Bay SaleReadyBerkeley guide

Berkeley · BESO time-of-sale

Berkeley BESO requirements when selling a house

Berkeley's current BESO pages state that single-family homes and duplexes entered a new time-of-sale path in 2026, while three- and four-unit buildings remain on an assessment path through 2027 before a January 2028 phase change. This guide separates those City instructions, condominium and ADU exclusions, fees, records, and deferral materials without determining a building's category or status.

General information onlyNo property outcomeOfficial sources controlSale-triggered topic to verify

Site-wide source review checkpoint: . 62 registered sources were in that completed cycle; individual source records may be newer. Information may have changed since our last review. Verify current requirements and status directly with the responsible agency before relying on it.

Quick official-source answer

What the official sources publish

  • Check the BESO portal record: Start with the City's current building record before arranging an assessment or relying on an exemption, deferral, or prior score. City of Berkeley · BESO
  • Separate the one- and two-unit path: The City's small-residential page describes the 2026 path for single-family homes and duplexes. City of Berkeley · BESO
  • Review the three- and four-unit transition: The City's multifamily page describes the assessment path used for three- and four-unit buildings through 2027. City of Berkeley · BESO

Start with the official source

Use Berkeley's BESO portal to check the building record, then confirm the correct building category in the City instructions.

Verify at the official source

Opening a record or portal does not mean that Bay Sale Ready has determined coverage, validity, responsibility, or whether a transaction may close.

Official-source dossier

Berkeley BESO official-source navigation map

This navigation map keeps building-category instructions, the small-residential guide, the upgrade-deposit form, the refund-claim form, and the BESO Portal in separate lanes. It does not select a building path, interpret a portal label, calculate credits or dates, or decide what any transfer needs.

Official source record label

One- and two-unit City materials

What the linked City of Berkeley · BESO source says this record represents: The City page states that, starting January 1, 2026, a single-family-home or duplex seller gets a Home Energy Score before listing and then completes upgrades, qualifies for an exemption, or uses the City-described buyer-deferral process.

Keep this source or record separate: The City page is a research source. Bay Sale Ready does not determine the building category or choose an assessment, upgrade, exemption, or deferral path.

Questions to verify with the responsible agency

  • Which building category does BESO record for the property being researched?
  • Which report, certificate, or other City material does BESO identify for the planned transfer?

This card names sources, records, and agency questions. Bay Sale Ready does not identify a record, document, status, or next action for any property or transaction.

Verify at the official source: Time-of-Sale Energy Requirements for Small Residential Buildings
Official source record label

BESO Upgrade Deposit Form

What the linked City of Berkeley · BESO source says this record represents: The City's revised January 2026 form records the seller, buyer, title-company, property, sale, and deposit details for the published $5,000 buyer-deferral path.

Keep this source or record separate: This form starts the deposit path. It is not the later refund request, a BESO Certificate of Compliance, or evidence of a City exception or deferral decision.

Questions to verify with the responsible agency

  • Which signatures, checks, and property identifiers does the current City form require at submission?
  • Which City record identifies the deposit after the title company submits the form?

This card names sources, records, and agency questions. Bay Sale Ready does not identify a record, document, status, or next action for any property or transaction.

Verify at the official source: BESO Upgrade Deposit Form
Official source record label

BESO Refund Claim Form

What the linked City of Berkeley · BESO source says this record represents: The City's revised July 2025 form says it is used after upgrade work is complete and after receipt of a BESO Certificate of Compliance, to request a refund from the City.

Keep this source or record separate: Deposit submission and refund request are separate City artifacts. This form does not create a refund decision or replace the earlier Upgrade Deposit Form.

Questions to verify with the responsible agency

  • Does the refundee name match the name recorded on the deposit form?
  • Does BESO request any certificate or deposit records in addition to the fields printed on the current refund form?

This card names sources, records, and agency questions. Bay Sale Ready does not identify a record, document, status, or next action for any property or transaction.

Verify at the official source: BESO Refund Claim Form
Official source record label

Three- and four-unit transition materials

What the linked City of Berkeley · BESO source says this record represents: The City currently describes an energy assessment before listing for three- and four-unit buildings through 2027, followed by entry into the one-to-four-unit time-of-sale framework on January 1, 2028.

Keep this source or record separate: This card does not select an assessment method or calculate a transition date. Confirm the building category, assessment record, and timeline with BESO.

Questions to verify with the responsible agency

  • Which assessment method does BESO identify for the building and listing date?
  • Which phase and supporting City document does BESO associate with the planned transfer?

This card names sources, records, and agency questions. Bay Sale Ready does not identify a record, document, status, or next action for any property or transaction.

Verify at the official source: BESO Administrative Regulations, Version 5.0
Official source record label

Condominium and ADU City guidance

What the linked City of Berkeley · BESO source says this record represents: The administrative regulations describe an individually owned condominium unit within a larger building and an ADU itself as exclusions; they do not state an automatic whole-building or whole-parcel exemption.

Keep this source or record separate: A building label or unit type does not create a Bay Sale Ready outcome. Confirm whole-building, HOA, mixed-use, and unusual ownership questions with BESO.

Questions to verify with the responsible agency

  • How does BESO distinguish the individual unit from the whole building record?
  • Which City confirmation does BESO identify for the building and transfer facts?

This card names sources, records, and agency questions. Bay Sale Ready does not identify a record, document, status, or next action for any property or transaction.

Verify at the official source: BESO Administrative Regulations, Version 5.0
Official source record label

Multifamily and commercial City materials

What the linked City of Berkeley · BESO source says this record represents: The separate City page describes the assessment and time-of-sale materials for multifamily and commercial building categories.

