Who needs BER?
Anyone looking to rent or sell their home needs a BER. A BER makes prospective buyers and tenants aware of the energy performance of a home. This enables individuals to take the energy performance into consideration when purchasing or renting a new property.
How BER affects you?
As a Householder:
If you sell your home without a valid BER certificate, you are liable for a fine of up to EU5,000 or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 3 months, or both fine and imprisonment.
As a Landlord:
If you lease your home to a tenant without a valid BER certificate, you are liable for a fine of up to EU5,000 or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 3 months, or both fine and imprisonment. Your tenant will also not be eligible to receive rent allowance.
As a Tenant:
If you rent your home from your landlord and it does not have a valid BER certificate, you will not be eligible to receive rent allowance.
As a Local Authority
As a Local Authority, if you lease a property without a valid BER certificate the authority is liable for a fine of up to EU5,000 or its officers liable for a term of imprisonment not exceeding 3 months, or both fine and imprisonment.