Energy rating (DPE) and letting in France: the bans
Updated 9 October 2026 · By the Loyski team
The energy performance certificate (diagnostic de performance énergétique, DPE) no longer just informs the tenant: it decides whether a home can be let and whether its rent can go up. Since 2025, G-rated homes no longer count as decent housing, F follows in 2028 and E in 2034. Here's the timetable, what it means for existing leases and what you can do.
The timetable: G in 2025, F in 2028, E in 2034
| Date | Not decent (mainland France) | Overseas departments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2025 | Class G | — |
| 1 January 2028 | Classes G and F | Class G |
| 1 January 2031 | — | Classes G and F |
| 1 January 2034 | Classes G, F and E | — |
This timetable comes from the Climate and Resilience Act of 22 August 2021 (loi Climat et résilience), which added energy performance to the criteria for decent housing. As of 9 October 2026, it has not been changed.
"Banned from letting": what it actually means
The law doesn't create a criminal ban on letting: it makes the home non-decent. In practice:
- you can't sign a new lease for a home in a banned class;
- the sitting tenant can ask you to carry out upgrade work, then go to court, where the judge can order the work and reduce or suspend the rent until it's done;
- the CAF can withhold housing benefit until the home is brought up to standard.
The rent freeze on F and G-rated homes
Since 24 August 2022 in mainland France, rent on an F or G-rated home is frozen:
- no yearly IRL rent increase;
- no increase when the lease is renewed;
- no increase when a new tenant moves in.
The freeze applies to leases signed, renewed or tacitly renewed since that date. As soon as a new DPE rates the home E or better, rent reviews become possible again going forward, with no catch-up for the frozen years.
The new DPE calculation from 1 January 2026
Since 1 January 2026, the factor that converts electricity used into primary energy has dropped from 2.3 to 1.9 (order of 13 August 2025). Homes heated by electricity can therefore move up a class; according to the French government, about 850,000 homes are no longer classed as energy sieves (passoires thermiques).
There's no need for a new survey: for a DPE carried out since 1 July 2021, a certificate of the new rating can be downloaded free from ADEME's DPE observatory, using the DPE number.
What to do if your home is rated F or G
- Check your DPE: when it was done (a DPE from before July 2021 is no longer valid), the heating system, and the new 2026 rating if you heat with electricity.
- Get an energy audit or ask an RGE-certified professional which work will help most: loft insulation, a new heating system, windows, ventilation.
- Look for grants: Anah's MaPrimeRénov', energy saving certificates (CEE), the zero-rate eco-loan. Renovation costs can also be deducted from rental income under the réel tax regime.
- Plan ahead: an F-rated home let today must be renovated before 1 January 2028 to be let again or have its lease renewed.
Tracking your homes' DPE with Loyski
In Loyski, you enter the DPE class of each property. IRL rent increases are blocked automatically for F and G-rated homes, and the dashboard warns you as the 2028 and 2034 deadlines approach.
Rent tracked, receipts sent, IRL rent increases and charges at the right time. Free for one property.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still let a G-rated home in France?
Since 1 January 2025, a G-rated home is no longer considered decent housing in mainland France. It can't be let under a new lease, and the sitting tenant can demand upgrade work, through the courts if necessary.
When will F-rated homes be banned from letting?
On 1 January 2028 in mainland France, then E-rated homes on 1 January 2034. In the overseas departments the timetable is later: G in 2028, F in 2031.
Can I raise the rent on an F or G-rated home?
No. Since 24 August 2022 in mainland France, rent on an F or G-rated home can't be increased with the IRL index, nor when the lease is renewed or a new tenant moves in.
Can my DPE rating change with the 2026 reform?
Yes, if the home is heated by electricity. Since 1 January 2026, the electricity conversion factor has dropped from 2.3 to 1.9, which can lift a home by one class. For DPEs carried out since 1 July 2021, a certificate of the new rating can be downloaded for free from ADEME's DPE observatory.
How long is a DPE valid?
Ten years. DPEs carried out before 1 July 2021 are no longer valid: you need a new one before signing a new lease.
Sources
- Service-public.fr: decent housing to let
- Service-public.fr: rent increases during the lease (F and G freeze)
- French Ministry of the Economy: a new DPE from 1 January 2026
- Service-public.fr: Anah grants for renovation work
This guide gives general information about French law, accurate on its publication date. It doesn't replace personal legal or tax advice: if in doubt, the ADIL of the département where the property is located advises landlords and tenants for free.