20 September 2026

DPE When Buying a Property in France

What Does the Energy Rating Really Tell You?

Anyone viewing a property in France will nowadays almost immediately see two letters: the energy rating and the climate rating of the Diagnostic de Performance Énergétique, or DPE. The report is available before the sale and forms part of the dossier de diagnostic technique (DDT), which is attached to the avant-contrat. But for a buyer, the DPE has become much more than an indication of energy consumption. It can provide information about future works, the possibility of renting out the property and, ultimately, the value and marketability of the property.

Since 1 July 2021, the DPE has also had a different legal status. Since then, the report has been opposable: the data and energy classification are no longer provided solely for information purposes. If the DPE proves to be incorrect and the buyer suffers damage as a result, this may give rise to liability. The recommendations included in the report for possible energy-saving works are an exception; these remain indicative.

What does a DPE measure?

A DPE classifies a property from A to G. It takes into account not only theoretical primary energy consumption, but also greenhouse gas emissions. The poorer result of these two criteria determines the final classification. The report also contains information about insulation, heating, hot water, ventilation and summer comfort, among other things. It also provides a theoretical range for annual energy costs. Those figures require some qualification: they are based on a standardised calculation. A household that uses a second home for only a few months of the year will naturally have different actual consumption from a family living there permanently. For a buyer, therefore, the letter alone is not what matters. The underlying data often reveal much more. An apartment with a mediocre DPE rating because it is electrically heated is different from a detached villa where the roof, walls and windows are barely insulated.

The calculation changed in 2026

This distinction has become even more relevant because France has changed the calculation method. Since 1 January 2026, the conversion factor used to convert electricity from final energy into primary energy has been reduced from 2.3 to 1.9. As a result, electrically heated properties are less heavily penalised in the calculation than before. A further change has already been confirmed. An arrêté of 19 August 2026 reduces the conversion factor further, from 1.9 to 1.7, with effect from 1 January 2027. The measure was published in the Journal officiel on 26 August 2026. This may again affect the classification, particularly for properties with electric heating. This does not mean that every electrically heated property will automatically receive a better rating. Insulation, installations, floor area and other characteristics remain part of the calculation. It does mean that, when buying in 2026, the underlying figures can sometimes be more informative than simply the letter on the front page. An existing DPE does not need to be carried out again because of the change taking effect on 1 January 2027. DPEs that are still valid at that time will remain valid. If the new electricity factor results in a different energy rating, a certificate showing the new rating can be obtained free of charge through the ADEME observatory, without a new visit from the diagnostiqueur. The original data and works on which the DPE is based do not change; the certificate reflects the effect of the new conversion factor. A similar option exists for valid audits énergétiques.

An old DPE can no longer simply be used

The date of the report also deserves attention. A DPE is normally valid for ten years, but exceptions apply to reports drawn up using the old method. DPEs issued between 1 January 2018 and 30 June 2021 were only valid until 31 December 2024. Older DPEs had already expired before then. In practice, therefore, a sale in 2026 will require a DPE under the system that has been in force since July 2021. A valid DPE also has an identification number issued by ADEME. This also gives a buyer a simple way to check the report: the official ADEME DPE register can be used to verify whether the report has actually been registered.

F and G deserve extra attention

The poorest energy ratings are referred to in France as passoires énergétiques. This term is particularly important for buyers who intend to rent out the property in whole or in part. Under the rules currently in force, a property with a G rating can no longer be rented out as a standard principal residence since 1 January 2025. From 2028, this will apply to properties rated F and from 2034 to properties rated E. A bill that would relax the rental restrictions for F- and G-rated properties in exchange for a renovation obligation was passed by the Senate in July 2026, but has not yet become final. Until it is promulgated, the current rules remain in force. For someone buying a second home exclusively for their own use, a poor DPE rating does not mean that the property cannot be purchased or occupied. However, the consequences can still be relevant. A future buyer may, for example, intend to rent out the property, while necessary energy-efficiency works may also affect the value of the property.

An audit énergétique may also be compulsory for E, F or G

For the sale of certain energy-inefficient properties, the disclosure requirements do not end with the DPE. Since 1 January 2025, an audit énergétique has also been compulsory when selling a property with a DPE rating of E, F or G if it concerns a maison individuelle or a residential building in monopropriété (a building entirely owned by a single owner). This requirement had already applied to F- and G-rated properties since 1 April 2023. From 1 January 2034, the requirement will be extended to D-rated properties.

This audit requirement does not apply to an individual apartment in an ordinary copropriété. That distinction is important. A villa with an E energy rating offered for sale in 2026 therefore does fall within the requirement, whereas an individual apartment with the same energy rating does not require a separate audit énergétique for that reason. The audit goes considerably further than the DPE. It sets out renovation scenarios that could improve the property's energy performance, including indications of the works and costs involved. The aim is to enable a buyer to assess more accurately what would be required to improve the property's energy performance. The audit is not a document that should only appear at the notary's office. For a property subject to the audit requirement, the audit énergétique must be available to the prospective buyer at an early stage of the sales process.

With an apartment, the building also matters

For an apartment, the individual DPE is only part of the picture. French regulations now also require an increasing number of copropriétés to have a DPE for the building as a whole, known as the DPE collectif. Since 1 January 2026, this requirement also applies to smaller copropriétés; for larger buildings, the requirement had already been introduced in stages. This makes it possible to consider the apartment and the building alongside each other. An apartment may, for example, perform reasonably well while the building as a whole is facing substantial energy-efficiency improvements. For the buyer, therefore, it is not only the individual rating that matters, but also what is happening within the copropriété. Have façade insulation, roof works, collective heating or other energy-efficiency measures been discussed? Have decisions already been taken? And what costs could be passed on to the copropriétaires through the charges or a separate appel de fonds?

A DPE is not a building survey

A common misconception is to equate a favourable DPE rating with a property that is technically in good condition. That is not what the report examines. A DPE says nothing, for example, about structural cracks, damp problems, the condition of the swimming pool, drainage, roof leaks or the general quality of renovation works. Conversely, an older villa that is technically very well maintained may still have a mediocre energy rating because of its construction characteristics. The DPE should therefore be read for what it is: a standardised assessment of a property's energy and climate performance.

The DPE is only one of the mandatory inspections (diagnostics) when selling a property

The DPE does not stand alone in a property sale. It forms part of the dossier de diagnostic technique (DDT), which, depending on the property, its age and its location, may also contain other mandatory inspections and declarations. These may include asbestos, lead, the condition of gas and electrical installations, termites and information about natural and technological risks. In certain cases, the condition of the drainage system also plays a role. Each of these reports has its own purpose, validity period and scope. Nor are they a substitute for a building survey.

A future Academy article will look separately at the various French diagnostics and what they mean for the buyer.