Rent control: more than a third of listings are non-compliant in Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis

In the Seine-Saint-Denis department alone, nearly half of the rental housing advertisements (44%) are not compliant, the Consumption, Housing and Living Environment Association (CLCV) said in a statement.

"It gives the unpleasant impression of taking advantage of a vulnerable population," which "will not contest the rents," the association laments.

This rate is indeed lower in Paris, where 30% of advertisements circumvent rent control, according to the study.

Cumulatively, this means that 36% of the 1.800 advertisements consulted by the CLCV in the two departments do not comply with the rules, a "similar rate" to that calculated by the association in 2024 (37%).

"On average, non-compliant rents exceed the legal limit by around 155 euros per month, or 1.860 euros per year," calculated the CLCV, specifying that some advertisements demanded up to 20.000 euros more than the legal amount.

In detail, there are more fraudulent ads for furnished accommodation (41%) than for unfurnished rentals (30%).

Furthermore, the association notes "very poor compliance with rent control regulations" for small apartments, 14 square meters or less, with 86% of listings not conforming. These properties are "primarily sought after by students or young workers with limited resources," laments the CLCV.

Another "workaround used by landlords," the rent supplement, is singled out by the association, which cites in particular an advertisement in which 197 euros per month are demanded, without justification.

Rent control, the trial of which is supposed to end in November, could be extended for two years. The association is advocating for the "immediate continuation" of "this system which protects tenants from landlord abuses."

Created by the Alur law of 2014 and then consolidated by the Elan law of 2018, rent control has been tested for almost seven years by nearly 700 voluntary municipalities located in tense areas and is currently applied in 69 cities.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.