The essentials at a glance
- A valid energy performance certificate is mandatory as soon as a building or a unit is sold or newly let. Owner-occupiers without such plans do not need one.
- There are two types: the inexpensive consumption-based certificate and the more informative demand-based certificate. In most cases you are free to choose.
- An energy performance certificate is valid for ten years from the date of issue. After that, a new one is required for a sale or new letting.
- The costs remain manageable: consumption-based certificates are often available for around 50 to 150 euros, while demand-based certificates usually cost a few hundred euros, depending on the building and the provider.
- In an owners' association, the certificate is issued for the building as a whole. In practice, the property management company commissions it and the association bears the costs.
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When you need an energy performance certificate (and when you do not)
The legal basis is Germany's Building Energy Act (GEG). It replaced the earlier Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV) and bundles all the rules around the energy performance certificate: when it is needed, which types exist and which details belong in listings. The basic principle is refreshingly simple: a valid energy performance certificate must be available when a building or a unit is sold or newly let. The same applies to leasing.
- Sale: prospective buyers must be shown the certificate without having to ask, at the latest at the viewing: you display it or present it. After the contract is signed, you hand it over promptly as the original or a copy. For everything else that matters in a sale, see our guide Selling your property.
- New letting and leasing: the same obligations apply when a unit or a building is newly let or leased. The obligation is tied to the new letting, not to existing tenancies.
- New builds: for new buildings, the energy performance certificate is prepared when the building is completed. It is therefore available from day one.
The cases in which you need to do nothing are just as clear: if you live in your property yourself and do not intend to sell or let it to a new tenant, you do not need an energy performance certificate. And listed heritage buildings are exempt from the certificate requirement altogether.
Good to know
The obligation is tied to the occasion, not to the building itself. As long as no sale or new letting is coming up, there is nothing you need to do. If either is on the horizon, simply plan for the certificate early enough and the whole process stays stress-free.
Consumption-based or demand-based: the two types compared
The GEG provides for two types of energy performance certificates. Both fulfill the legal requirement, but they differ in method, informative value and price.
The consumption-based certificate
It is calculated from the weather-adjusted energy consumption of the past three years. That makes it inexpensive and quickly available, often online based on the consumption data. Its informative value, however, depends on user behavior: frugal residents make a building look better than its structure warrants, and vice versa.
The demand-based certificate
It is based on a technical analysis of the building envelope and the technical systems and is therefore independent of residents' behavior. That makes it more informative, but also more elaborate to prepare.
In most cases you have freedom of choice: you decide yourself which certificate to commission. There is one important exception. The demand-based certificate is mandatory for residential buildings with up to four apartments whose building permit application was filed before November 1, 1977 and which have not been modernized to at least the standard of the first Thermal Insulation Ordinance of 1977.
Tip for choosing
If you are free to choose and simply need to fulfill the requirement, the inexpensive consumption-based certificate is usually sufficient. If, on the other hand, you want to know how the building stands structurally, for example ahead of a modernization, the demand-based certificate gives you the more meaningful picture.
Mandatory details in the listing and at the viewing
The energy performance certificate is meant to give prospective buyers and tenants a quick basis for comparison. Its key figures therefore belong in the listing itself. If a certificate exists, commercial property listings must include, among other things, the following details:
- the type of certificate: demand-based or consumption-based
- the building's final energy demand or final energy consumption
- the main energy source of the heating system
- the year of construction for residential buildings
- the energy efficiency class for newer certificates
At the viewing comes the duty to present it: prospective buyers or tenants must be shown the certificate there at the latest, without having to ask. Displaying it clearly visibly or showing it is enough. After the contract is signed, it is handed over promptly as the original or a copy.
Take these obligations seriously: a missing certificate, failure to present it or missing mandatory details in the listing can be treated as an administrative offense and fined. With a certificate obtained in good time and a complete listing, on the other hand, the matter is quickly ticked off.
Validity and cost
An energy performance certificate is valid for ten years from the date of issue. Once it expires, you do not automatically have to act: a new certificate only becomes necessary when another sale or new letting is coming up. After comprehensive energy modernizations with the corresponding calculations, a new demand-based certificate is usually issued, so the document then also reflects the building's improved condition.
