Skip to content
ClosingCodeClosingCode
ENES

Florida · Fla. Stat. §553.996Florida energy-efficiency rating disclosure: what the buyer gets before signing

Florida Statutes §553.996 requires that a prospective purchaser of real property with a building for occupancy be provided information at the time of or before signing the contract for sale and purchase, notifying the purchaser of the option for an energy-efficiency rating on the building. The information is prepared by the state's building energy-efficiency rating system providers and must cover at least how to analyze the building's rating, comparisons to statewide averages for new and existing construction, methods to improve the rating, and – for residential buyers – a notice that the rating may qualify them for an energy-efficient mortgage. The statute does not require the buyer to get a rating; it requires that the buyer be told about the option before committing.

What the information must cover (§553.996)

  1. 1. How to read a rating

    How to analyze the building's energy-efficiency rating.

  2. 2. Comparisons

    Statewide averages for new and existing construction of that class.

  3. 3. Improvements

    Methods to improve the building's rating.

  4. 4. Mortgage notice

    Residential buyers: a rating may qualify them for an energy-efficient mortgage.

What the TC checks

  • The information was given at or before the buyer signed – many Florida contract packages include it.
  • A signed or dated acknowledgment is on the deal.

Questions buyers and agents ask

Is an energy-efficiency disclosure required in Florida?

Yes: a buyer of property with a building must be given information about the option for an energy-efficiency rating at or before signing the purchase contract (Fla. Stat. §553.996).

Does the buyer have to get an energy rating?

No. The law requires that the buyer be informed of the option; getting a rating is the buyer's choice.

Related guides

Florida deals in ClosingCode carry the state's disclosures as document slots with the statute and timing next to each one.

Start free trial

Source: Florida Statutes §553.996 (leg.state.fl.us, read October 25, 2026).

General information, not legal advice. Florida contracts and local practice add their own forms. ClosingCode is software; it is not a law firm and is not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney. This guide is not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney.