Selling your home: the list of mandatory property surveys in 2026
Energy rating, asbestos, lead, electrics, energy audit: the mandatory surveys required to sell a property in France and how long they remain valid.
Aymeric Languet
Agent Immobilier
Before putting a property on the market, the owner must gather a technical survey file (DDT). It is attached to the preliminary sale agreement and then to the final deed. A missing or expired survey can delay the signing, lower the price, or even make the seller liable. Here is the full list, and the right reflexes.
The surveys and how long they are valid
Energy performance certificate (DPE): always required, from the listing. Valid 10 years.
Risk report (ERP): always required. Valid 6 months.
Carrez law (floor area): for a unit in a co-ownership building. Valid as long as no works change the surface.
Asbestos: building permit issued before 1 July 1997. Unlimited validity if no asbestos is found.
Lead (CREP): built before 1 January 1949. Unlimited if no lead is found, 1 year otherwise.
Electricity and gas: installations over 15 years old. Valid 3 years.
Termites: areas defined by prefectoral order. Valid 6 months.
Private sewage system: house not connected to mains drainage. Valid 3 years.
Noise: property located in an airport noise exposure zone.
Energy audit: house or single-owner building rated E, F or G. Valid 5 years.
The DPE, the key document
The DPE rates the property from A to G. It must appear in the listing and directly affects the price: one or two classes make a difference in negotiation. Only DPEs carried out since 1 July 2021, under the current method, are still valid. If yours is older, it must be redone.
Also worth knowing: since 1 January 2026, the calculation has changed for electrically heated homes. Some can gain a class. If this applies to your property, redoing the DPE before listing may be worth it.
The energy audit for houses
For a house or a building owned by a single owner, an energy audit is required if the DPE is rated F or G (since 2023) or E (since 2025). It sets out a costed renovation plan. Apartments in co-ownership buildings are not concerned.
Well presented, the audit becomes a selling point: the buyer knows exactly which works to plan, and for what budget.
In co-ownership, extra documents
For an apartment, the buyer must also receive the building's documents: regulations, minutes of the last three general meetings, service charges, summary sheet, and the multi-year works plan where one exists. Gathering them early avoids delaying the preliminary agreement.
Our advice before selling
Have the surveys done before listing, not when an offer arrives.
Choose a certified and insured surveyor, and ask for a package price.
Watch the dates: the ERP and termite survey expire after six months.
At LGH Patrimoine, we check your survey file from the valuation stage, for a sale without bad surprises.
