Apartment rent and energy labels

Chapters of the article

• What the energy label says
• What rules apply to energy performance certificates
• Who must have an energy label
• Energy label and renting

What the energy label says

The energy label, or energy performance certificate, determines how much energy a house or flat uses in normal operation. This is normal day-to-day operation which includes heating, cooling and associated heat or cold loss, ventilation, humidity, water heating and lighting.

The energy performance of buildings ranges on a scale from A to G, with A being the best energy efficiency, i.e. the lowest energy consumption, and G the lowest energy efficiency, i.e. the highest energy consumption. Newly built houses must be on the A or B scale. The specific numbers are determined as follows:

• A – extremely efficient (≤ 50 [43] kWh/m²),
• B – very efficient (≤ 97 [82] kWh/m²),
• C – economical (≤ 142 [120] kWh/m²),
• D – less efficient (≤ 191 [162] kWh/m²),
• E – uneconomic (≤ 246 [205] kWh/m²),
• F – very wasteful (≤ 286 [245] kWh/m²),
• G – extremely wasteful (> 286 [245] kWh/m²).

What rules apply to energy performance certificates

What is the general situation with the obligation to provide an energy label for a building? Property owners should provide their buildings with an energy performance certificate, called an energy label. This has, among other things, a positive impact, especially for well-designed and insulated properties. It can increase the credibility of the seller or landlord and indirectly increase the value of the property. After all, you will probably want to rent or buy a property that is energy efficient and costs as little money as possible to run. Especially when you consider today’s energy prices.

Who must have an energy label

Today, however, there are still concerns about “labelling”. So who should have the card? Does the lease contract have to mention it? Energy labels must be provided by anyone who builds or significantly renovates a building. In the case of house construction, the energy label must be directly included in the project documentation. For renovations, it is required if the renovation will change the energy performance or if it is a major renovation affecting more than 25 percent of the total building. In addition, properties that are sold or rented, office buildings and buildings used by public authorities must also have an energy label.

If you are obliged to have an energy label but do not have one, this can mean problems for you, for example, in the form of a fine of up to CZK 100,000, or CZK 200, 000 in the case of condominiums or apartment building owners.

Energy label and rent

Owners of large houses and office buildings are not required to obtain an energy performance certificate across the board and on a mandatory basis. They do not need it until one of the units of the house (typically an apartment) is sold (or rented through an intermediary). Then the certificate is necessary.

How do I get the label?

How do I get a card in a large house? The owner of the unit must write to the unit owners’ association requesting a certified copy of the house card. If they do not receive it even after a written request, they can replace the energy performance certificate with the energy bills for the last three years, but before they receive the certificate, the owner must indicate the worst energy class G in any advertisements offering the apartment for sale.

Mr. Zdeněk did not need the label, as his house was from the 1930s. But are you all right?

If you are renting out a house, then you must have an energy label made yourself. It will be issued by certified energy professionals who have the necessary accreditation and authorisation from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. You can find a list of them on the MIT website. In order for them to issue the label, you will need to provide documents that relate to your property. These include:

• Project documentation.
• Information about the use of the building.
• A report on the condition and level of the building’s technical installations.
• Floor plans of each floor with room labels.
• Information on the orientation of the building in relation to cardinal points.
• Building section and other relevant data.

Exceptions

As mentioned above, the energy label is mandatory in the case of renting. However, there are many exceptions to this rule. Therefore, an energy performance certificate is not required if:

• Abuilding built before 1947 that has not undergone any major renovation (e.g. insulation, new facade) since the time of approval.
• A building with a total energy reference area of less than 50 m².
• Abuilding for family recreation (e.g. cottages, if used only part of the year and whose estimated energy consumption is less than 25 % of the annual energy consumption for year-round use).
• Listed building.
• An industrial or agricultural building with an annual consumption of up to 700 GJ.
• A building used for worship and religious purposes.

What if you rent through an intermediary?

If the lease is entered into through an intermediary (typically an estate agent), the tenant must hand over the graphic part of the licence. It is also mandatory for the intermediary selling or even renting the flat to indicate the classification class in the advertisement.