Keep this source or record separate: This source is separate from the small-residential page. Bay Sale Ready does not classify a building by unit count, use, size, ownership, or portal record.

Questions to verify with the responsible agency

  • Which City page does BESO identify for the building category?
  • Which assessment confirmation, form, and portal record does BESO want reviewed?

This card names sources, records, and agency questions. Bay Sale Ready does not identify a record, document, status, or next action for any property or transaction.

Verify at the official source: Time-of-Sale Energy Requirements for Multifamily and Commercial Buildings
Official source record label

BESO Portal record

What the linked City of Berkeley · BESO source says this record represents: The City BESO pages link the portal for building records, submissions, and agency workflow material.

Keep this source or record separate: A portal label is agency-reported information, not a Bay Sale Ready finding about listing, transfer, document, or closing status.

Questions to verify with the responsible agency

  • Which building identifier, category, record label, and date does the portal display?
  • What does BESO say the displayed label and attachments mean for the planned transfer?

This card names sources, records, and agency questions. Bay Sale Ready does not identify a record, document, status, or next action for any property or transaction.

Verify at the official source: BESO Portal

General order of questions

  1. Check the BESO portal record

    Bay Sale Ready summary of the linked City of Berkeley · BESO source: Start with the City's current building record before arranging an assessment or relying on an exemption, deferral, or prior score.

    Verify at official source: Time-of-Sale Energy Requirements for Small Residential Buildings
  2. Separate the one- and two-unit path

    Bay Sale Ready summary of the linked City of Berkeley · BESO source: The City's small-residential page describes the 2026 path for single-family homes and duplexes.

    Verify at official source: Time-of-Sale Energy Requirements for Small Residential Buildings
  3. Review the three- and four-unit transition

    Bay Sale Ready summary of the linked City of Berkeley · BESO source: The City's multifamily page describes the assessment path used for three- and four-unit buildings through 2027.

    Verify at official source: Time-of-Sale Energy Requirements for Multifamily and Commercial Buildings
  4. Keep unit-level exclusions separate

    Bay Sale Ready summary of the linked City of Berkeley · BESO source: The administrative regulations describe narrower exclusions for an individually owned condominium unit and for an ADU itself.

    Verify at official source: BESO Administrative Regulations, Version 5.0
  5. Confirm the City-approved path

    Bay Sale Ready summary of the linked City of Berkeley · BESO source: Review the current assessment and transfer instructions, then ask the BESO team or appropriate licensed professionals to confirm the path for the particular building and transaction.

    Verify at official source: Time-of-Sale Energy Requirements for Small Residential Buildings

Important limits to keep in view

Official instructions and records

These links come from the same reviewed source register used by the guide. The last completed registered-source review cycle ended on July 27, 2026 and covered 62 sources; each card shows its own review date, including newer additions.

Show all 6 reviewed official sources
City of Berkeley · BESO

Time-of-Sale Energy Requirements for Small Residential Buildings

Agency page; no publication date shown · Last reviewed by Bay Sale Ready August 1, 2026

Verify at the official source
City of Berkeley · BESO

Time-of-Sale Energy Requirements for Multifamily and Commercial Buildings

Agency page; no publication date shown · Last reviewed by Bay Sale Ready July 26, 2026

Verify at the official source
City of Berkeley · BESO

BESO Administrative Regulations, Version 5.0

November 1, 2025 · Last reviewed by Bay Sale Ready July 18, 2026

Verify at the official source
City of Berkeley · BESO

BESO Compliance Guide for Small Residential Buildings

Updated July 2026 · Last reviewed by Bay Sale Ready August 1, 2026

Verify at the official source

Frequently asked questions

Questions to verify, not legal conclusions

What is the first BESO check before listing?

Check the building's current BESO portal record and identify the City's building category. Berkeley's current small-residential page distinguishes the one- and two-unit path from the three- and four-unit transition through 2027. Verify at the official source: City of Berkeley · BESO

Does a single-family home or duplex need a Home Energy Score before listing?

Berkeley states that, starting January 1, 2026, a seller of a single-family home or duplex gets a Home Energy Score before listing. The City says the report is valid for five years and must be included in the listed disclosure and transfer materials. Verify at the official source: City of Berkeley · BESO

What is the Berkeley BESO path for a triplex or fourplex before 2028?

Berkeley currently describes an energy assessment before listing for a three- or four-unit residential building through 2027. The City says these buildings enter the one-to-four-unit time-of-sale framework starting January 1, 2028. Verify at the official source: City of Berkeley · BESO

Does Berkeley BESO apply to a condominium or ADU?

Berkeley excludes an individually owned condominium unit within a larger building and an ADU itself from the stated time-of-sale requirement. Those exclusions do not automatically decide the status of the whole building, HOA, mixed-use property, or the non-ADU units on a parcel. Verify at the official source: City of Berkeley · BESO

How much are the Berkeley BESO filing fee and buyer-deferral deposit?

The current City page publishes a $150 Certificate of Compliance filing fee and a $5,000 buyer-deferral deposit, split $2,500 each between seller and buyer. It also publishes a $500 fee for failure to complete and disclose the Home Energy Score, so confirm the current portal amounts and documents before submitting. Verify at the official source: City of Berkeley · BESO

Can a Berkeley seller defer the BESO upgrades to the buyer?

Berkeley describes a formal buyer-deferral path using a City deposit form and a $5,000 deposit. The City says the buyer then has two years from the sale date to complete the upgrades, subject to its current extension and refund process. Verify at the official source: City of Berkeley · BESO

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