Housing and energy transition: acting fairly for owners and tenants

Energy renovation of housing is a key issue in achieving our climate objectives. However, to be truly effective and fair, it must be based on accurate data. Today, many owners find themselves faced with erroneous DPE classifications, which have major consequences on the valuation of their properties and their ability to rent them.

It is time to act to make this data reliable and enable a successful energy transition.

A direct impact on owners and tenants

The gradual bans on renting out G-rated housing in 2025, F in 2028 and E in 2034 are intended to accelerate the renovation of the housing stock. However, if the DPE input data is inaccurate, housing may be incorrectly classified and forced to undergo unjustified work. This uncertainty weighs on owners, particularly small landlords, and limits the available rental supply, also impacting tenants.

Concrete solutions to guarantee data reliability

Rather than questioning the timetable for the energy transition, it is essential to ensure that the decisions taken are based on solid foundations. This involves several priority measures:

Make all DPE data accessible and pre-fill diagnostics: by facilitating access to existing information, errors can be avoided and assessments harmonised.
Driving innovation through data: intelligent use of energy data can help identify the work that is actually needed and optimize investments.
Leveraging artificial intelligence: by cross-referencing available information, AI can refine diagnoses and reduce margins of error.
Promoting serious diagnosticians: a strengthened certification framework would ensure more accurate and consistent assessments.
Involving individuals in the process: better informing owners and giving them the means to check and complete their DPEs would strengthen transparency and trust.

A pragmatic and equitable energy transition

Energy renovation must be a lever for enhancing the value of real estate assets, and not a source of concern for owners. By making DPE data more reliable and integrating new technologies, we can guarantee an efficient, fair and acceptable transition for all.

With the right tools and a pragmatic approach, we have the opportunity to make this transformation a collective success.

Tribune by Eric Houdet, Founder of Homapi (LinkedIn).