Rooms in the property
Rooms, accessible cupboards and outbuildings
Open doors, clear passageways and have the keys ready for any locked rooms.
Which property assessments do you need for your property?
Selling, letting or renovating? Find out which property assessments you need.
Energy Performance Certificate (DPE)
Understand your home’s energy rating
Building-wide DPE
Co-owned properties and blocks of flats
Projected DPE
Planning a renovation
Asbestos
Materials and health
Lead
Older homes
Termites
Timber and structure
Gas
Installations over 15 years old
Electrical safety
Installations over 15 years old
Risk disclosure
Land and surroundings
Carrez floor area
Selling a unit in a co-owned building
Habitable floor area
Lettings · Boutin law
Letting permit
Depends on the municipality
Arrange access before the visit
How to prepare for your visit
Which areas we need to see depends on the assessments. We'll confirm what you need to make accessible before the visit.
Building services
Consumer unit, meters and boiler
Clear the area around the consumer unit, meters and heating equipment.
Lofts and lower levels
Loft, cellar and garage
Locate hatches and access points. Let us know beforehand if any areas are difficult to reach.
Shared areas
Plant room and communal areas
If the inspection covers these areas, arrange access with the managing agent, caretaker or occupants.
Documents to have ready
Start with what you already have
Gather the documents you have and tell us what's missing.
Previous assessment reports
Gather the complete reports and any update certificates.
This helps us check what exists and what can be reused.
Property plans
Have any floor plans, known measurements and technical documents ready.
These help us understand the layout and features of the property.
Invoices for completed works
Find any records for insulation, windows, heating and hot water.
They help document the equipment and improvements, especially for the DPE.
SELLING OR LETTING · WHAT TO CHECKAre your reports
Are your reports
still valid?
Already have reports? Check how long they remain valid and whether you can reuse them when selling or letting.
Which rules apply to you, and why.
The year of construction is one factor. The address, installations and ownership arrangement also matter.
| Inspection | When selling | When letting | When is it required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Performance Certificate (DPE)Energy performance | Generally required | Generally required | Selling or letting a home, unless a statutory exemption applies. Small flats are still covered. |
| Lead paint risk · CREPLead in paint | If applicable | If applicable | A home built before 1 January 1949. |
| AsbestosBuilding materials | If applicable | Keep available on request* | Planning permission issued before 1 July 1997. For lettings, see the note below. |
| Electrical safetyInstallation safety | If applicable | If applicable | Electrical installation more than 15 years old. The age of the installation is what matters. |
| GasInstallation safety | If applicable | If applicable | Indoor gas installation more than 15 years old. This check applies only where there is a gas installation. |
| Property risk disclosure · ERPRisks specific to the address | Depends on the address | Depends on the address | A property in a regulated area for risks such as flooding, earthquakes, radon or pollution. |
| TermitesInsects that damage timber | Depends on the area | Not required for the tenancy agreement | Required for sale in an area designated by a prefectural order, regardless of the property’s age. |
| Carrez floor areaPrivate floor area of the unit being sold | Part of a co-owned property | Not applicable | Sale of a house or flat that forms a co-owned unit of at least 8 m². Cellars, garages and parking spaces are excluded. |
| Habitable floor area · Boutin lawFloor area stated in the tenancy agreement | Not applicable | Main residence | The tenancy agreement must state the habitable floor area. The calculation differs from the Carrez measurement. |
* Asbestos in rented homes. For a flat with planning permission issued before July 1997, the landlord must make the private-area asbestos file (DAPP) available to the tenant on request. It does not have to be attached to every tenancy agreement. See the rule (official source, opens in a new tab)
DPE exemptions. For example, some detached buildings under 50 m² are exempt. This exemption does not apply to a studio in a block of flats. Understand the exemptions.
Selling: check the dates before you sign.
Gather the reports in the statutory inspection pack (DDT). Some may need renewing, while others can be reused.
| Inspection or document | Validity period | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Performance Certificate (DPE) | 10 years | For reports issued on or after 1 July 2021. Older DPE certificates have expired. The official rule (official source, opens in a new tab) |
| Lead paint risk · CREP | Under 1 year | Applies when lead reaches the statutory threshold. If no lead is found, or levels are below 1 mg/cm², the report does not expire. The official rule (official source, opens in a new tab) |
| Electrical safety | Under 3 years | Check at the time of sale. Some certificates of compliance can take the place of the inspection report. The official rule (official source, opens in a new tab) |
| Gas | Under 3 years | Check at the time of sale. A recent certificate of compliance can replace the report if it meets the requirements. The official rule (official source, opens in a new tab) |
| Property risk disclosure · ERP | Under 6 months | Update it if risks or information change before signing. The official rule (official source, opens in a new tab) |
| Termites | Up to 6 months | Renew an expired report if the property still requires one. The official rule (official source, opens in a new tab) |
| Asbestos | Depends on the report | Renew reports from before 1 April 2013 before selling. Later reports have no automatic expiry, but any follow-up recommendations still apply. Building work may warrant a new survey. The official rule (official source, opens in a new tab) |
| Carrez floor area | As long as the floor area stays the same | Check it after work that changes the floor area. The measurement must match the property being sold. The official rule (official source, opens in a new tab) |
| Private wastewater system (official source, opens in a new tab) | Under 3 years | The local public wastewater service (SPANC) checks the private system. Its report is separate from the home inspection reports. The official rule (official source, opens in a new tab) |
| Energy audit (official source, opens in a new tab) | 5 years | Required for the sale of a house or a building in single ownership rated E, F or G in metropolitan France. It is supplied alongside the DPE. The official rule (official source, opens in a new tab) |
Letting: get your reports ready for the tenancy agreement.
