When is an energy label required?
On sale, letting and handover. At that moment a valid label must be on file in EP-Online and the buyer or tenant must receive it. Below is who it applies to, who is exempt, and what happens if you do not have one.
Contents
Who does the obligation apply to?
The owner who sells, lets or hands over. Not to someone who stays put: as long as neither the ownership nor the tenancy changes, there is nothing to arrange. The label belongs to the building and passes to the new owner on sale.
| Required on | Sale, letting and handover; since 29 May 2026 also major renovation, renewal of a tenancy and listed buildings |
| Exactly when | At transfer, or on signing the tenancy agreement |
| What must exist | A valid label, registered in EP-Online |
| Who receives it | The buyer or the tenant |
| Not required if | You stay put and neither sell nor let |
Who is exempt?
Monuments are no longer exempt since 29 May 2026 (EPBD IV): on sale or letting of a national, provincial or municipal monument a valid label is mandatory. Monuments are only exempt from minimum requirements such as label C. The details are set out on energy label monument. Source: Volkshuisvesting Nederland, April 2026.
For commercial premises there are additional rules rather than exemptions: offices have had to hold at least label C since 2023, enforced by the municipality. See energy label commercial property.
And if you do not have one?
You are in breach of the labelling obligation. For homes the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate supervises this and can impose an administrative fine. In practice you usually run into it sooner: without a label the transfer at the notary can be delayed, and that generally costs more than the label itself. More on energy label fine.
Frequently asked questions
Is an energy label required when selling a house?
Yes. At transfer a valid, registered label must exist and the buyer must receive it. Arrange it well before the completion date, because a survey and its registration take a few working days.
Since when has the obligation applied?
The obligation on sale and letting has existed for years. What changed on 1 January 2021 is the method: since then a label is determined under NTA 8800, by a certified assessor surveying the property on site. The provisional label you could fill in yourself no longer exists.
Is a label required when letting to family?
That is still letting, so the obligation applies. The energy label also counts towards the housing valuation points, and therefore towards the maximum rent you may charge. More on energy label rental.
Sources
The rules on this page come from the official sources below. Last checked on 9 September 2026.
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