In condominiums, energy consumption is usually the biggest expense for co-owners. To save energy, they are required to carry out energy renovation work. What are condominium owners' obligations in terms of energy renovation? And how can they benefit from financial aid to finance the work? Find the answers in this guide.
Why renovate your condominium?
As the French government has energy efficiency obligations, it must encourage renovation work to improve the energy performance of homes and other buildings. This is a key issue for the coming years. However, these projects offer a number of advantages:
- Improved energy performance: carrying out renovation work helps to improve a building's energy performance, as consumption will be reduced. This means significant savings over the long term.
- Improved comfortinside the building: not only will your energy bill be reduced, but you'll also enjoy optimum thermal comfort.
- Greater added value: for landlords, renovation has become essential if they don't want their properties to lose value. Improving energy efficiency is therefore a priority for them, as it enables them to increase the value of their assets and hope for a comfortable capital gain.
What is mandatory in condominiums?
A number of measures have recently been introduced to encourage condominiums to carry out energy-efficiency renovations.
DPE or energy audit to define the work to be carried out
The DPE, or Diagnostic de Performance Énergétique, is mandatory for all condominiums with fewer than 50 lots and a collective heating system. Since the introduction of the French Climate and Resilience Act in 2021, a new DPE has become mandatory for all condominiums whose building permit was filed before January 1, 2013. Instead of a simple DPE, an energy audit is required for all condominiums with more than 50 lots, for which the building permit was filed before June 1, 2001.
Setting up work funds
Since 2015, co-owners have been required to pay an annual contribution to build up a works fund. The minimum amount must be equal to 5% of the projected budget for the year. This fund only applies to co-ownerships with more than 10 lots.
Individualization of heating costs
To further combat energy waste, condominiums are required to set up a system for individualizing heating costs. This means that each resident pays only for his or her actual energy consumption.
Who is eligible for financial assistance for energy renovation?
Co-ownerships can benefit from a range of substantial grants and subsidies to finance energy-saving work carried out in the common and private areas of their dwellings. However, certain eligibility conditions must be met in order to benefit.
MaPrimeRénov' Condominiums
Since 2021, MaPrimeRénov' Copropriétés has made it possible to finance energy renovation work undertaken in collective areas. Co-ownerships are eligible for this scheme:
- Registered with the Registre national des copropriétés ;
- Consisting of at least 75% of lots for principal residential use;
- More than 15 years' seniority.
Work eligible for MaprimeRénov' Copropriétés is that which generates an energy performance improvement of at least 35% compared with the situation before the work was carried out. In many cases, to qualify for this type of assistance, it is essential to use an RGE professional (recognized as an environmental guarantor).
Assistance is available for up to 25% of the cost of the work, with a ceiling set at 15,000 euros per dwelling. To this can be added an energy sieve exit bonus of 500 euros per home and a BBC (low-energy building) bonus of 500 euros per home. Homeowners on modest or very modest incomes can obtain additional financing of €750 or €1,500 per home, respectively.
Eco-PTZ for condominiums
The eco-PTZ or zero-rate eco-loan is an interest-free loan that can be used to finance energy-saving work on :
- Collective parts ;
- Works of collective interest carried out on private portions.
Priority energy renovation projects
Here is a non-exhaustive list of priority work for energy-efficient renovation:
- Insulation work: attics, walls (from the outside), flat roofs, subfloors;
- Replacing the heating system ;
- Replacement of lighting systems ;
- Pipe insulation.