Gas, electrical and lead reports have different validity periods for lettings and sales.
| Inspection or document | Validity period | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Performance Certificate (DPE) | 10 years | For reports issued on or after 1 July 2021. The property must also meet the minimum energy rating for letting. The official rule (official source, opens in a new tab) |
| Lead paint risk · CREP | Under 6 years | Applies when lead reaches the statutory threshold. If no lead is found, or levels are below 1 mg/cm², the report does not expire. The official rule (official source, opens in a new tab) |
| Electrical safety | Under 6 years | At the date the tenancy agreement is signed. You can reuse a report prepared for sale if it is still within this period. The official rule (official source, opens in a new tab) |
| Gas | Under 6 years | At the date the tenancy agreement is signed. A sale report can be reused if it is still within this period. The official rule (official source, opens in a new tab) |
| Property risk disclosure · ERP | Under 6 months | Provide it at the first viewing and update it if needed before signing. The official rule (official source, opens in a new tab) |
| Habitable floor area · Boutin law | As long as the floor area stays the same | Recalculate if work changes the habitable floor area stated in the tenancy agreement. The official rule (official source, opens in a new tab) |
| Asbestos | Follow-up depends on the file | An asbestos report is not routinely attached to the tenancy agreement. If the flat is covered by the rules, the private-area asbestos file must remain available to the tenant. The official rule (official source, opens in a new tab) |
A valid report is only one requirement for letting. In metropolitan France, G-rated homes have failed the minimum energy standard since 2025 for new, renewed or extended tenancies. F-rated homes follow in 2028 and E-rated homes in 2034. Understand the DPE rules.
Other documentsAudit, wastewater, noise, dry rot, co-ownership and land
Audit, wastewater and noise
Selling an E-, F- or G-rated house or building in single ownership in metropolitan France requires an energy audit valid for 5 years. A private wastewater system requires a SPANC report under 3 years old. An airport noise disclosure applies to sales and lettings in designated areas.
Dry rot: disclosing the risk
In an area designated by official order, sellers must tell buyers about the risk of dry rot. The disclosure requirement does not always entail a dry rot inspection with a nationally prescribed validity period.
Seller’s disclosure (official source, opens in a new tab)Buildings: the DTG and DPE serve different purposes
The building condition assessment (DTG) reviews the building’s condition and anticipated works. Its 10-year outlook is a planning horizon. The building-wide DPE has its own rules, explained below.
Building condition assessment (DTG) (official source, opens in a new tab)Land: a specific ground investigation
Selling certain building plots in areas with medium or high exposure to clay shrinkage and swelling requires a preliminary geotechnical study. It remains valid for 30 years if the ground has not been altered.
French Construction Code · R.132-6 (opens in a new tab)Key dates
What to check
Sales, lettings and existing reports: changes that may affect your plans in mainland France.
2026Since 1 January
Small co-owned buildings are now covered too
In mainland France, the requirement for a building-wide DPE now applies to co-owned properties with up to 50 units, where planning permission for the multi-unit residential building was applied for before 1 January 2013. It covers the building as a whole and does not replace the DPE for your flat.
Ask the managing agent whether the building-wide DPE is available. It is valid for 10 years. A building rated A, B or C after 1 July 2021 is exempt from renewal.
French public services — official source, opens in a new tab2026Since 1 January
Check your rating before booking a new DPE
The electricity conversion factor changed from 2.3 to 1.9. If the rating improves, a valid DPE may qualify for a free update certificate from ADEME without a new visit.
Check your report with ADEME before commissioning a new assessment.
French public services — official source, opens in a new tab2025Since 1 January
E-rated houses now need an audit too
In mainland France, the sale of an E-, F- or G-rated house or residential building under single ownership requires an energy audit in addition to the DPE. Give it to prospective buyers at the first viewing.
Arrange the audit before viewings. This requirement does not apply to all individual flats in co-owned buildings.
French Ministry for the Ecological Transition — official source, opens in a new tab2025Next milestone: 2028
A valid report alone does not establish that a home can be let
In mainland France, G-rated homes have fallen below the minimum energy standard for tenancies signed, renewed or automatically extended since 2025. F-rated homes follow in 2028 and E-rated homes in 2034.
Check the property's rating and the tenancy's next renewal date before planning to let it.
French public services — official source, opens in a new tab2024Since 1 July
Up to 40 m²? Check for an update certificate
DPE thresholds were adjusted for homes with a reference floor area of 40 m² or less. An update certificate showing the new rating is available from ADEME for qualifying reports.
Keep the original report with the certificate. Floor area alone does not establish the new rating.
French public services — official source, opens in a new tabA professional
you can verify.
Check our certifications and insurance certificate before your appointment.