EU “Green Homes” Directive: What It Really Means for Buyers in Italy

On 1 October 2026 the European Commission sent Italy (and eight other countries) a reasoned opinion over the EU "green homes" directive: Italy has not submitted the draft of its national building renovation plan, due by 31 December 2025, and now has two months to do so. Otherwise the Commission may refer the case to the EU Court of Justice, though this is not automatic. This is an obligation of the State: there are no fines for owners of inefficient homes. Many of our international clients ask whether a home in a low energy class will lose value or "become unsellable". Here is what the rules actually say.

Important: Italian law applies, not the law of your home country. In England and Wales, for example, landlords cannot let most homes rated below EPC band E, and in France the loi Climat is phasing out the letting of the worst-rated homes. For a property in Italy, it is Italian law that applies, whatever your nationality or where you live, and Italy has no rule of this kind.

What the directive is
It is the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, (EU) 2024/1275, in force since 28 May 2024. Member States had to transpose it by 29 May 2026. Italy has not done so yet. An EU directive does not apply directly to private owners: until Italy passes its own law, the rules for buying, selling or renovating a home in Italy remain the current Italian rules, mainly Legislative Decree 192/2005 on energy performance.

What it requires

• A target for each State, not for each owner: cut the average primary energy use of the residential stock, compared with 2020, by at least 16% by 2030 and 20-22% by 2035. It is measured across the whole national housing stock, per square metre per year: it is not the same cut for every home.
• At least 55% of these savings must come from renovating the 43% least efficient homes. This does not mean all of them must be renovated by 2030.
• There is no rule that every home must reach class E by 2030 and class D by 2033: that was in early proposals, not in the final text.
• Each State decides how, in its national renovation plan: incentives, priorities and timing.
• New buildings must be zero-emission: public buildings from 2028, all new buildings from 2030.
• Solar panels: required on new residential buildings by 31 December 2029 where technically and economically feasible. Not on existing homes.

What it does NOT require

• No direct obligation on individual owners to renovate by a given date.
• No ban on selling or renting a home with a poor energy rating. This was discussed in early drafts and removed from the final text.
• States may exempt some categories: listed and historic buildings, homes used less than four months a year (or for a limited time with consumption below 25% of year-round use) and detached houses under 50 m². A second home is not automatically exempt, and an exemption from energy requirements does not remove the need for an APE.

Gas boilers
From 1 January 2025 the directive bans public incentives for stand-alone fossil-fuel boilers, and asks States to phase them out by 2040. Italy's 2025 Budget Law already excluded the cost of installing stand-alone fossil-fuel boilers in 2025, 2026 and 2027 from the main renovation tax deductions. For hybrid systems (boiler plus heat pump), requirements and eligibility must be checked. The 2040 date is a path each State must set out in its plan, not an existing order to replace every boiler: under Italian law today, an existing gas boiler does not have to be replaced.

The energy certificate (APE) matters more
In Italy an energy performance certificate (APE) is already mandatory when you sell or rent (Legislative Decree 192/2005); the current Italian scale runs from A4 to G. Under the directive, classes will be harmonised across the EU, from A (zero-emission) to G, certificates will be valid for up to 10 years and will also be required when a lease is renewed and after a major renovation. The APE informs buyers and tenants; on its own it is not a minimum standard for selling. A UK EPC or any other foreign certificate has no value in Italy: the APE must be issued by a technician qualified in Italy. When Italy transposes the directive, the calculation and classes may change.

What to do today

• If you are buying: ask for the APE before making an offer. A low-class home is not unsellable, but the cost of future upgrades should be part of your budget and your price.
• If you are selling: an up-to-date APE and records of work already done (windows, insulation, heating) help in negotiations.
• If you are renovating: start from the APE and its recommendations and get a technical assessment: there is no single mandatory work for every home (external insulation, for example, is not required by the directive) and work can be phased. Check which works are still eligible for Italian tax incentives in the year you do them, and have planning and cadastral compliance checked first.
• Be wary of anyone selling expensive work to "comply with the green homes rules": today no rule says which works you must do.

In short: today nothing changes in terms of obligations for owners of a home in Italy. Remember that Italian law applies, not the rules of your own country. Things will change when Italy adopts its transposing law and national plan. We will update this page.

Buying, selling or renovating on the Riviera?
Since 2003 we have assisted buyers and sellers in Sanremo, Bordighera and across the Riviera di Ponente, and with our technical partners we also manage renovation projects. Email info@aquamarina.email or call +39 0184 26.16.87.

Read also: Building Compliance When Buying in Liguria · Buying a Home in Liguria from Abroad

Want the full guide?
Our free buyer's guide covers every step, cost and tax, from the preliminary contract to completion. Request it here: https://acquamarina-international-home-di-megale-matteo-c-sas.propform.io/uRriOKSPVZVb
Plus, if you wish, a free 15-minute phone or video call with one of our experts.

Updated 3 October 2026. For information only; it does not replace advice from a qualified technician or tax adviser.