Amount of rent for privately owned housing

Verified 01 August 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)

What are the rules for the rent of a private sector dwelling? The rent of a rented dwelling with a residential lease is freely fixed by the owner. But, in the municipalities located in tense areas, rent control applies. In these municipalities, the landlord does not freely set the rent when changing tenants and when renewing the lease. We explain.

To find out if your municipality is located in a tense area:

Know the municipalities where the rent control applies

Warning  

Paris, Bordeaux, Lille, Hellemmes and Lomme, Lyon and Villeurbanne, Montpellier, and the constituent municipalities Is Together, Basque Country, Common plainand part of the territory of Grenoble-Alpes Metropolis, apply even stricter rules.

Tense area

Some dwellings are not covered by the rent control, as they are subject to other rules: housing law of 1948, housing agreed by the Anah (excluding intermediate rent agreements), housing social (HLM), furnished accommodation, subletting.

When the accommodation is rented out for the 1re times, the landlord freely fixes the amount of the rent.

law 89-462 article 17-1

The owner may review rent once a year, if a clause of the lease so provides.

Warning  

Revising the rent is prohibited in the following cases

  • In metropolitan France, when the lease is signed, renewed or tacitly renewed since 24 august 2022, and it concerns a dwelling classified F or G (classification indicated on the DPE: titleContent),
  • In Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion and Mayotte, when the lease is signed, renewed or tacitly renewed since 1er July 2024, and it concerns a dwelling classified F or G (classification indicated on the DPE: titleContent).

When the rent is undervalued relative to the market price, the landlord can increase the amount of the rent upon renewal of the lease, under certain conditions. It has to do so in accordance with certain rules.

Warning  

A mobility lease cannot be renewed.

The amount of rent applied to the last tenant must be included in the lease.

The landlord can increase this rent in some cases only.

The date of signature of the lease is decisive:

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Lease signed since July 1, 2024

Rent not revised in the last 12 months

If no revision has taken place in the last 12 months, the landlord may increase the rent by the annual variation of the IRL published on the date of signature of the new lease.

Warning  

When the lease concerns a dwelling classified F or G (class indicated on the DPE: titleContent), it is forbidden to revise the rent.

Works made before or after the departure of the former tenant
Works of at least 50% of the last year's rent

The new rent can be increased when the landlord has financed Improvement works (excluding energy saving works that have led to a rent increase for reduction of charges) or works set aside standards of decency

These works shall:

  • Have been made before or after the departure of the last tenant, in the common or private parts
  • And be of an amount at least equal to 50% of the last year's rent (excluding charges)

If these conditions are met, the annual rent charged with the previous tenant can be increased by 15% the amount of works TTC: titleContent.

Warning  

When the lease concerns a dwelling classified F or G (class indicated on the DPE: titleContent), it is forbidden to increase the rent.

Works of an amount at least equal to the last year of rent

The new rent is freely fixed when the following two conditions are met:

  • Of Improvement works have been made for less than 6 months
  • The amount of these works is at least equal to the last year of rent

Warning  

When the lease concerns a dwelling classified F or G (class indicated on the DPE: titleContent), it is forbidden to increase the rent.

Former rent undervalued

Where the rent charged to the former tenant is clearly undervalued, the landlord may increase the rent.

FYI  

It is possible to estimate the undervaluation of a rent from rents usually found for comparable dwellings located in the same geographical area.

But the rent increase should not exceed 50% the difference between the following two amounts:

  • Amount of rent determined by reference to rents in the neighborhood for comparable housing
  • Last rent applied to the previous tenant, if applicable revised on IRL if it has not been done in the last 12 months.

Warning  

When the dwelling is classified F or G (class indicated on the DPE: titleContent), it is forbidden to increase the obviously undervalued rent.

Lease signed between 24 August 2022 and 30 June 2024

Rent not revised in the last 12 months

If no revision has taken place in the last 12 months, the landlord may increase the rent by the annual variation of the IRL published on the date of signature of the new lease.

Warning  

In metropolitan France, where the lease concerns a dwelling classified F or G (class indicated on the DPE: titleContent), it is forbidden to revise the rent.

Works made since the departure of the former tenant
Works of at least 50% of the last year's rent

The new rent can be increased when the landlord has financed Improvement works (excluding energy saving works that have led to a rent increase for reduction of charges) or works set aside standards of decency

These works shall:

  • Have been made since the departure of the last tenant, in the common or private areas
  • And be of an amount at least equal to 50% the last year of rent (excluding charges).

If these conditions are met, the annual rent charged with the previous tenant can be increased by 15% the amount of works TTC: titleContent.

Warning  

In metropolitan France, where the lease concerns a dwelling classified F or G (class indicated on the DPE: titleContent), it is forbidden to revise the rent.

