Directive (EU) 2024/1275, adopted on 24 April 2024, is the revised version of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). It updates and consolidates the European framework governing building energy performance and forms a central pillar of the EU’s climate strategy. Its long-term objective is clear: achieving a zero-emission building stock across the European Union by 2050.
The Directive introduces a comprehensive set of measures affecting both new and existing buildings. These include progressively stricter minimum energy performance requirements, harmonised rules for energy certification, promotion of zero-emission buildings, support for the renovation of the worst-performing properties, and the integration of renewable energy systems. Member States are also required to adopt national building renovation plans to guide long-term energy improvements.
Why This Matters for Property Buyers in Italy
For anyone considering purchasing property in Italy in 2026 — whether as a private buyer or an investor — energy performance is no longer a secondary consideration. It has become a decisive factor in pricing, financing, resale value and overall investment risk.
The Directive does not impose an automatic ban on selling low-efficiency properties. However, it sets a clear regulatory trajectory: buildings must become more energy efficient, fossil-fuel-based heating systems will gradually be phased out, and poorly performing properties will increasingly be targeted for renovation.
Key deadlines are already influencing the market. From January 2025, standalone fossil-fuel boilers are no longer eligible for financial incentives. By 2026, Member States must complete national implementation measures. From 2028, new public buildings must meet zero-emission standards, and from 2030 the same requirement will apply to all new buildings.
Even before full national implementation in Italy, market behaviour has shifted. Higher energy-class properties increasingly command price premiums. Buyers are paying closer attention to energy certificates, and financial institutions are incorporating sustainability criteria into lending policies. Energy performance is now part of negotiation strategy and risk assessment.
Energy as a Core Due Diligence Element
Energy efficiency must now be treated as an essential element of real estate due diligence. Beyond verifying zoning and legal compliance, buyers should assess insulation quality, heating systems, energy class, and potential renovation costs. An outdated boiler or insufficient insulation is no longer a minor technical issue — it may represent future capital expenditure.
The Directive also promotes the concept of a “renovation passport”: a structured roadmap for gradually upgrading a building to zero-emission standards. For investors, this highlights a critical principle: the true cost of a property is not only the purchase price, but the cost of maintaining its competitiveness over time.
A lower-priced, inefficient property may still represent an opportunity — but only if the discount adequately reflects future upgrade costs. Conversely, efficient properties may command higher prices, yet offer greater regulatory certainty and long-term liquidity.
Conclusion
Italy is currently in a transitional phase as it implements the Directive. However, markets often anticipate regulation before it is fully defined. The real risk today is not prohibition, but obsolescence.
In 2026, buying property in Italy means managing “energy risk.” The central question is no longer only what a property costs today, but what it will cost to keep it compliant, efficient and attractive in the years ahead.
Energy performance is becoming a fundamental component of real estate value. Buyers and investors who integrate this factor into their strategy from the outset will be better positioned in an evolving and increasingly sustainability-driven market.
