Dutch energy labels for landlords: 2026 obligations

The Dutch energy label is a small certificate with a big financial impact. As a landlord you're legally on the hook for it at every new lease, and the label tier directly drives how much rent you may charge under the points system. Here is the practical version.

What is the energy label again?

The energy label shows how energy-efficient a building is, on a scale from A++++ (very efficient) to G (very inefficient). It's issued by a certified EP advisor after an on-site survey.

The label has been compulsory since 2015 at:

• Sale of a property
• Letting of a property (new lease)
• Delivery of new construction

What landlords need to do

At a new letting

Before listing the property:

1. Check whether a valid label already exists at ep-online.nl (free public register)
2. No label or expired? Order a new label from an EP advisor (more on cost below)
3. List the label in the advert (Funda and Pararius require it) and in the rental contract

At sale or new construction handover

The label is required in the notarial deed. No label means a fine plus a delayed sale.

Cost of a new label

How to improve the label

The big four upgrades with the most impact:

Energy label and the WWS points system

Under the Dutch points system you earn extra points for a good label:

Concretely: an upgrade from label D to A+ can yield 30+ extra points, which translates to roughly €150–€200 of additional allowable rent per month. Over 10 years that's €18,000 – €24,000 of extra income on a single property.

Coming requirements

For homes

There is no binding floor yet, but the cabinet is preparing a minimum of label E for rented homes from 2030. Start upgrades now to comfortably clear that bar.

For office buildings

Since 1 January 2023, label C or better is mandatory. Below C the office is not legally usable. Fines run up to €60,500.

For monuments

Exempt from the label requirement when letting, but required at sale. Sustainability subsidies are available via the Restauratiefonds.

What to do now

1. Inventory every property's current energy label via ep-online.nl
2. Identify properties without a label or with an expired one
3. Schedule a survey for new labels before any letting moment
4. Build a business case for label upgrades per property (cost vs. extra rent and energy savings)
5. Sequence investments by return

In Propty

Propty stores the energy label per property with its expiry date, flags when a new label is needed before a new letting, and feeds the WWS-point recalculation into the allowable rent.

Schedule a short demo to see this in action, or read how to calculate WWS points after a renovation.