Landlord Responsibilities in France: DPE, Rent Control & Tenant Rights

Owning a rental property in Paris has always come with administrative weight. But the rules shifted significantly in 2025 and 2026, and landlords who haven't kept pace are now exposed to real risk: penalties for non-compliant DPE ratings, void clauses in leases that don't meet updated standards, and disputes over rents set above legal ceilings.

The French housing framework follows a clear logic. The loi du 6 juillet 1989 sets the base rules for residential leases, while more recent legislation like the loi Alur and the Loi Climat et Résilience layers on additional obligations around energy performance, rent control, and tenant protection.

Whether you own a single apartment in the 8th arrondissement or manage a portfolio from abroad, this guide covers what you are legally required to do, where the biggest risks are in 2026, and how lease type shapes your obligations on the ground.

The starting point is simple: French law requires you to rent a property that is safe, habitable, and free of known health risks. This baseline comes directly from the loi du 6 juillet 1989, the primary statute governing residential tenancy in France, and it is backed by a series of decrees defining what "habitable" means in practice.

Criteria for decency cover floor area (minimum 9 square metres with a ceiling height of at least 2.2 metres), structural integrity, access to natural light, a functioning heating system, ventilation, and sanitary installations. A property that fails any of these conditions is legally indecent and cannot be placed on the rental market.

In Paris, where much of the housing stock dates from the Haussmann era or earlier, this matters more than it does in newer developments. Damp walls, inadequate ventilation, and outdated electrical systems are common in pre-war buildings. Landlords are responsible for resolving these issues before and throughout the tenancy, not only at move-in.

The baseline: a habitable and safe property

Beyond the initial condition of the property, your obligations extend to ongoing maintenance. This means keeping the property in a usable state throughout the entire lease, not only at the point of entry. If a boiler fails or a water leak causes damage that is not attributable to tenant misuse, the repair obligation falls to you as the landlord.

The division of maintenance responsibility is set out under the decree of 26 August 1987, which lists routine tasks tenants must handle and the larger structural or mechanical repairs that remain with the owner. A blocked drain caused by the tenant is their responsibility. A corroded pipe inside the wall is yours.

Signing a compliant lease: a 5-step process

Most landlord compliance failures happen not through negligence but through incomplete preparation. The process from deciding to let a property to handing over keys has a defined sequence, and skipping or reordering steps creates legal exposure.

• Step 1 - Commission and collect all mandatory diagnostics (4-8 weeks before listing). Order the full dossier de diagnostics techniques (DDT) from a certified diagnostician. Most firms turn around the full package within five to ten business days, but allow more time if the building is pre-1949 and requires a CREP lead survey or if the gas and electrical systems need separate inspections.
• Step 2 - Verify DPE rating and check rental eligibility (at commission stage). Before proceeding, confirm the DPE result. A G-rated property cannot enter into any new or renewed lease since January 2025. If the property was heated electrically and the DPE was completed before January 2026, consider commissioning a new assessment under the revised conversion factor (see the DPE section below), which may improve the rating at no cost for works.
• Step 3 - Set the rent against the encadrement des loyers reference values (before listing). Use the City of Paris simulator (available at paris.fr) to identify the loyer de reference majore for your zone, room count, property type, and construction period. Set the base rent at or below this ceiling. If you believe the property qualifies for a complement de loyer, verify the conditions carefully and take legal advice - a challenge from a tenant within three months of signing requires documented justification.
• Step 4 - Draft and review the lease (1-2 weeks before signing). The lease must include the DDT dossier as an annex, the applicable rent reference values, the notice of encadrement des loyers, and, for furnished leases, an inventory of equipment provided. For civil code leases, the drafting carries more weight since fewer terms are prescribed by statute.
• Step 5 - Conduct the entry inspection (etat des lieux d'entree) on the day of handover The entry inspection must be completed and signed by both parties at the time of key handover. It is the document against which the exit inspection will be compared. Photograph every room and all fixtures in a dated sequence. A well-documented entry inspection is the landlord's primary protection against disputed deposit deductions at the end of the tenancy. See our guide to the Paris move-in inspection and deposit protection for practical guidance on how to document property condition correctly.

The DPE is the most consequential legal change for Paris landlords in recent years. Under the Loi Climat et Résilience of 2021, the French government introduced a progressive timetable to remove the least energy-efficient properties from the residential rental market.

From January 2025, any property rated DPE G that is newly listed or entering a new or renewed lease is no longer eligible for rental. DPE F-rated properties follow in January 2028, and DPE E follows in 2034.

The progressive DPE ban calendar

The schedule currently in effect is:

• August 2022: G and F-rated properties are banned from rent increases at renewal or re-letting
• January 2025: G-rated properties cannot enter any new or renewed residential lease
• January 2028: F-rated properties join the ban
• January 2034: E-rated properties are included

In Paris, where a large share of the housing stock consists of pre-1946 Haussmann buildings with thick stone walls but often inadequate insulation, the proportion of properties rated F or G is higher than the national average. This is not abstract regulation. It is removing viable rental inventory from the market and driving up renovation costs for landlords who want to remain compliant.

The January 2026 DPE calculation reform - a non-obvious opportunity

The French government also adjusted the DPE calculation methodology, effective 1 January 2026. The arrêté du 13 août 2025, published in the Journal officiel on 26 August 2025, aligns French methodology with EU Directive 2023/1791 by changing the primary energy conversion factor for electricity from 2.3 to 1.9. The measure affects only electrically heated properties - gas and fuel oil coefficients are unchanged.

This is a meaningful shift for Paris landlords. According to the government's own FAQ published by the Ministry for Ecological Transition, the reform is estimated to reclassify approximately 850,000 properties nationally out of F or G status, predominantly electrically heated apartments exactly of the type common in Parisian co-ownership buildings.

The practical implication: if your property is electrically heated and the existing DPE was completed before January 2026, you can download a free updated label from the ADEME's DPE-Audit Observatory (observatoire-dpe-audit.ademe.fr) by entering the DPE reference number. No new site visit is required. For borderline F or G-rated apartments, this is the first check to make before commissioning any renovation works.

What to do if your property is rated F or G

If your Paris property still carries a DPE F or G rating after verifying the 2026 coefficient update, the practical options depend on the property's current installation and your budget. For a standard Parisian apartment, a targeted renovation addressing insulation, ventilation, and heating can range from approximately 700 to 950 euros per square metre for older buildings, according to a study by certified renovation operator Ithaque covering Parisian passoires thermiques. For a 30 m2 studio, that puts targeted remediation broadly in the 20,000-30,000 euro range before aids, though scope and co-ownership constraints will move that figure significantly.

Financial support is available through MaPrimeRénov', CEE (Certificats d'Economies d'Energie), and Anah's dedicated programmes for co-ownership buildings. For unfurnished property, qualifying renovation work can also generate a deficit foncier, deductible against global income up to 21,400 euros per year for energy-qualifying renovations. This doubled ceiling - originally set by loi n° 2022-1499 du 1er décembre 2022 (article 12, CGI art. 156 I-3°) - was confirmed extended through December 2027 by the Finance Law 2026, under pressure from the approaching F-rating ban in 2028. The conditions require the property to move from a DPE rating of E, F, or G to at least class D, and the landlord must maintain the unfurnished lease for a minimum of three years. Eligible works are defined by the BOFiP reference BOI-RFPI-BASE-20-30.

For detailed tax implications of energy renovation for Paris landlords, see our guide to rental income tax rules for furnished and unfurnished homes in Paris.

Expert perspective: One of the most underused tools we see is the combination of the doubled deficit foncier ceiling with a targeted renovation before a lease renewal. Landlords who act in 2026 or 2027 can use the tax benefit to partially fund the works - but the window closes at the end of 2027, and the F-ban arrives in January 2028. The timing alignment is unusually favourable.

Paris operates under the encadrement des loyers, a rent control framework reintroduced in 2019 and in force through at least 2026. It applies to all primary residence leases governed by the loi du 6 juillet 1989, covering both furnished (bail meuble, minimum one year) and unfurnished (bail nu, minimum three years) rentals.

The system works through loyers de reference, calculated by OLAP (Observatoire des Loyers de l'Agglomération Parisienne) for each zone, property type, number of rooms, and construction period. Your base rent cannot exceed the loyer de reference majore, which is the median reference rent plus 20%.

Setting rent above this ceiling is illegal and challengeable by the tenant within three months of signing. A successful challenge can require you to reduce the rent to the legal ceiling retroactively and repay any excess already collected.

There is one narrow exception. A complement de loyer (rent supplement) is permitted where the property has verifiable exceptional characteristics, such as a panoramic private terrace of substantial size or genuinely rare interior specification, that are not already factored into the zone calculation. Standard features, including parquet flooring, Haussmann mouldings, or a well-equipped kitchen, do not qualify. Since August 2022, any property rated DPE F or G is explicitly excluded from applying a complement de loyer.

The Paris rent control rules guide covers the full framework, including how to use the City of Paris simulator to verify reference values before setting a rent.

French housing law consistently favours tenant stability. Understanding what your tenants have the right to expect is not only a legal duty but also a way to prevent disputes that lead to conciliation processes or court proceedings.

Security deposit limits and conditions

Under the loi du 6 juillet 1989, the security deposit (depot de garantie) is capped at one month's rent for unfurnished leases and two months' rent for furnished leases. Requesting more than this is not permitted.

The deposit must be returned within one month of key handover if no damage is recorded, or within two months if damage is noted in the exit inspection. Exceeding this return period exposes the landlord to a penalty of 10% of the monthly rent per month of delay, as established under the official framework for landlord obligations in France.

