- info@murrayber.ie
- 087 395 6007
- Cork City & Surrounding Areas
- SEAI-Registered BER Assessors · Cork City & County
In most cases, yes. A BER is required whenever a property is sold, rented or newly built, and the rating has to appear in the advertisement. A small number of buildings are exempt, and the list is narrower than most people expect. Here is how to tell which side of the line you are on.
The rules
The timing catches people out. The certificate has to exist before the property is advertised, not by the time contracts are signed, and the rating must appear in the listing itself. Estate agents and letting agents will ask for it up front for exactly that reason.
The exceptions
If you think a property might qualify, confirm it with SEAI or your assessor before you advertise, because getting it wrong can hold up a sale.
Buildings on the local authority’s Record of Protected Structures, and buildings in architectural conservation areas where complying would unacceptably alter their character or appearance.
Buildings used as places of worship or for religious activities.
Buildings intended to be used for two years or less.
Non-residential buildings with low energy demand used for industrial or agricultural purposes, such as certain workshops, stores and farm buildings.
Freestanding buildings with a total useful floor area of less than 50 square metres.
Next: What a BER certificate is · How to get one · What it costs
Yes. The requirement attaches to the sale itself, not to how you came to own the property.
If the property is being let, a BER is normally required. Very short occasional lettings can be a grey area, so check your position before advertising.
Not as a legal requirement. Some lenders do ask for a current BER for green mortgage rates, because those rates are tied to the rating band.
Yes. A BER is issued for an individual dwelling, so every apartment in a block needs its own.
It is an offence, and enforcement sits with SEAI and local authorities. In practice the more immediate problem is that agents and property portals will not list the property without a rating.
Tell Tom, our BER assessor in Cork, the address and what you are planning to do with the property, and he will tell you straight whether you need a BER. If you do, you will get a fixed quote with the SEAI fee included.
