Rent arrears: a representative of landlords appointed by the government to secure housing

The government has entrusted Sylvain Grataloup, president of the UNPI (National Union of Property Owners), professor, and lawyer, with a strategic mission on rent arrears in the housing sector. The stated objective is to propose concrete solutions to restore a lasting balance between landlords and tenants, according to a UNPI press release.

"The objective of this mission is to propose concrete solutions to sustainably rebalance the relationship between landlords and tenants," the statement specifies, which also announces a consultation "with all housing stakeholders (...) in order to guarantee balanced proposals."

In his mission statement, the Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Vincent Jeanbrun, nevertheless sets out a clear objective: the proposals must aim "to rebalance the relationship between landlords and tenants in order to (...) limit the risk of non-payment, by facilitating lease termination and the return of the property in the event of persistent non-payment due to tenants' bad faith." This approach comes in the context of increasing tensions in the rental market.

The minister also wants to amend the law of July 6, 1989, which governs residential leases and is considered too favorable to tenants by some stakeholders. He also welcomes the Kasbarian-Bergé law of July 2023, known as the "anti-squat" law, which has "changed the administrative procedure for the forced eviction of people who have entered premises without right or title."

Housing associations attribute the rise in evictions in 2025 primarily to stricter regulations. In this context, the minister also encourages exploring new legal tools: "You could also assess the potential benefits of increasing the use of notarized leases," explains Mr. Jeanbrun. This mechanism allows landlords to enforce rent payments without a court order.

This mission comes after the withdrawal, at the end of March, of Hugues Périnet-Marquet, a former law professor who was initially appointed. In Le Monde, he explained that he felt "uncomfortable that the focus was placed on rent arrears." This situation was fueled by an article in Le Parisien in which the minister likened the situation of tenants who "deliberately stop paying their rent for months" to "de facto squatting."

The conclusions of this new mission on rent arrears are expected by July 15, whereas the previous work was scheduled to conclude in October. This tight deadline is for such a sensitive issue, given that private rental housing accommodates nearly a quarter of households, compared to 18% in social housing.

This appointment has already sparked strong reactions. "It's like giving the Medef (French employers' federation) a mission to raise the minimum wage, or Olympique de Marseille a report on PSG!" quipped Manuel Domergue, director of studies at the Housing Foundation. For his part, Eddie Jacquemart, president of the National Housing Confederation (CNL), which is close to the Communist Party, denounced the decision as unbalanced: "We are witnessing the appointment of a completely biased government emissary; it's pure provocation." He advocates for "reactivating the National Consultation Commission (CNC), on which both landlords and tenants sit."