It's the Law... officially

THE OFFICIAL Gazette of the Government of Spain, Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE), yesterday published Royal Decree 235/2013, of 5th April 2013, approving the basic procedure for the certification of energy efficiency of buildings. The publication officially declares the Royal Decree is law. 

Whilst I work my way through the small print, one article is worth highlighting under the basic procedure about properties excluded from obtaining an Energy Efficiency Certificate (aka EPC). It states in the article: 

Excluded from the scope: 

“Buildings for housing or parts of existing buildings, the use of which is less than four months a year, or for a limited time of a calendar year, or with an energy consumption forecast to be less than 25% used throughout year.” 

The article continues, “it will be the responsibility of the owner to keep a record”. 

This mainly affects rental properties. The four months is the total months for the calendar year, and not necessarily consecutive. Holiday rentals should base their decision on whether or not to obtain an Energy Efficiency Certificate upon this information.