NF Habitat and NF Habitat HQE certification: 2026 guide

NF Habitat is the French housing quality certification issued by CERQUAL Qualitel Certification, the certification body of the Qualitel Association, mandated by AFNOR Certification for the NF mark. It attests that a housing project meets a standard covering safety, health, comfort, environment, running costs and the service provided to buyers or tenants.

It applies to multi-family housing, single-family houses, serviced residences (students, seniors, young workers) and medical and social care facilities, in new construction, renovation and operation. Combined with the HQE mark, it becomes NF Habitat HQE, which denotes a higher level of performance.

Local authorities and urban developers also use it as a local policy tool: CERQUAL Qualitel Certification has 77 partnership agreements with local authorities and urban developers, 39 of them in the Île-de-France region (Qualitel, 2024 annual report, p. 15).

The mark was created in 2015 to replace the former certifications of CERQUAL and CÉQUAMI; since 1 January 2019, after the two bodies merged, CERQUAL has been the only NF Habitat certifier for both multi-family housing and houses (Qualitel press release, 7 January 2019). CERQUAL is accredited by COFRAC under number 5-0050.

Source: Qualitel, 2024 annual report; CERQUAL, new construction standard summary, January 2026.

NF Habitat is the mandatory baseline of the certification; NF Habitat HQE adds environmental and economic requirements, scored in points and read as stars. They are not two separate standards: it is a single standard in which each requirement carries a level.

Source: CERQUAL, new construction standard summary, January 2026, pp. 7 and 13.

Some sections exist only at HQE level: the low-nuisance worksite, mandatory for any HQE project, services and transport, and life-cycle cost have no NF Habitat-level requirement. At maturity M1, an HQE project must also include a site analysis, the definition of an HQE profile and the use of a project management consultant or an in-house referent experienced in HQE projects.

As of the review date shown at the top of this guide, the latest published version of the NF Habitat - NF Habitat HQE standard is 5.1, dated 2 December 2025 and applicable since 1 January 2026; it comes as numbered NF 500 schemes, one per project type.

Source: CERQUAL, NF 500-10 scheme V5.1; CERQUAL, profiles summary, January 2026, p. 5.

What version 5 changed

Version 5, in force since 1 January 2025, raised the carbon requirements on energy and materials. It dropped twenty requirements already covered by regulation, added an acoustic requirement on collective heat pumps and, for NF Habitat HQE, required the design team to track during construction any product substitution that changes the carbon footprint. In renovation, it opened a Carbon payback time option for the higher NF Habitat HQE levels (Qualitel, new 2025 version of the standard).

An extension or a rooftop addition can be certified on its own, under the new construction scheme, or together with the existing building, which is then assessed under the renovation scheme, with a single assessor for both.

The NF Habitat - NF Habitat HQE standard follows the Alliance HQE-GBC sustainable building framework: four commitments, quality of life, respect for the environment, economic performance and responsible management, broken down into twelve objectives and then into sections of requirements.

Source: CERQUAL, new construction standard summary, January 2026, contents and p. 12. General technical provisions and the Service quality and information section come on top.

Three examples of grading

Indoor air qualityQAI

NF Habitat: emission class A for indoor wall and floor coverings, paints and varnishes, ISO ePM10 filter above 50% (EN 16890) with balanced ventilation. HQE 1 point: ePM10 filter above 70% and an airflow design calculation. HQE 2 or 3 points: indoor air quality measurements, ePM1 filter above 50% or ePM2.5 above 65%, class A+ across the board.

ResilienceRES

NF Habitat: identify the most significant climate hazards (heatwaves, heavy rain, storms, ground movement, drought) and inform occupants. HQE: one structural or organisational measure against a priority hazard (1 point), two measures (2 points), one measure per priority hazard (3 points).

Service qualityQSI

For every project: a welcome booklet for residents on the building, its equipment and good practice. For private development or affordable home ownership, in addition: a commitment to obtain certification, a prior visit of the dwelling, handling of buyer requests during the first year after handover with timelines communicated within 20 days, satisfaction surveys.

Source: CERQUAL, new construction standard summary, January 2026, pp. 17, 19 and 39.

An NF Habitat HQE project earns 1 to 4 stars on each of the three rated commitments, and the total number of stars sets its rating: Très performant (Very Good, 6 stars), Excellent (7 to 9) or Exceptionnel (Exceptional, 10 to 12).

Source: CERQUAL, new construction standard summary, January 2026, p. 13.

Responsible management is not rated in stars: it shapes the certification process, through the maturity of the developer’s management system. The threshold is calculated on the requirements applicable to the project: a requirement that does not apply counts neither for nor against.

The NF Habitat process depends on the maturity of the developer’s management system: at maturity M1, each project is assessed in full; at maturities M2 and M3, the developer holds an overall right to use the mark and its projects are assessed by sampling.

Source: CERQUAL, new construction standard summary, January 2026, pp. 5 to 7.

