New law introduces energy certificate for all Spanish property owners
The Spanish government has introduced a new law which will come into effect on the 1st June 2013, requiring all property owners in Spain to have an energy rating certificate before advertising the properfor sale or rental.
As from the beginning of next month, it will be illegal for real estate companies to list properties for sale which don’t have a certificate, and there is no way of avoiding it, as all advertising and promotional material must display an energy label, and failure to comply could result in a fine of up to 15.025,30€.
The law (RD 235/2013 of April) applies to all types of building, dwelling or premise that is to be sold or leased, with the following exceptions:
- Officially protected buildings of worship
- Buildings of less than 50m²
- Agricultural and industrial buildings
- Temporary buildings with a lifespan of less than 2 years
- Short term rental properties (under 4 months)
The certificates which can only be issued by architects, surveyors or engineers will rate the property on its energy saving qualities using the scale ‘A’ to ‘G’ and will be valid for 10 years.
The situation puts real estate agents in a tricky situation. They will need to act quickly in order to retain their listings, by asking vendors to make the necessary applications or to undertake the laborious task themselves.
Alternatively, an experienced gestoria such as Perez Legal Group can handle the entire process on the owners’ or real estate agents behalf, liaising with the appropriate professionals to produce the required documentation.
Contact Perez Legal Group +34 952 833 169 or visit the website at www.perezlegalgroup.com