It looks as if property owners in Greece will have to put their hands even deeper in their pockets. After the several property taxes will allegedly be unified into one tax, when the new taxation system will be due, the state will seek other ways to make property owners regret for having four walls and a ceiling over their head. As of 1.1.2013, owners will have to obtain at least two energy certificates required by a European Union Directive. Independently of whether they rent or want to sell the real estate, property owners will have to obtain one certificate for heating and one for the cooling system of th eproperty.
According to Proto Thema, the directive will be put in effect on January 1st 2013. The certificates will have a duration of two to four years depending on the kind of heating and air conditioning.
The president of Panhellenic Association of Property Owners, Stamatis Perdios, said that these certificates will be mandatory for all property owners and will be independent from whether the property is for rental or sale. As of 2011, properties for sale or rental have to have an energy certificate for the building (the cover) of the real estate and have to be submitted to the tax office together with the leasing/sale contract. Fees for the issue of the certificate are approximately 300-350 euro.
“These new certificates will affect 5 million properties and are mandatory for all owners,” Perdios told Proto Thema.
He added that additional certificates are on the way as well such as “certificates for the quality of water, air, elevator, asbestos and the static design of the building. In my opinion the latter is the only useful certificate especially considering the seismic activities in the country.”
The European Union Directive has to be applied in Greece as of January 1st, 2011.
If I am not wrong this energy certificates were introduced by Energy and Environment Minister under Papandreou government..
PS What? I’d need some 2,000 euro to prove my home was properly built? Green is my home, my soul is black and my pockets empty. No meat in my pot, a stone in my fridge. But I live …healthy 🙂
what if you just want to live in the property in peace and quiet without this government interfering ny more in your life? My house is 300 years old…the cooling system is the sterna under the floor, the thick stone walls and the windows wide open…..how will that fare with the new certificate?
propably you’re living more green than me 🙂 JAnet, I’m afraid they are not going to leave anyone live in peace and quiet, whether property owner or not.
Greeks deserve everything they get. Why are the people letting this happen? It’s time for rioting in the streets by common people NOT just union bums.
are there only 5 Mio house owners in Greece?
the rate of own property it’s quite high here, especially due to ‘antiparochi’ ( you give your plot to a constructor and you have 50-50% of the total number of apartments)
only? by 10 million people total population?
What is the purpose of these certificates for heating and cooling? What if you don’t have a/c because your house is cool enough to your liking? This is absurd!!
they want us to be green-friendly down to the last WC. Can you imagine you have an old A/C? hopefully no fine is waving
I guess it is out of the question to get a foreign firm in to do the checks and give out the certificate? Why? Because it will cost only a fraction and would not involve huge amounts of small envelops.
Although there is a EU-directive whereby these kinds of services can be provided by any EU-based firm in any EU-country… Oh, Greece has not implemented that EU-directive yet??? Guess I will have to wait with that energy certificate until the Greek state has implemented that other directive too.
And in the mean time I will invite them with pleasure to come into my 100+ years old house with 70 cm thick walls and a huge cooling cellar beneath it and an awful lot of double glazed windows that can be shut tightly with shutters, to enforce this measure. I will sit back and watch with pleasure how our dog will make mincemeat out of them… 😉
Look, I am all for green certificates and all. And I know they have done that in other countries already. But no Greek government has ever bothered with the environment, other than to screw it up for ever. Diverting rivers and poisoning our food with heavy metals are just two of the nicest examples of the Greek state being on it’s greenest. And the sudden rush of implementing these measures have nothing to do with Green. Only with money for the friends and family of those who suddenly felt the urge to implement these directives in a way totally unique, I am sure, to Greece… allegedly, I hasten to add.
tsk tsk tsk… what money for friends? it’s a whole trade union!
Oh… You posted something about big families today… I should have guessed. LOL
These certificates are only important if you want to sell/rent a house.
After getting the assessment done on your property you will be issued with a BER Certificate and advisory report. If you find that the rating hasn’t reached the ideal required rating of B1 set by the Building Regulations 2008 TGD L. There is no obligation for you to get work carried out on your property to achieve the above rating, but what the advisory report gives you is a list of suggested improvements for your property e.g. increase insulation, install low energy light fittings or even upgrade your boiler if necessary. Once the suggested improvements have been completed the above required rating would be achieved. Saving you money on your energy costs.
The cost of a BER (Building Energy Rating) certificate depends on the size of the building, and things like extension etc. In Ireland the cost for a standard building ranges from 129€ to 179€, plus VAT of course. This is up to a 4 bedroom house, without extras. Anything over that, or extras, cost extra, of course. You also have to pay a registration fee of 25€, which does not make any sense. It’s just a nicer way of saying they want more money.
but a lower rating affects the price for rental or sale. Not?
BTW: I love your citizen journalism 🙂
The lower rating is does indeed, on paper at least, affect the price or rent you can get for your property. Don’t think it would make any difference for a rental property, could for a sale.
As for the journalism bit, thank the Gods for an Ipod and free Wi-Fi while stuck on an airport… But it is fun 🙂
technology comes to KTG-aid! Great 🙂
Meanwhile the rents are plunging whether with or without certificate.
Is this for private property or like in the UK a requirement when you sell/rent?
@AC, the Greek guy says ‘everybody’, @Ephilant says the Directive is only if you want to rent or sell.(where can we find the link to this BER certificate?)
I’m sure we will definetely know in December short before it will be applied here
http://www.berassoc.ie/information-on-ber-certs
http://www.seai.ie/Your_Building/BER/BER_FAQ/FAQ_BER/General/What_Does_the_BER_Certificate_Look_Like_.html
http://www.daft.ie/building-energy-rating-ber/
The last link specifically states:
Of course these are Irish links, but it is an EU directive, so the implementation would be similar all over the EU, or maybe not?
Just to clear things up, EVERY owner needs a cert for EVERY property s/he owns, but ONLY if the property is rented or for sale.
If you live in your own property, with no intention of selling or renting, you do not need it. Of course, with the Greek government looking at owners living in their own house as renting from themselves it leaves things open for discussion…
true, that’ why I said we will now in December.
I wonder, would an owner renting from himself be able to claim that his alter-ego is a bad landlord who doesn’t want to bring the house up to standards so therefore, as a tenant, he pays his owner alter-ego no rent until this is done, and then as a landlord he pays no tax because he gets no rent from his alter-ego tenant…
I lost myself in much too many alter- and new-ego 🙂
You MUST be an accountant. And maybe a Greek one as well? 😉
Now now, no need to get rude. I don’t mind the Greek bit, but accountant???
Just being logical about illogical laws.