• The contents of the DPE carried out as from July 1st, 2021 will be legally binding:

• Those carried out before this date and within the limit of their expiry date (i.e 10 years) could nevertheless still be used until December 31, 2024 to complete real sale or lease agreements.

The ELAN law prescribed an overhaul of the energy-efficiency reports, leaving to the bylaws the care of specifying their modes of implementation.

Such bylaws were published in December 2020 (decrees n° 2020-1609 and n° 2020-1610 of Dec 17 2020), supplemented by three orders which specify the calculation method and the definition for the labels. These orders are currently under public inquiry in view of a publication in March 2021 (link towards the consultation platform).

The new device will come into effect on 1st July, 2021. As from this date, the new DPE will become then legally binding and only the recommendations accompanying the report will serve as guideline values (CCH, art. L. 271-4, last subparagraph). It will apply to all DPE carried out as from July 1st, 2021.

The DPE carried out before this date and within the limit of their expiry date (i.e. 10 years) could nevertheless still be used to complete real estate sales or lease agreements during a transitional stage which will last until December 31, 2024.