Changes to EPC legislation as of April 1, 2022!
What is an EPC and what exactly does the future legislation look like? We have summarized everything for you.
What is an EPC?
The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is a certificate that expresses the energy quality of a home by means of a label (A+ (very energy-efficient) to F (very energy-intensive)). The Energy Decree of 8 May 2009 and the Energy Decision of 19 November 2010 stipulate that the EPC must be available from the moment the unit is offered for sale or rent up to and including the date of the execution of the notarial deed or the signing of the lease agreement.
Residential units
Residential real estate is understood to mean single-family homes, apartments, and collective residential buildings (e.g., a kangaroo home).
The first change to residential real estate legislation takes effect from April 1, 2022 .
Then an EPC will also be mandatory for sales and rentals without publicity. Also for leasehold.
For building rights and leasehold rights, an EPC will be mandatory from April 1, 2022.
The second change will take effect from January 1, 2023, when a renovation obligation will be introduced.
for residential buildings. New owners of energy-guzzling residential buildings
(read: residential buildings with an EPC label E or F) will be required to within the 5
one year after purchase, to thoroughly renovate the home to a minimum energy label D.
Small or large non-residential units
Non-residential real estate is understood to mean shops, bakeries, butchers, offices,
schools, hospitals, …
Since 2020, a
an EPC must be present. Furthermore, from 2023, the EPC for large non-residential
units are entered.
Just like with residential units, there will also be a from January 1, 2022.
Renovation obligation for all non-residential buildings. Within five years of transfer
of a building unit, small non-residential buildings will have an energy label C or
must achieve better and from 2023 large non-residential buildings will in a
must provide a minimum share of renewable energy.
Apartment buildings
Since the beginning of this year, existing apartment buildings have been required to have an EPC for the
have common areas. At the initiative of Flemish Minister of Energy, Zuhal
Demir, the obligation is being introduced in phases depending on the size of the
apartment building (final approval July 9, 2021).
Whether an EPC is required is therefore determined by the number of building units present.
Apartment buildings with at least 15 building units had to by the beginning of this year
already possess an EPC.
For an apartment building with 5–15 units, this is mandatory by January 1, 2023 , and for apartment buildings with 2–5 units, the obligation applies only from January 1, 2024. The obligation is therefore independent of sale or rental.
Do you have any questions after reading this article?
Feel free to contact Paulien Cockheyt,
Certified Energy Expert ( paulien@altro-vastgoed.be )
Source: https://www.energiesparen.be/epc-toepassingsgebied
