Re-letting energy-inefficient properties is fine, but without giving landlords carte blanche.

In the midst of the housing crisis, for Housing Minister Vincent Jeanbrun, it would be heresy to remove from the private rental stock the 1,1 million homes classified as F or G in the energy performance diagnosis (DPE).

The government therefore intends to allow these energy-inefficient properties to be re-let, provided that the owner commits to carrying out energy performance improvement work within three years for individual houses and five years for condominium apartments.

Vincent Jeanbrun believes that the measure will make it possible to put back or keep 700.000 homes on the rental market by 2028.

He was joined by the Socialist mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire: "Given the severity of the housing crisis, it seems necessary to have transitional measures," he declared on Monday. But he is awaiting "the final decisions on the draft legislation" which will establish the precise rules.

Because for the moment, the mere mention of a "commitment" infuriates the associations.

The collective of companies and associations for energy renovation, Rénovons, warns that "without systematic verification or immediate consequences in case of non-compliance, these commitments risk remaining largely declarative".

"Without real oversight (...) the government is championing procrastination, thus rewarding landlords who have not carried out any work," criticizes the consumer and tenant advocacy group CLCV.

Controls appear all the more necessary as the deadlines granted seem "long" to Maxime Ledez, a researcher at the Institute for Climate Economics (I4CE).

The Ministry of Housing, for its part, assures that an inspection will be carried out by the Agency for Ecological Transition (Ademe) and that fines will be imposed in the event of a lack of work.

As for the terms of the commitment to carry out work, the details will be set after consultation with the sector and parliamentarians, particularly concerning co-ownerships.

Vincent Jeanbrun also wants to preserve the rental income of small landlords to help them finance renovation work.

"Dependent on condominium votes"

According to the government's observatory on energy renovation, half of the energy-inefficient properties on the rental market belong to the wealthiest 20% of households.

For Maxime Ledez, the goal is to encourage them to direct their resources towards renovation.

The executive's proposal is inspired by a text from parliamentarians that has been on the table since autumn 2024. Its objective is "not to back down on environmental ambitions, but to provide flexibility for owners", explains UDI senator Amel Gacquerre who has been championing the text since 2025.

This flexibility is justified by the numerous obstacles: high cost of the work, difficulty in getting work approved in co-ownership, congestion of MaPrimeRénov' subsidies, technical difficulties for certain buildings...

"But if the condominium association doesn't approve the work, what happens?" asks Frédéric, a retired real estate professional who has personally invested in about fifty properties. He wished to remain anonymous.

"To gain two letters on the DPE, heavy work is required," such as insulating the walls, roof or cellars, for which "owners are dependent on the votes of the co-ownership," he recalls, doubting that the system will actually change anything.

"The delays are thus extended, without addressing the causes of the blockage," confirms the Rénovons collective.

The president of the association Que choisir ensemble (formerly UFC-Que choisir), Marie-Amandine Stévenin, deplores the lack of "ambitious measures to accelerate the energy renovation of thermal sieves, a scourge for many tenants" and warns of the deterioration of "the purchasing power and health of tenants, already very weakened by the context".

Associations and political leaders, such as the head of the Ecologists Marine Tondelier, are calling for rent reductions to compensate for renting an energy-inefficient property.

Regarding the problem of financing the cost of energy renovation, Jacques Baudrier, the communist deputy mayor in charge of housing at the Paris town hall, points out that the MaPrimeRénov' subsidy budget is designed for 120.000 comprehensive housing renovations this year.

However, there are still 1,1 million energy-inefficient properties on the rental market that need to be renovated by January 1, 2028.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.