https://www.thelocal.fr/20240212/what-do-energy-ratings-mean-for-french-property-owners

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If you're buying, selling or renting a property in France you will need to get an energy rating, and the score given to the property will affect how or even if you can sell or rent it, with new restrictions coming into force on January 1st 2025.

Since 2006, all properties in France have been rated on a scale of A to G on their energy efficiency - this is a rating based on things like how well-insulated the property is and what method is used for heating the property and the water.

The energy performance rating must be included in the paperwork of any property that is for sale or for rent and it looks like this. {{{there's a pic in the original article here, which i've excluded}}}

As well as providing useful information for a future owner or tenant on how much they are likely to be spending on gas/electricity bills, the energy ratings can also affect future plans for a property.

What the ratings mean

Any property that is rated A-C will generally be in good repair with an efficient heating system and an adequate level of insulation.

Properties rated D will likely be more difficult to keep warm in winter and cool in summer, and are likely to bring in a steeper bill for heating during the winter months.

However, properties rated E, F and G bring with them serious legal restrictions.

Heat sieves

Properties rated F or G are dubbed passoires thermiques (heat sieves) or sometimes passoires enérgetiques (energy sieves).

If you want to sell a property with an E, F or G rating you are required to pay for an extra 'energy audit' (at a cost of around €1,000) to give the buyer a detailed breakdown of where the building is wasting energy and how it can be put right.

Since January 1st 2025, it has been illegal for landlords to renew a contract or offer a new contract on a G rated property. This is due to be followed by F rated properties in 2028. There are also restrictions on the rent that can be charged for G rated properties.

Because of these restrictions, properties with a F and G rating have a lower market value, and may be difficult to sell.

E rating

At present there are no legal restrictions on renting out E-rated properties, but rental restrictions are scheduled to come into effect in 2034.

Grants

On the bright side, owning property with a poor energy rating does mean that you are eligible for various grants to do the work necessary to improve its rating (which will have the happy side effect of cutting your energy bills).

The French government has a €5 million fund to help homeowners do energy-related renovations, mostly available via grants from the MaPrimeRenov scheme.

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