

• Since 1 April 2023, the audit has been required for homes rated F or G.
• Since 1 January 2025, the obligation also applies to homes rated E.
• From 1 January 2034, dwellings rated D will also be covered.
• The property must be for residential use and be single-owned, meaning that it belongs to one owner or to owners in undivided co-ownership.
• The audit must be provided to the prospective purchaser from the first viewing and attached to the technical diagnostic report with the DPE.

Which properties are covered by the obligation

The regulatory energy audit applies to the sale of a building or part of a building for residential use comprising one or more homes, when the property is under single ownership and its DPE falls within the class concerned by the regulatory timetable.

The following are notably covered:

• detached houses falling within the relevant energy category ;
• buildings comprising several dwellings, where they belong to a single owner or to owners in undivided ownership ;
• residential parts of mixed-use buildings, where they comprise dwellings falling within the relevant energy category ;
• parts of residential buildings that do not yet come under the co-ownership regime ;
• in a horizontal co-ownership, a building containing a single dwelling, where the unit is independent and the walls belong exclusively to the co-owner, unless otherwise provided for in the co-ownership regulations.

Single ownership does not therefore necessarily mean that there is only one home. A collective building owned by a single owner may be concerned. Conversely, the scheme described in the legislation does not apply to homes in a conventional co-ownership as if it were a single-owned property.

Timetable by DPE rating

The energy rating shown by the DPE and the effective dates of the scheme determine which homes are concerned. The audit must be carried out before any offer to sell a home falling within the scope of the obligation. The timetable applicable in metropolitan France is as follows:

The Ministry for Ecological Transition specifies that the audit must be carried out before any offer to sell a home belonging to one of the classes concerned.

For each class, the sales concerned are those for which, from the date on which the provisions applicable to that class come into force, a reciprocal sale agreement or, in the absence of such an agreement, a deed of sale is entered into. Entering into one of these agreements does not remove the requirement to have the audit carried out before making any offer for sale.

Why the EPC remains essential

The DPE is the starting point. When an owner decides to sell, they must have a valid DPE or have one prepared. The regulatory audit then supplements it when the home's rating and the effective date corresponding to that rating make it mandatory.

The DPE assesses the property's energy and environmental performance and assigns it a rating. Based on this assessment, the audit proposes renovation pathways suited to the characteristics of the home or building.

The audit therefore does not replace the DPE. The two documents have different functions and must appear together in the technical diagnostic report when the obligation applies.

A document to be provided at the first viewing

The audit is carried out at the owner's initiative and expense, before any offer to sell the home concerned. The seller or their representative must provide it to the prospective purchaser on paper or electronically from their first viewing of the property.

It must then be attached to the technical diagnostic report given to the purchaser with the sale agreement. If there is no sale agreement, it is attached to the authentic deed of sale. This enables the purchaser to learn about the planned works before making a final commitment.

The Cabinet Soudey offers country houses, longères, thatched cottages and flats on the Alabaster Coast for sale. To find out about the properties currently offered, the page dedicated to the firm's properties for sale presents the available listings, without prejudging their energy rating or whether the obligation applies to each property.

What does the energy audit contain

The audit provides a detailed assessment of the building. The auditor examines in particular the constructional, architectural and thermal characteristics, energy equipment and any defects in the building. An on-site visit is mandatory.

The document includes in particular:

• an estimate of conventional primary energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions before the works ;
• renovation recommendations suited to the property ;
• at least two work scenarios, carried out in one or more stages ;
• the energy rating that may be achieved after the works ;
• an estimate of the energy savings and the theoretical impact on the bill ;
• an estimate of the cost of the works ;
• the main financial assistance available ;
• information relating to ventilation, summer comfort, control equipment and the treatment of interfaces between the works.

The auditor proposes at least two work scenarios, subject to exceptions. The first is a coherent staged pathway whose final stage aims for at least a B DPE rating (except where technical, architectural, heritage or cost constraints result in an adapted pathway); its first stage must achieve an improvement of at least two ratings and address two insulation areas. The second is a single-stage pathway enabling high-performance renovation to be achieved.

Who carries out the audit and how long does it remain valid

The audit must be prepared by an independent professional meeting precise qualification requirements and having taken out insurance covering the consequences of their liability. The required skills vary depending on whether the building contains one home or several.

For a detached house, the work may notably be carried out by qualified firms or companies, companies certified under the « RGE offre globale » scheme, architectural firms and architects registered with the professional body who have completed the required training, as well as certified property surveyors qualified to carry out an EPC and able to demonstrate the skills required to perform the energy audit.

For a building comprising several dwellings, qualified firms specialising in building energy audits and certain architectural firms or trained architects may carry out the assignment. The cost of the audit is not regulated and may vary from one professional to another. It is valid for 5 years.

The owner can consult the official energy audit sheet to find the categories of authorised professionals and the applicable legislation. Where the property's situation is unusual, a notary or a professional competent in property diagnostics can clarify the documents required.

Situations to distinguish before the sale

A dwelling rated A, B or C

The administration's timetable covers homes rated D, E, F or G, according to the effective dates. A home rated A, B or C therefore does not fall into the categories mentioned for the mandatory regulatory energy audit.

A dwelling rated E sold from 1 January 2025

When the sale agreement (or, failing that, the deed of sale) is entered into on or after this date, a home rated E under single ownership is subject to the audit. The DPE must establish this rating and the audit must supplement the sale file.

A block of flats under single ownership

A building comprising several flats may be covered when it belongs to a single owner or to owners in undivided ownership. The audit may be carried out for the residential part of the building.

A property located overseas

The rules are not identical to those applicable in metropolitan France. In the overseas departments and regions (Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion, Mayotte), the obligation applies to homes rated F or G; it will be extended to homes rated E from 1 January 2028.

Frequently asked questions