Mandatory Hydraulic Balancing 2026: Who Must Comply, and By When?

Hydraulic balancing is mandatory in 2026 for buildings with six or more residential units that have a newly installed heating system under Section 60c of the German Buildings Energy Act (GEG), and for every subsidized heating measure under the BEG funding scheme, regardless of building size. The earlier EnSimiMaV deadline, by contrast, has already expired and been absorbed into this newer rule.

For owners and managers of larger portfolios, every detail matters here: the obligation hinges on the specific trigger, either the installation of a new heating system or a funding application, so it does not apply to every building in the same way. Anyone who conflates the three legal bases either underestimates their own risk or forfeits funding that simply will not be paid out without the correct proof.

For portfolio decision-makers, this classification carries more weight than pure bureaucracy. It touches funding money, the risk of fines and, in some cases, the resale value of a property.

Who has to carry out hydraulic balancing under Section 60c GEG?

Owners of buildings with at least six residential units or other self-contained units are obligated as soon as a new water-based heating system is installed or set up on the property. The rule has applied permanently since October 1, 2024, regardless of energy source, from gas boilers to heat pumps, as set out in Section 60c GEG in the statutory text.

What matters here is not the age of the building but the timing of the heating installation. A newly built apartment block with six units falls under exactly the same obligation as a 1970s property that is simply getting a new heating system installed.

Clarification: Contrary to a common assumption, hydraulic balancing is not a new-build requirement. New construction and existing buildings are treated equally under the law, as long as the six-unit threshold is met and a new heating system is installed.

The party responsible is exclusively the building owner, not a contracted operator or service provider. The obligation is a matter of public law, so tenants cannot enforce it through civil litigation, even though they benefit from the resulting energy savings.

Why does BEG funding make balancing mandatory even for small buildings?

Anyone applying for funding through the Federal Funding for Efficient Buildings (BEG) scheme to replace or optimize a heating system cannot avoid hydraulic balancing under Procedure B, regardless of building size. That includes single-family and two-family homes, which are not covered by Section 60c GEG at all.

Since January 1, 2023, BAFA and KfW have accepted only Procedure B for funding applications. The older, simplified Procedure A is no longer recognized, as confirmed by the form requirements published by VdZ. If the correct proof is missing, applicants risk having the entire funding amount reclaimed.

BAFA funding for balancing as a standalone measure remains capped for smaller portfolios: a 15 percent base subsidy for residential buildings with up to five units, or non-residential buildings up to 1,000 square meters. Since July 21, 2026, the additional 5 percent iSFP bonus has also only applied from an eligible investment volume of at least 30,000 euros, and even then only to the amount above that threshold.

What is left of the EnSimiMaV obligation in 2026?

Practically nothing, since the EnSimiMaV expired on September 30, 2024, and was not extended. It nonetheless remains the historical origin of today's obligation: for central gas heating in non-residential buildings above 1,000 square meters and residential buildings with ten or more units, the deadline ran until September 30, 2023; for residential buildings with six to nine units, until September 15, 2024.

According to Haus & Grund, these deadlines passed long ago and have since been absorbed into Section 60c GEG. Treating them as an open deadline in 2026 means confusing an expired regulation with the current, permanent legal framework.

Good to know: The Buildings Modernization Act (GModG) was passed by the Bundestag and Bundesrat on July 9, 2026, and entered into force shortly afterward. For hydraulic balancing, nothing changes in substance: Sections 60b and 60c remain in place. What has shifted is only the separate 65 percent renewable-energy requirement, which has been dropped in favor of a phased "bio-ladder" taking effect from 2029.

Which deadlines apply in 2026, and for which type of building?

Three separate deadline systems run in parallel in 2026, and only one of them is still open. The table below matches each building type to the deadline that actually applies.

The inspection and optimization obligation under Section 60b GEG applies specifically to older existing systems, not to newly installed heat pumps, which fall under a separate operational inspection obligation under Section 60a GEG with its own deadlines. Mixing the two up means planning the wrong measure for the wrong system.

What proof do funding bodies and authorities require?

What is required is written confirmation containing all setting values, which must be communicated to the person responsible and provided to tenants without delay on request. Section 60c(4) GEG lists the specific mandatory content.

In practice, this proof runs through the VdZ form, which is submitted to BAFA or KfW as funding evidence and, where relevant, to the responsible authority. The confirmation must be kept on file by the owner, since the owner remains responsible for compliance even when a specialist contractor or energy service provider carried out the balancing itself.

What are the risks: fines, funding clawbacks and resale complications?

If hydraulic balancing is missing or carried out late, owners risk a fine under Section 108(1) No. 7 GEG, and for subsidized measures, full repayment of the funding amount.