The overall right of use is earned by bringing all of one’s activity into certification: review of ongoing projects, an admission management audit, then a three-year right of use with a follow-up audit every twelve months (eighteen under conditions) and a renewal audit.

NF Habitat does not stop at new construction: dedicated schemes certify the renovation of housing, houses and co-owned buildings, and the operation of single-ownership or co-owned portfolios.

Co-ownership renovationNF 500-15

Starts with a full technical survey, then a commitment approved by the general meeting of co-owners. The certificate is issued at acceptance of the works.

Co-ownership operationNF 500-17

Carried by a property manager holding the right to use the mark, over three years. It requires the favourable opinion of the co-owners’ council, with no general meeting vote. The scope is the common areas; financial management is excluded.

Single-ownership operationNF 500-16

For social or private landlords, who commit 100% of the eligible portfolio of each branch. Mandatory NF Habitat Operation referent, annual management audit and sample building visits, attestation issued per building.

Source: CERQUAL, co-ownership renovation and operation summary, January 2026, p. 5; CERQUAL, single-ownership operation summary, January 2026, pp. 4 to 6.

In operation, a building delivered under a former mark (Qualitel, Habitat & Environnement, NF Logement, NF Logement HQE) is eligible. Since 2016, a building never certified can also join the scope, after a housing asset review or a technical survey covering ventilation, guardrails, envelope, electrical safety and security.

CERQUAL does not publish an NF Habitat fee schedule online: the price is quoted per project, depending on the scheme, the number of dwellings, the process (P1, P2 or P3) and the profiles added.

As for validity, a new construction project receives its certificate at design stage and its attestations at handover; they stay attached to the project. The overall right of use held by a developer, a landlord or a property manager lasts three years, subject to the annual follow-up audits. To check that a project is certified, the Qualitel Association publishes the list of projects certified by CERQUAL as open data.

Source: CERQUAL, new construction standard summary, January 2026, pp. 6 and 7.

Qualitel publishes studies comparing homes it has certified with non-certified homes. All of them are carried out or commissioned by Qualitel, whose certification subsidiary is CERQUAL: they are the certifier’s arguments, to be read as such, in the absence of an equivalent independent study.

Source (in French): Alliance HQE-GBC, Certivéa and CERQUAL, presentation of 13 May 2025, pp. 31 and 34 to 36.

Resale value

A study carried out by Homadata in 2019 for Qualitel, based on sales recorded since 2014 and on the database of projects certified by CERQUAL, concludes that certified homes resell for more than comparable non-certified homes: from 3.5% for those built between 1975 and 1995 to 9.5% for those built between 2005 and 2013, 13% for HQE-certified homes, and up to 19% in the tightest markets. On the developer side, a study by Adéquation for Qualitel on new-build programmes delivered in Lyon between 2004 and 2018 found 72% of certified programmes delivered fully sold, against 61% of non-certified ones.

Source (in French): Qualitel, press release of 2 September 2020 on the comparative studies.

NF Habitat profiles are optional add-ons, with or without the HQE mark, that recognise higher performance on a specific topic; they are assessed through the certification process.

Source: CERQUAL, profiles summary, January 2026.

In renovation, the profiles also include a whole-renovation acoustic profile, based on the minimum performance of new buildings and checked by measurements before and after the works. The custom profile is reserved for players at maturity M2 or M3, or under a framework agreement.

The NF Habitat Taxinomie profile lets a third-party certifier demonstrate that a housing project is aligned with the technical criteria of the EU Taxonomy for climate change mitigation or adaptation.

Sources: CERQUAL, profiles summary, January 2026, p. 14; CERQUAL, Taxonomy dossier; CERQUAL press release, 18 September 2023.

The profile was launched in 2023. The first project certified NF Habitat HQE with the Taxinomie profile is Les Lofts du Lac in Bordeaux, by Bouygues Immobilier, in September 2023, on the mitigation objective (press release, 28 September 2023). Qualitel reports more than 100 projects registered with the profile by the end of 2024, led by some forty organisations (2024 annual report).

NF Habitat is the multi-criteria housing certification in France; the other labels on this site complement it (BBCA, WELL) or serve other markets (BREEAM, LEED, HQE Bâtiment Durable for non-residential buildings).

Sources: our BREEAM, LEED, BBCA and WELL pages.

For offices, education, hotels or logistics, HQE certification is issued by Certivéa under HQE Bâtiment Durable: see our HQE Bâtiment Durable certification page. A mixed-use project combining housing with retail or offices therefore involves two certifiers. Outside France, CERQUAL offers HQE Residential, notably present in Morocco. Our certification comparison puts the standards side by side.

NF Habitat HQE certification is won at design stage: requirements are assessed on the tender documents and contracts, then checked on site at acceptance. The method below is the one we recommend as project management consultants.

Set the HQE profileBrief

Decide before the sketch design which rating to target and on which commitments to seek the third star: moving from Très performant to Excellent takes just one more star, i.e. 40% of the 2- or 3-point requirements on a single commitment.

