New regulations which came into operation on 9 January 2013 require that any person who offers for sale or letting a dwelling or a building (that is not a dwelling), ensure that the BER (Building Energy Rating) information is included in any advertisement relating to such property. Advertisement is defined widely and includes advertisements in newspapers, magazines, on the radio in addition to catalogues, brochures and websites etc.  A person is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine for failure to comply with the regulations. The legislation is drafted widely to capture any agent acting on behalf of the vendor which includes estate agents, sales agents, letting agents and solicitors.

Contributed by Tara Rush.

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