There is good news on costs as well. The following figures are a non-binding guide; actual prices depend on the building and the provider:
- Consumption-based certificate: often around 50 to 150 euros. It can frequently be prepared online from the consumption data.
- Demand-based certificate: usually a few hundred euros because of the technical survey of the building, depending on the building and the provider.
Measured against ten years of validity, the outlay remains manageable in both cases.
Who issues the certificate and what it contains
Only professionals qualified under the GEG may issue an energy performance certificate, for example energy consultants, architects, engineers and master craftsmen with the appropriate additional qualification.
The finished certificate contains four core elements:
- the building's energy performance indicator in kilowatt hours per square meter per year
- its position on a scale of energy efficiency classes from A+ (very efficient) to H
- details of the heating system's energy source
- modernization recommendations for the building
The certificate is thus more than a box-ticking exercise: the efficiency class makes buildings comparable at a glance, and the modernization recommendations show where improvements suggest themselves.
The energy performance certificate in the owners' association
In a condominium owners' association, one question quickly arises: "Who takes care of it when a single unit is to be sold or newly let?" The answer is reassuringly clear: the energy performance certificate is issued for the residential building as a whole, not for the individual unit. Obtaining it is therefore the association's responsibility.
In practice, the property management company commissions the certificate, because the consumption data needed for it comes together there. The association bears the costs. Once the building certificate exists, every owner can use it for the sale or letting of their own unit. Responsibility for presenting it to prospective buyers or tenants, however, remains with the selling or letting owner. You will find more on responsibilities and resolutions in the association in our guide to German condominium law.
Associations whose property manager handles such obligations proactively are in a good position: it keeps an eye on the validity, obtains the certificate in good time and makes it available to the owners before anyone has to ask. If your property management company tends to lag behind on such tasks, that does not have to remain the norm: our guide Switching your property management company shows how straightforward a switch is today.
A property manager who thinks of the energy performance certificate
Energy performance certificate, statements, meetings: a modern property management company manages your association's obligations proactively instead of waiting to be asked. Describe your property in two minutes and you will receive no-obligation quotes from suitable property management companies in your region. 100% free of charge for owners.
Frequently asked questions about the energy performance certificate
Do I need an energy performance certificate as an owner-occupier?
No. If you live in your property yourself and do not intend to sell or let it to a new tenant, you do not need an energy performance certificate. The obligation only arises when the building or the unit is sold or newly let.
Consumption-based or demand-based certificate: which is the right one?
In most cases you are free to choose. The consumption-based certificate is cheaper and is calculated from the energy consumption of the past three years, while the demand-based certificate analyzes the building envelope and technical systems and is therefore more informative. The demand-based certificate is mandatory only for residential buildings with up to four apartments whose building permit application was filed before November 1, 1977 and which have not been modernized to at least the standard of the first Thermal Insulation Ordinance of 1977.
How long is an energy performance certificate valid?
Ten years from the date of issue. After that, a new certificate is required for a sale or new letting. After comprehensive energy modernizations with the corresponding calculations, a new demand-based certificate is usually issued.
How much does an energy performance certificate cost?
As a non-binding guide: a consumption-based certificate often costs around 50 to 150 euros and can frequently be prepared online from the consumption data. A demand-based certificate usually costs a few hundred euros because of the technical survey of the building, depending on the building and the provider.
Who handles the energy performance certificate in the owners' association?
The energy performance certificate is issued for the residential building as a whole, so obtaining it is the association's responsibility. In practice, the property management company commissions it because it holds the consumption data. The association bears the costs, and every owner can use the certificate for the sale or letting of their unit.
What must a property listing include?
If an energy performance certificate exists, commercial listings must state, among other things, the type of certificate, the final energy demand or final energy consumption, the main energy source of the heating system, the year of construction for residential buildings and, for newer certificates, the energy efficiency class.
What happens if there is no energy performance certificate?
A missing certificate, failure to present it at the viewing or missing mandatory details in the listing can be treated as an administrative offense and fined. So obtain the certificate in good time before you sell or let to a new tenant.
Related guides
This guide was prepared with great care (last updated: July 2026) but does not replace legal advice in individual cases. For special situations, such as mixed-use buildings or special-purpose properties, a qualified energy consultant or a law firm specializing in real estate law can help.