DOMESTIC BER CERTS
BER’s for Houses and Apartments
DO I NEED A BER CERT FOR MY HOUSE?
You will need a BER Cert in the following circumstances
- When you are selling a house or apartment
- When you are renting a house or apartment
- When you claiming a grant for works carried out which entitle you to a SEAI grant (i.e. attic insulation works)
- When you have been granted planning permission you will need to carry out a Provisional BER Cert
- When your house is being rented through a local County Council under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS)
- If you simply want advice on how to reduce your home or house heating and electricity bills
WHEN YOU ARE SELLING A HOUSE OR APARTMENT
In order for a solicitor to process and close the sale of a house or apartment, a BER (Building Energy Rating) Certificate must be obtained by the vendor or person selling the premises.
As mentioned above, it is solely the responsibility of the vendor or seller of the property to arrange for the timely completion and production of a valid BER (Building Energy Rating) Cert.
It is also worth noting that there is no pass or fail with the BER cert. If the cert gets the lowest rating possible it will not hold up or delay the sale of a house.
WHEN YOU ARE RENTING A HOUSE OR APARTMENT
If you have a premises, which you would like to make available for rent, then you are required, by law, to carry out a BER (Building Energy Rating) assessment.
The SEAI (The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland – Ireland’s National Energy Authority), state that a fine of up to €5,000 can be enforced, if a landlord lets a tenant into a new dwelling without having a valid BER (Building Energy Rating) Cert in place.
WHEN YOU CLAIMING A GRANT FOR WORKS CARRIED OUT WHICH ENTITLE YOU TO A SEAI GRANT (i.e. attic insulation works)
If you are approved for a SEAI grant to have work carried out on your house, (Better Energy Home Scheme), you will have to get a BER cert in order to obtain and receive your grant. Such grants include
- External wall insulation.
- Internal wall insulation.
- Cavities being pumped.
- New boilers.
WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED PLANNING PERMISSION YOU WILL NEED TO CARRY OUT A PROVISIONAL BER CERT
All county councils in Ireland will ask for a provisional BER (Building Energy Rating) Cert., when one applies for planning permission for a new dwelling. There is a considerable amount of extra work involved in carrying out a provisional BER. Close consultation is required between the client, architect and BER assessor.
WHEN YOUR HOUSE IS BEING RENTED THROUGH A LOCAL COUNTY COUNCIL UNDER THE RENTAL ACCOMMODATION SCHEME (RAS)
The county council will request a BER (Building Energy Rating) cert to qualify a house for the RAS scheme. The RAS scheme is a scheme where the council rents out dwellings from the general public to provide for those with a long term housing need.
Some county councils put restrictions on what rating the house must have, to be included or allowed into the RAS scheme. We can give recommendations on what ratings will be needed and what work will need to be carried out to obtain such a rating.
IF YOU SIMPLY WANT ADVICE ON HOW TO REDUCE YOUR HOME OR HOUSE HEATING AND ELECTRICITY BILLS
As part of our BER (Building Energy Rating) assessment process or procedure, we prepare a separate report, which outlines the ways a homeowner or business owner can reduce, sometimes quite significantly, their energy bills and costs.
Given the current economic environment and the ever increasing cost of oil, gas and fuel in general, more and more people, are wisely obtaining a BER (Building Energy Rating) cert., so as they can find and ascertain ways and means as to how to reduce their fuel bills.