Guide · Barcelona
Energy certificate for a home in Barcelona: guide
In short
Under the royal decree that regulates energy performance certificates for buildings, one is needed when you sell an existing home or rent it to a new tenant. According to the ICAEN, it is valid for a maximum of ten years (five if the rating is G), counted from registration. A qualified technician issues it, and it is registered with the ICAEN.123
What must you do when selling or renting?
If you sell, under the royal decree a copy of the duly registered certificate and of the label is attached to the contract.1 The Generalitat includes the certificate and the label among the documents the seller must hand over.3
If you rent, under the same royal decree a copy of the label is attached to the contract, and a copy of the Recommendations for use document is handed to the tenant.1
What happens when you advertise the home? 'In progress' is not enough
According to the royal decree, the energy efficiency label is included in every offer, promotion and advertising aimed at selling or renting the building or part of it, and it must clearly indicate whether it refers to the design, completed-works or existing-building certificate.1
The obligation covers whoever publishes or allows the information to be published: estate agencies, billboards, websites, portals, catalogues or the press.1
According to the ICAEN, the advert must show the label visibly, and it is not enough to say "in progress": the consumption letter and the emissions letter must be shown.2
How long does it last and when is it renewed?
According to the royal decree, the maximum validity is ten years, and five when the energy rating is G. The owner is responsible for renewing or updating it, and may update it voluntarily if aspects of the building change.1
According to the ICAEN, this period is counted from the date of registration with the ICAEN, not from issue, and it cannot be changed. If you have carried out works that improve efficiency, it can be renewed earlier.2
Who issues it and how is it registered?
According to the ICAEN, it can be issued by a qualified professional with one of the qualifications the Ministry lists, for example an architect or an engineer. The technician must visit the property no more than three months before issuing it and submit the certificate to the register no later than one month after issue. The ICAEN takes care of the registration.2
This guide does not cover whether Barcelona City Council adds its own requirements: we have not looked for them, and it only explains the state rule and the Generalitat's rule that the cited sources set out.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a penalty if you do not have one?
Yes. According to the ICAEN, advertising, selling or renting a property without a valid, registered certificate, or not following the procedure properly, counts as an infringement, classed as minor, serious or very serious depending on the breach; for example, not handing over the certificate or not registering it is cited as serious. The amounts are set out in the ICAEN's frequently asked questions, and this guide does not include them. Check them there before deciding anything.
How much does it cost?
The official sources we have read do not give any reference fee for the technician's work, so this guide gives no figures.
- Authorship
- Mejores Barcelona, text generated and verified automatically
- Updated
Sources
- Real Decreto 390/2021, de 1 de junio, por el que se aprueba el procedimiento básico para la certificación de la eficiencia energética de los edificios (texto consolidado, última actualización publicada el 23.07.2025)https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2021-9176Accessed: October 13, 2026
- Preguntes freqüents sobre la certificació energètica dels edificis, ICAEN (sense data d'actualització visible)https://icaen.gencat.cat/ca/energia/usos_energia/edificis/certificacio/preguntes-frequeents/Accessed: October 13, 2026
- Documentació que el venedor ha de lliurar, Habitatge (data d'actualització 17.09.2019)https://habitatge.gencat.cat/ca/ambits/comprar-habitatge/documentacio-que-el-venedor-ha-de-lliurar/Accessed: October 13, 2026
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