Good to know: Figures on the size of the fine vary. Several independent expert and legal sources, including Haufe and a legal analysis, consistently put the range at up to 5,000 euros. A few consumer-guide websites cite a figure of up to 50,000 euros instead. The 5,000-euro interpretation rests on stronger sourcing. For 2026, the safest conclusion is that a real fine risk exists, with the exact amount set by the responsible authority on a case-by-case basis.

For subsidized projects, the funding clawback often weighs more heavily in practice than the fine itself, since it can retroactively undermine the economics of the entire measure. For property sales, there is so far no specific case law that classifies missing balancing as a material defect. Only general warranty law applies, meaning buyers in a dispute would have to argue through the standard concept of a material defect rather than through a GEG-specific claim of their own.

What special rules apply to owners' associations and large residential portfolios?

In owners' associations (WEG) with a central, water-based heating system, a simple majority vote is enough to approve hydraulic balancing, since it fulfills a statutory obligation. Additional voting thresholds only apply where individual radiators are part of separate private ownership.

Rolling this out across a portfolio remains a real hurdle in practice. In the 2023 VDIV industry barometer, only 22.8 percent of the companies surveyed felt able to meet the EnSimiMaV deadline in force at the time, and more than 75 percent missed it, mainly due to a shortage of skilled tradespeople and lengthy WEG decision-making processes. On the cost side, the same survey puts balancing typically between 500 and 1,000 euros per residential unit. That figure is a per-unit benchmark; for entire portfolios, the total depends heavily on system size and building condition. A reliable market study on the actual rollout costs for large residential portfolios does not yet exist, and that remains an open data gap.

The effort pays off energetically: a professionally executed balancing typically cuts heating energy consumption by 5 to 15 percent. That said, the obligation does not end the day the VdZ form is signed. Without ongoing operational transparency, it stays unclear whether the setting values are still correct months later, or whether the heating curve and flow temperature have already drifted away from the optimal setting. This is exactly where KUGU VIS (Visuelles-Informationssystem) comes in, making heating operation and system data visible across an entire portfolio, while KUGU EOS (Energie-Optimierungssystem) automatically maintains the setting once it has been achieved. How this next step works in practice is covered in the article on heating optimization in existing buildings.

From a one-off compliance record to lasting operational transparency

The three triggers overlap in 2026: install a new heating system in a six-unit building, and hydraulic balancing satisfies the GEG obligation and the funding precondition at the same time. Apply for funding on just a single-family home, and the BEG condition still applies, even though Section 60c GEG itself does not cover it. This overlap is the real reason so many owners misjudge their obligations.

Hydraulic balancing fulfills the legal obligation once, with the signature on the proof document, but its energy-saving effect only stays measurable over time with ongoing monitoring of operational data. For larger portfolios, it is therefore worth looking beyond the compliance record itself, toward a system that keeps track of setting values year after year instead of documenting them once and losing sight of them.

Anyone who wants to explore next how setting values can be tracked during ongoing operation will find approaches in the article on heating monitoring in multi-family buildings; anyone who wants to understand the technical implementation through a digital twin can turn to the article on digital heating optimization.

Frequently asked questions about mandatory hydraulic balancing

Do I have to carry out hydraulic balancing as the owner of a single-family home?

No, Section 60c GEG only applies from six residential or self-contained units upward. However, if you apply for BEG funding for a heating replacement or optimization, balancing under Procedure B becomes a funding precondition regardless of building size.

Does the obligation also apply if the building is connected to district heating?

Yes, Section 60c GEG does not distinguish by energy source. As soon as a building with six or more residential units gets a new water-based heating system, the obligation applies just as it would with a gas boiler or a heat pump, including buildings connected to a district heating substation.

What happens if I accidentally submit Procedure A instead of Procedure B for funding?

Since January 1, 2023, BAFA and KfW have accepted only Procedure B for new funding applications. Submitting Procedure A leads to the application being rejected or, if funding has already been paid out, to the full amount being reclaimed.

Does hydraulic balancing need to be repeated for every new heating system, even a heat pump?

Yes, installing any new water-based heating system triggers the obligation again, regardless of energy source. For newly installed heat pumps, a separate operational inspection obligation under Section 60a GEG also applies, standing alongside balancing as an independent requirement.

How long does a completed hydraulic balancing remain valid?

Section 60c GEG sets no fixed expiry date, and the proof generally stays valid as long as the system is not substantially altered. In practice, though, the setting values gradually lose their effect, for example through new radiators or changed usage patterns, which is why regular operational checks beyond the legal proof remain worthwhile.