Is it possible to obtain a DPE energy audit remotely in France?
Property owners must obtain document before selling homes
A DPE survey typically costs between €100 to €250, but is not regulated
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Property owners in France are being reminded that a Diagnostic de Performance Énergétique (DPE) audit for their homes must be carried out in-person, as remote ones are not valid.
Companies offering a remote DPE are engaging in unscrupulous practices, leaving owners who obtain one this way with problems when selling their home.
Note that energy audits (audit énergétique), although similar to the DPE in that they test the energy and environmental performance of a building, are more comprehensive so go further.
In cases where a DPE has been carried out remotely, notaires should not validate a transaction. Should they erroneously do so the other party has the right to appeal the purchase on these grounds.
In some cases, this can result in the property purchase being overturned, as French media outlet reported in a recent case.
The rules of the DPE – specifically regulation 3CL-DPE2021 – stipulate that several of the checks that constitute the audit must be undertaken in person.
This includes checking the property’s voltage and insulation, among other things.
A company offering an ‘online’ DPE is not providing a service which is valid for a property sale.
The price of the audit is not regulated although typically costs between €100 to €250.
All property sales require audit
As a reminder, since 2021 all property sales must have a DPE audit and subsequent rating.
The audit, which reviews a range of technical aspects of a property that need to be assessed prior to a sale, measures the energy efficiency of the home from a scale of A - G (A being the highest), looking at aspects including ventilation, insulation, energy production, etc.
A lower score means more energy is wasted and may result in buyers needing to undertake renovations to address this.
Recent rules mean that DPE audits carried out before 2021 are no longer valid, although those carried out since July 2021 are valid for 10 years.
A DPE is also required if letting a property. The lowest-rated properties are currently banned from being put on the rental market, with bans set to get progressively stricter up to 2034.
