1: Is the home being publicly advertised for sale?
If you are publicly listing or advertising your home for sale in any manner, you need to get a Home Energy Score and Report before listing it. Common ways people advertise a home for sale include online listings, posters, yard signs and ads in print publications.
If you are selling your home privately between two parties and the home is never publicly advertised for sale, then the requirements do NOT apply.
2: Is the home within the boundaries of the City of Portland?
This policy only applies to homes within Portland’s jurisdictional boundary. Not all homes with Portland mailing addresses are within the jurisdictional boundary of the City of Portland.
To confirm whether a house is within the Portland jurisdictional boundary, enter the address at portlandmaps.com and find the “Jurisdiction” field. If the jurisdiction is indicated as "Portland," then the home seller must follow the requirements.
If the jurisdiction is "unincorporated" or another city, then it is not subject to the ordinance.
The county jurisdiction does not matter. There are homes in both Clackamas and Washington Counties that fall within the jurisdictional boundary of Portland. It’s always a good idea to look up any Portland address to confirm jurisdiction before proceeding with an assessment.
The City of Milwaukie also has Home Energy Score requirements. If your home is located in Milwaukie, please visit their website for more information.
3: Does the home qualify for any exceptions or exemptions?
Exceptions
Mobile homes, manufactured homes and floating homes cannot be scored and therefore are not required to get a Home Energy Score. Detached additional dwelling units (ADUs) do not require scoring (provided the main home is scored).
Condos, townhomes and duplexes
- Homes that are in a stacked configuration with other units above or below them cannot be scored at this time.
- Townhome style condominiums or other side-by-side shared wall configurations can be scored and therefore are required to obtain a Home Energy Score.
- ADUs within the same structure as the main home are to be scored under one assessment.
Exemptions
Some homes are exempt from Home Energy Score requirements if the home is under certain forms of financial distress or it is condemned, uninhabitable or hazardous to enter. Visit the Home Energy Score Exemptions page to view a full list of conditions for exemption and to access the online form to submit anexemption application.
Check the Green Building Registry for an existing Home Energy Report
If your home has previously been listed for sale at some point between 2018 and present, it’s possible it may already have a Home Energy Score and Report. Visit the Green Building Registry and search the home’s address to see if there is an existing Score and Report.
They can be reused for up to eight years from the date of the original Assessment if no changes have been made to the home. If you have made any improvements to the home that are evaluated as part of a Home Energy Assessment, you are required to get a new Score and Report.
Assistance for income-qualified sellers
The City of Portland provides assistance for low income home sellers. If your household income is at or below 80% of Portland’s Area Median Income (AMI), you may be eligible for a free Home Energy Score.
If you’re not sure if you qualify, you can use the Portland Housing Bureau’s AMI calculator, and enter your household’s size and total annual income.
For further questions or to schedule an income-qualified free Home Energy Score assessment, please contact Community Energy Project by phone, email or use their online scheduling tool:
Call: 503-284-6827
Email: hello@communityenergyproject.org
Visit Community Energy Project’s online scheduling calendar.
Please note that if you schedule online, CEP will contact you prior to your appointment to confirm eligibility. If they are not able to reach you, the appointment may be delayed.