Works of an amount at least equal to the last year of rent

The new rent is freely fixed when the following two conditions are met:

  • Of Improvement works have been made for less than 6 months
  • The amount of these works is at least equal to the last year of rent.

Warning  

In metropolitan France, where the lease concerns a dwelling classified F or G (class indicated on the DPE: titleContent), it is forbidden to revise the rent.

Former rent undervalued

Where the rent charged to the former tenant is clearly undervalued, the landlord may increase the rent.

FYI  

It is possible to estimate the undervaluation of a rent from rents usually found for comparable dwellings located in the same geographical area.

But the rent increase should not exceed 50% the difference between the following two amounts:

  • Amount of rent determined by reference to rents in the neighborhood for comparable housing
  • Last rent applied to the previous tenant, if applicable revised on IRL if it has not been done in the last 12 months.

Warning  

In metropolitan France, where the lease concerns a dwelling classified F or G (class indicated on the DPE: titleContent), it is forbidden to revise the rent.

Lease signed before August 24, 2022

Rent not revised in the last 12 months

If no revision has taken place in the last 12 months, the landlord may increase the rent by the annual variation of the IRL published on the date of signature of the new lease.

Works made since the departure of the former tenant
Works of at least 50% of the last year's rent

The new rent can be increased when the following 2 conditions are met:

  • The owner financed Improvement works (excluding energy saving works that have led to a rent increase for reduction of charges) or works set aside standards of decency
  • When the dwelling is located in metropolitan France, its primary energy consumption is less than 331° per m2 and per year. A diagnosis of energy performance dating back less than 4 years must attest to this.

These works shall:

  • have been made since the departure of the last tenant, in the common or private areas
  • be of an amount at least equal to 50% of the last year's rent (excluding charges)

If these conditions are met, the annual rent charged with the previous tenant can be increased by 15% the amount of works TTC: titleContent.

Works of an amount at least equal to the last year of rent

The new rent is freely fixed when the following 3 conditions are met:

  • Of Improvement works have been made for less than 6 months
  • The amount of these works is at least equal to the last year of rent
  • When the dwelling is located in metropolitan France, its primary energy consumption is less than 331° per m2 and per year. A diagnosis of energy performance dating back less than 4 years must attest to this.
Former rent undervalued

It is possible to increase the rent applied to the former tenant when the following 2 conditions are met:

  • This rent is undervalued. It is possible to estimate the undervaluation of a rent from rents usually found for comparable dwellings located in the same geographical area.
  • When the dwelling is located in metropolitan France, its primary energy consumption is less than 331° per m2 and per year. A diagnosis of energy performance dating back less than 4 years must attest to this.

When these 2 conditions are met, the rent can be increased. But the rent increase should not exceed 50% the difference between the following 2 sums:

  • Amount of rent determined by reference to rents in the neighborhood for comparable housing
  • Last rent applied to the previous tenant, if applicable revised on IRL if this has not been done in the last 12 months

The tenant can dispute the rent increase by sending the landlord (or real estate agency) a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt.

If the dispute persists, the tenant must seize the departmental conciliation commission (CDC) on which the accommodation depends (procedure is free). If the CDC intervention fails, the tenant can enter the protection litigation judge the court on which the accommodation depends.

The rule to be applied depends on the date of signature of the lease:

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Lease signed since July 1, 2024

The landlord freely fixes the amount of the rent of a dwelling classified A, B, C, D or E (class indicated on the DPE: titleContent).

But the rent of a housing classified F or G (class indicated on the DPE: titleContent) shall not not be higher than the last rent applied to the previous tenant.

Lease signed between 24 August 2022 and 30 June 2024

In metropolitan France, the landlord freely sets the amount of rent for a dwelling classified A, B, C, D or E (class indicated on the DPE: titleContent). But the rent of a housing classified F or G (class indicated on the DPE: titleContent) must not exceed the last rent applied to the previous tenant.

In Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Reunion and Mayotte, the landlord freely sets the amount of the rent, regardless of the class of housing.

Lease signed before August 24, 2022

The landlord freely sets the amount of the rent.

Other area

The landlord can freely set the amount of rent he wishes to apply, whether it is an empty or furnished dwelling.

The owner can review rent 1 time per year provided that this is provided for in the lease.

Warning  

Revising the rent is prohibited in the following cases

  • In metropolitan France, when the lease is signed, renewed or tacitly renewed since 24 august 2022, and it concerns a dwelling classified F or G (classification indicated on the DPE: titleContent),
  • In Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion and Mayotte, when the lease is signed, renewed or tacitly renewed since 1er July 2024, and it concerns a dwelling classified F or G (classification indicated on the DPE: titleContent).

When the rent is undervalued relative to the market price, the landlord can increase the amount of the rent upon renewal of the lease, under certain conditions. It has to do so in accordance with certain rules.

Warning  

A mobility lease cannot be renewed.

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