Energy Performance Certificate
A document stating a building's or unit's energy demand for its use, mandatory for every property sale and rental in Poland since 28 April 2023.
Applies to Poland.
Definition
The energy performance certificate (świadectwo charakterystyki energetycznej) is governed by the Act of 29 August 2014 on the Energy Performance of Buildings, as amended to make it mandatory for sale and rental transactions from 28 April 2023 onward.
The certificate states the annual energy demand indicator (EP, in kWh/m²/year) as a value plotted on a graphical scale on the document — Polish law does not currently assign buildings a lettered energy class from A to G the way household appliance labels do. An EU-wide A-to-G lettered scale is part of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) framework and is expected to be phased into Polish regulations in the coming years, but has not yet been implemented; treat any claim of an existing A–G class on a Polish certificate as outdated or premature.
The EP indicator must be included in the property listing itself, and the full certificate must be handed to the buyer or tenant no later than when the sale or lease agreement is signed. A certificate is valid for 10 years and may only be issued by a person authorized and listed in the central register of energy performance certificate assessors.
Failing to provide the certificate carries a fine, though the underlying sale or rental agreement itself remains valid regardless.
Examples
A rental listing states "EP indicator: 120 kWh/m²/year" as required by law, shown on the certificate's graphical scale rather than as a lettered class.
A tenant signs a rental agreement, and the landlord hands over a copy of the unit's energy performance certificate at the same time.
The owner of an older building without a valid certificate commissions one from an assessor listed in the central register before putting the apartment up for sale.
How this affects buying and selling
For tenants and buyers, the certificate gives a real estimate of future heating costs, useful when comparing listings against each other. For owners and landlords, failing to meet this obligation risks a fine, even though it does not otherwise affect the validity of the transaction itself.
