This article is a translation of the original Finnish article: Energiatodistus – mikä se on, milloin se on pakollinen ja mitä laki vaatii?
Energy certificate – what is it, when is it mandatory and what does the law require?
For many people, the term energy certificate (energiatodistus) comes up for the first time when a real estate agent asks for one in connection with a sales assignment, or when the property manager raises the matter ahead of the housing company’s general meeting. Is the certificate really required, what does it cost, and what happens if you do not get one? In this article we answer these questions in plain language – without formulas or a jungle of legal clauses. The article is written especially for those selling an apartment or a house, for landlords, and for the boards of housing companies (taloyhtiö).
What an energy certificate is – and what it is not
An energy certificate is a document prepared by a qualified assessor that describes a building’s energy efficiency. Its most important figure is the E-value, on the basis of which the building receives an energy class on a scale from A to G – the same letter you see in sales listings. The E-value is calculated: it is based on the building’s characteristics, such as insulation, windows, ventilation and heating method, and on standardised use. This makes the certificates of two identical houses comparable, regardless of whether one is home to a large family and the other to a single person. For an existing building, the assessor establishes the input data from documents and by observing the building on site.
It is just as important to know what an energy certificate is not. It is not a condition inspection: the certificate takes no position on the condition of the structures, moisture damage or repair needs. Nor does it report actual energy consumption – your electricity bill may be higher or lower than the certificate’s calculated consumption would suggest.
When is an energy certificate mandatory?
In practice, an energy certificate is needed in three situations:
| Situation | What the law requires |
|---|---|
| Sale | A valid certificate must be available for viewing at showings and is given to the buyer. The energy class must be stated in the public sales listing. |
| Rental | As with a sale: the certificate must be on display at viewings and given to the tenant, and the energy class stated in the rental listing. |
| New building | The certificate is needed already when applying for a building permit, and it is updated before the building is taken into use if the details change. |
There are exceptions, too. The certificate does not need to be presented, for example, in a fixed-term rental of at most one year, in subletting, or when a building is sold for demolition. In addition, some buildings are exempt from the obligation altogether – for example buildings with a floor area of less than 50 m² and holiday homes not used for the accommodation business. You will find a list by building type in the article Which buildings need an energy certificate? Note that the energy class stated in a listing comes directly from the certificate – which is why it pays to obtain the certificate before publishing the sales listing.
What the law says – the Energy Certificate Act 50/2013 in plain language
Energy certificates are governed by the Act on the Energy Certificate of a Building (50/2013). In plain language, the law says this: a building that uses energy to maintain indoor conditions must have an energy certificate when the building or an apartment in it is sold, rented out or built; the certificate may only be prepared by a qualified assessor; the certificate must be presented to the buyer or tenant, and the energy class must be stated in listings. The law has been amended several times: from the start of 2025, the exemptions to its scope were linked to the new Building Act, and on 1.3.2025 supervision duties were transferred from ARA to Varke. The current text of the act is available on Finlex.
The division of labour between the authorities is clear. The Ministry of the Environment prepares the act and the decrees that supplement it, and decides which bodies certify assessors’ qualifications. Varke (the Housing Construction Centre of the Finnish State; until 1.3.2025 known as ARA) supervises the correctness and use of certificates and maintains the energy certificate register. Motiva, in turn, offers free and impartial energy advice.
How long is an energy certificate valid?
An energy certificate is valid for at most ten years from its preparation. If a new certificate is prepared for the building before then, the old one expires at the same time. It is worth noting that all certificates issued under the old energy certificate act, repealed in 2013, have already expired: the last of them were prepared in spring 2013, so the ten-year maximum period has run out. Many certificates prepared in the early years of the current act are also expiring in just these years – for example, a certificate prepared in 2016 expires no later than 2026. Before a sale or rental project, it therefore pays to check the status of the certificate – we explain how in the article energy certificate register.
Who may prepare an energy certificate?
You cannot prepare an energy certificate yourself, nor can you order one from just anyone. The assessor must have a degree in a technical field, or work experience that replaces it, and must have passed the assessor examination. Qualifications are certified by bodies designated by the Ministry of the Environment, currently FISE Oy, and the qualification is valid for a fixed term of at most seven years at a time. All qualified assessors can be found in the assessor register, and certificates are prepared directly into the energy certificate register with electronic signatures. Read more in the article energy certificate assessor. Qualification is only the minimum level, however: certificates differ in their thoroughness and in the accuracy of the input data, which we discuss in the article a high-quality energy certificate.
How much does an energy certificate cost?
The price depends above all on the size of the building and the level of the input data. A certificate for a detached house is typically a purchase of a few hundred euros; a certificate for a larger building, such as an apartment building, costs more because gathering the input data and performing the calculation take more work – divided per apartment, the cost still remains small. A certificate for an older house may require additional investigation if the original drawings have not survived. You will find building-type-specific information in our articles: energy certificate for a detached house, for an apartment building, for a terraced house and for a post-war house. Who obtains and pays for the certificate – the shareholder, the seller or the housing company – is covered in the article who pays for the energy certificate. One more tip for housing companies: in Varke’s energy grant 2026–2027, energy certificates count among the design costs eligible for the grant.
What happens if there is no certificate?
A missing energy certificate does not lead to an immediate fine. Supervision proceeds in stages: Varke first issues a request to comply with a deadline, then a warning if needed, and finally an order or prohibition decision, which in the most serious cases can be reinforced with a conditional fine. The supervision is real, however: according to the 2024 annual report, 298 requests to comply and 112 warnings were issued in the supervision of use, and two conditional fines were imposed. The great majority of cases are thus resolved already at the request stage – in practice, by obtaining the missing certificate. The easiest way is to put things in order before the sales or rental listing is published.
Does your building already have a certificate? Check in a minute
Before ordering a new certificate, it is worth making sure the building does not already have a valid one. Certificates for buildings with more than two apartments – such as apartment buildings and terraced houses – appear in the public energy certificate register; certificates for detached houses are not published for data protection reasons, but their status can be established too. Our energy certificate check tool brings the check together in one place: check the status with our tool – or let us check it for you.
If the certificate is missing or about to expire, we can help quickly: we prepare energy certificates for all building types with qualifications certified by FISE. Submit a request for a quote and we will tell you the price and schedule, or take a look at our services first.
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