Choose profiles earlyBrief

The Taxinomie profile is all or nothing on one objective: agree on it with the investor at brief stage, because some requirements (demountability, adaptable dwellings) are decided in the structure.

Write the standard into the tenderDesign

CERQUAL assesses the project on the tender documents and contracts: every targeted requirement must appear in the technical specifications. A technical referent can prepare these documents and replace the project review.

Track substitutionsWorksite

In NF Habitat HQE, the design team tracks during construction any product substitution that changes the carbon footprint: an untracked substitution can cost points earned at design stage.

Prepare the CCRAcceptance

Order the optional show-flat CCR, schedule acoustic and ventilation measurements before acceptance, and keep contractors’ self-inspection records: they are the evidence checked on site.

Aim for the right of useStrategy

A developer certifying several projects a year benefits from structuring a management system (M2, M3): its projects are then assessed on only 25% at design stage.

What is NF Habitat certification?

NF Habitat is the French housing quality certification issued by CERQUAL Qualitel Certification, a subsidiary of the Qualitel Association, under a mandate from AFNOR Certification. It covers multi-family housing, single-family houses and serviced residences, in new construction, renovation and operation. Launched in 2015, it became CERQUAL’s only certification mark for housing in 2019.

What is the difference between NF Habitat and NF Habitat HQE?

NF Habitat is the baseline: all of its requirements are mandatory. NF Habitat HQE adds the HQE mark: the project must also meet every 1-point HQE requirement, then earns stars through optional 2- or 3-point requirements. The NF Habitat HQE entry level is Très performant (Very Good, 6 stars), followed by Excellent (7 to 9) and Exceptionnel (Exceptional, 10 to 12).

Which version of the NF Habitat standard applies?

Version 5.1 of the NF Habitat - NF Habitat HQE standard, dated 2 December 2025, has applied since 1 January 2026 to the new construction, renovation and operation schemes. It follows version 5, which came into force on 1 January 2025.

How do NF Habitat HQE stars work?

Each of the three rated commitments (quality of life, respect for the environment, economic performance) earns 1 to 4 stars. Two stars per commitment mean that every NF Habitat requirement and every 1-point HQE requirement is met. The third star requires 40% of the points of the applicable 2- or 3-point requirements, the fourth 80%.

How many stars does NF Habitat HQE Excellent require?

It takes 7 to 9 stars in total across the three rated commitments. The Très performant (Very Good) entry level has 6, two per commitment: a single third star, earned with 40% of the points of the 2- or 3-point requirements of one commitment, is therefore enough to reach Excellent. Exceptionnel (Exceptional) starts at 10 stars, which requires at least one fourth star, for example 4 + 3 + 3.

How can I check that a home is NF Habitat certified?

Certification covers a whole project: the developer receives a certificate at design stage, then attestations at handover: these are the documents to ask the developer or landlord for. The Qualitel Association also publishes, as open data on data.gouv.fr, the list of projects certified by CERQUAL, covering certified multi-family and grouped individual dwellings. If in doubt, CERQUAL Qualitel Certification can be contacted directly.

Does an NF Habitat certified home sell for more?

According to a study carried out by Homadata in 2019 for Qualitel, on sales recorded since 2014, certified homes resell for 3.5% (built between 1975 and 1995) to 9.5% (built between 2005 and 2013) more than comparable non-certified homes, 13% for HQE-certified homes and up to 19% in the tightest markets. The study was commissioned by Qualitel, whose certification subsidiary is CERQUAL: it is the certifier’s argument, not an independent measurement.

How much does NF Habitat certification cost?

CERQUAL does not publish a fee schedule online: the price is quoted per project, depending on the number of dwellings, the scheme, the certification process and the profiles chosen. Fees for the project management consultant or referent, and the studies and measurements required by the targeted requirements, come on top.

How long is NF Habitat certification valid?

For a new construction project, the certificate is issued at design stage and the attestations at handover: they stay attached to the project. The overall right to use the mark, granted to a developer, a landlord or a property manager, lasts three years, with an annual follow-up audit, then a renewal audit.

Can NF Habitat demonstrate alignment with the EU Taxonomy?

Yes, through the Taxinomie profile, added to NF Habitat or NF Habitat HQE. The project must meet every requirement of the profile for one of the two climate objectives of the EU Taxonomy: mitigation or adaptation. In 2023 CERQUAL published a dossier mapping each EU criterion to the corresponding requirement and evidence.

What is the difference between NF Habitat HQE and HQE Bâtiment Durable?

Both rest on the Alliance HQE-GBC sustainable building framework. NF Habitat HQE, issued by CERQUAL, covers housing with a star rating. HQE Bâtiment Durable, issued by Certivéa, covers non-residential buildings with a percentage score.

Can a co-owned building be NF Habitat certified?

Yes, in two ways. Co-ownership renovation certification requires a full technical survey and approval by the general meeting of co-owners. Co-ownership operation certification goes through a property manager holding the right to use the mark, with the favourable opinion of the co-owners’ council and no general meeting vote; it covers the common areas.