New regulations: what will owners of the most energy-intensive homes do, as they will soon be banned from renting them?

Information deficit: the first obstacle to compliance?

Only a minority of French people (34%) are fully aware of the ban on renting out homes rated G in the DPE since January 2025. A relative majority (41%) have heard of it but are not familiar with all the details. More problematically, a quarter of respondents (25%) are completely unaware of this regulation.

These figures reveal a significant information gap regarding a measure that is nonetheless essential for the energy transition and the fight against thermal sieves. This lack of awareness could pose problems for the landlords concerned, who risk finding themselves in breach of the regulations if they fail to complete the necessary work on time. Better communication and awareness-raising appear necessary to ensure the effective implementation of this measure.

Late and reluctant owners

By the end of February 2025, only 21% of homeowners had already completed the work necessary to bring their homes into compliance with the new regulations. And while 15% plan to do so, a majority of 39% acknowledge that the work still needs to be planned, suggesting a potential delay in compliance.

Much more worrying, 25% of owners say they do not want to do anything at the moment, which could lead to unrentable housing and a reduction in rental supply.

The main obstacles to energy renovation: financial obstacles and lack of information

The main obstacle to carrying out renovation work is primarily financial, with 47% of respondents stating they lack the necessary means. Second, 22% of owners admit to not knowing their property's energy performance certificate (EPC), indicating a lack of information on energy performance. Furthermore, 18% prefer to get rid of the rental by selling their property, and 11% simply expect concrete action from the tenant. Finally, only a small percentage (2%) mention the lack of obligation to provide tenants with the EPC, making it a secondary reason for refusing to carry out renovations.

Shared opinions

25% of French people believe that this measure is a good thing but that the time allowed for carrying out the renovations is insufficient, given the scale of the work to be carried out.

Among those in favor, 31% are calling for more assistance for renovations and consider the current financial bonuses insufficient to cover all costs.

Additionally, 15% suggest that tenants should contribute to renovation costs, as home improvements also affect them.

Finally, this measure is rejected by 29% due to excessive costs.

Homeowners' priorities for improving their homes

To improve the energy performance of their property, replacing window openings is a priority for more than half of homeowners (52%), followed closely by thermal insulation (48%). Replacing the heating system is also being considered by more than a third of homeowners (39%). These choices reflect a desire to improve the energy efficiency and comfort of homes, while reducing energy costs.

What are the choices and motivations for heating systems?

For the 39% of French people who plan to replace their heating system, two solutions dominate the market:

Heat pumps (HP) are the most popular, with 38% of respondents interested, and electric inertia radiators, with over 36% of respondents representing the majority. This popularity is due to their energy efficiency.

Wood pellet boilers and gas condensing boilers account for 16% and 7% of renewal choices respectively, but solar remains far behind with only 2%.

Household choices are often guided by a balance between ease of installation, cost of ownership, and environmental impact. While some systems are appealing for their simplicity, others are most attractive for their energy efficiency and durability.

1. Ease of installation: electric inertia radiators are by far the most popular (55%) for their ease of installation and the absence of heavy work.
2. Economy: Wood pellet boilers are perceived as the most economical (53%), followed by heat pumps (41%). These choices reflect the desire to reduce energy costs over the long term, despite a significant initial investment.
3. Ease of use: equally, heat pumps (27%) and electric inertia radiators (27%) are considered the most comfortable, with their uniform heat and ease of regulation.
4. Ease of use: for the French, electric radiators (49%) and gas condensing boilers (31%) are the easiest to use, requiring little handling on a daily basis.
5. Adaptability to housing: the electric radiator (37%) is by far the system best suited to all housing configurations, and in particular for apartments.
6. Ecology: Wood pellet boilers (42%) and combined solar heating (41%) are considered the most environmentally friendly, reflecting their low carbon impact.
7. Sustainability: finally, wood pellet boilers (39%) and heat pumps (20%) are perceived as the most sustainable solutions, justifying a long-term investment.

* Methodology: survey carried out between February 24 and March 5, 2025, among 1.011 people residing in France and owning a home classified G in the energy performance diagnosis.

National survey conducted online, on the proprietary BuzzPress France panel (27.500 people). Responses compiled and weighted according to pre-established quotas aimed at ensuring the representativeness of the sample and in order to obtain representation of the target population.

All weightings are based on administrative data and data collected by INSEE.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.