Any deduction from the deposit must be supported by estimates or invoices showing the specific cost of repairs attributed to tenant-caused damage. Deductions for normal wear and tear (vetuste) are not permitted. What counts as vetuste versus genuine degradation (damage caused by misuse) is defined by the scale published in the arrete of 31 March 2016. See our guide to the Paris move-in inspection and deposit protection for practical guidance on documenting property condition correctly at entry and exit.

Maintenance and repair responsibilities

The division of maintenance responsibility follows a consistent principle: you handle major works, the tenant handles routine upkeep. In practice:

• Landlord's scope: roof, structure, central heating systems, plumbing beyond minor repairs, exterior windows, and major appliances provided in a furnished lease
• Tenant's scope: minor plumbing (seals, tap washers), repainting walls worn through ordinary use, general cleaning, and appliances the tenant brought themselves

You cannot require the tenant to carry out repairs that fall within your scope, and you cannot deduct landlord-responsibility costs from the deposit. If a dispute arises, the Departmental Conciliation Commission (CDC) offers a free, relatively fast resolution process before any court step becomes necessary. The ANIL (Agence Nationale pour l'Information sur le Logement) also provides free legal information for landlords and tenants on obligations and repairs.

Not all leases carry the same regulatory weight. The structure you choose affects your obligations around rent control, deposit limits, notice periods, and the degree of contractual freedom you have in negotiating terms with a tenant.

Which lease type applies to your situation?

The correct lease structure depends on who the tenant is and how the property will be used. Three conditions determine the answer:

• The tenant is a private individual renting their primary residence - you must use a standard residential lease under the loi du 6 juillet 1989. Rent control applies. This is the default for the vast majority of Paris lettings and the framework with the most stringent compliance obligations.
• The tenant needs a short-term furnished placement for professional reasons (secondment, training, apprenticeship, internship of defined duration) - the bail mobilite may apply, running between one and ten months with no deposit permitted.
• The tenant is a company, association, diplomatic mission, or the property is a secondary residence - a civil code lease applies. The regulatory framework is different, and particularly on rent control, the rules depend on when the lease was signed (see below).

Standard residential lease under the loi du 6 juillet 1989

This is the default for most primary residence rentals in Paris. Minimum duration is three years for unfurnished and one year for furnished. Rent control applies, deposit caps apply, and tenants benefit from automatic renewal rights and strong stability protections. This is the framework that governs the vast majority of lettings in the city, and it is the one where compliance obligations are most stringently enforced.

Bail mobilite

The bail mobilite is a fixed-term furnished lease introduced by the loi Elan in 2018, designed for tenants in temporary professional situations such as training, secondment, or apprenticeship. It runs between one and ten months, cannot be renewed with the same tenant, and no security deposit is permitted. Rent control applies. The landlord may, however, require a Visale guarantee in lieu of a deposit.

Civil code lease, rent control, and a common misconception

The civil code lease (bail code civil) operates entirely outside the loi du 6 juillet 1989. It is used for secondary residences, company-provided housing, and lettings to legal entities such as companies, associations, or diplomatic missions. It is the standard structure for corporate and diplomatic lettings in premium Paris arrondissements.

Here is where a widely held assumption is wrong: it is frequently asserted that civil code leases are always exempt from rent control. This is only half true, and getting the details wrong can expose you to a tenant challenge after signing. For civil code leases entered into before July 2019, rent control does not apply, and rent can be set freely. For civil code leases signed from July 2019 onward, the Paris encadrement des loyers does apply, regardless of whether the tenant is a legal entity. Legal advice before drafting any civil code lease is strongly recommended.

The practical consequence for landlords managing a portfolio that mixes lease types: a corporate tenant under a post-2019 civil code lease is subject to the same reference rent caps as a private individual under the loi du 6 juillet 1989. The leasing structure gives you more contractual flexibility on other terms (duration, notice, deposit), but not on the base rent.

How the three regulatory levers interact

One non-obvious interaction worth flagging explicitly: a property with a DPE G rating that is let under a civil code lease to a corporate tenant may appear to offer more flexibility than it does.

The DPE ban has been in force since January 2025, applies to all new or renewed residential leases, and while corporate tenancies are generally structured as civil code leases, the ban's application to these situations should be verified against current legal interpretation before proceeding. Separately, MaPrimeRénov' for energy renovation is only available for primary residences, meaning a landlord whose property is under a civil code secondary residence lease cannot access this specific aid to fund renovation works.

The deficit foncier benefit, by contrast, is available for unfurnished lets regardless of the lease structure, provided the property qualifies under the DPE improvement conditions. These distinctions matter when calculating the real cost and timeline for bringing a non-compliant property back to market.

For a broader view of how each lease type affects your annual tax declaration, the rental income tax guide for Paris landlords explains the income classification for each regime.