France: the DPE and class F or G, buying, selling, renting

What the DPE measures

The energy performance diagnosis (DPE) gives two labels, from A (extremely efficient) to G (extremely inefficient): the Energy label, based on the energy consumed or estimated per m² for heating, hot water, cooling, lighting and auxiliaries, and the Climate label, based on greenhouse gas emissions. It also puts a figure on annual energy spending and recommends works, with their cost and effectiveness: these recommendations are only indicative.

The seller or landlord has it carried out, by a certified assessor. The DPE goes into the technical diagnostics file given to the buyer or tenant, and the assessor sends it to Ademe, which gives it a number: without that number, the DPE is not valid. Using an uncertified assessor exposes you to a €1,500 fine (€3,000 for a repeat offence).

How long it lasts

A DPE done since July 1, 2021 is valid for 10 years, on the date of the sale agreement or deed, or of the lease. Those done between January 1, 2018 and June 30, 2021 have not been valid since January 1, 2025: they must be redone to sell or to let.

Two changes have moved labels. Since July 1, 2024, the thresholds are adjusted for homes of 40 m² or less; the owner can download from the Ademe website a certificate that replaces the label. And since January 1, 2026, the factor for converting electricity into primary energy goes from 2.3 to 1.9: DPEs done since that date include it, and those from 2025 or earlier remain valid but can be updated free of charge, without a new visit, if the label improves.

Letting: the dates to know

Since January 1, 2025, a home rated G can no longer be let: the ban applies to new leases, and also at the renewal or tacit renewal of a current lease. It will extend to homes rated F in 2028 and homes rated E in 2034. It works through decency: a home that uses more than 450 kWh of final energy per m² per year has not been decent since January 1, 2023.

Rents for homes rated F and G have been frozen since August 2022. If the ad or the DPE contains false information, the tenant can ask the court for damages or for the lease to be cancelled.

Selling: the DPE and the energy audit

The seller hands over a DPE less than 10 years old at the sale agreement or the notarial deed. For a house, or a single-owner building, rated E, F or G, an energy audit is also needed, given to the buyer at the sale agreement or the deed (in force for classes F and G since April 1, 2023).

A wrong DPE makes the assessor liable, unless the seller knowingly gave them false information: the buyer can then ask the court for damages or for the sale to be cancelled.

What the ad must say

A sale or rental ad, online or on a professional’s premises, must show the energy and climate classes in color. For a home rated F or G, it must carry the wording “logement à consommation énergétique excessive” (home with excessive energy consumption). It also states the estimated annual energy spending for standard use, with the reference year of energy prices. An ad that does not follow these rules exposes the landlord to a fine of up to €3,000 (€15,000 for a legal entity).

Buying: what to check

1. The date of the DPE and its Ademe number: is the DPE under 10 years old, and was it done after June 30, 2021?
2. The two labels and the estimated annual energy amount, not just the letter.
3. For a house rated E, F or G: the energy audit, with the proposed works and their cost.
4. If you plan to let later: the deadline that concerns you (G since 2025, F in 2028, E in 2034).
5. Renovation grants: some depend on the DPE class, for example on leaving the status of an energy-inefficient home (a “passoire énergétique”, class F or G) (Ministry of Ecological Transition).