Continuing to rent a thermal strainer can today be very expensive, sometimes from lease renewal.
In the agencies, the first effects are already visible. “We have a lot of owners stuck at the time of lease renewal because of the DPE », observes Elie Sakoun, associate director of the La vieimmobilier agency in Paris. All profiles are affected: some lack the means, but others have simply delayed in starting the work or are waiting until the last moment to decide.
Multiple and cumulative sanctions
First risk: the judge can force the lessor to carry out energy renovation work. Failing this, a rent reduction may be imposed, depending on the loss of comfort suffered by the tenant. From 2022the rents of classified housing F and G are frozen: impossible to increase them, even in the event of relocation. A constraint that directly affects profitability.
Another, lesser-known lever: suspension of housing assistance. In the event of non-energy decency, the Family Allowance Fund may interrupt the payment of PLA for a period of up to 18 monthsreducing rental income when this aid is paid to the lessor. These rules are part of the framework set by public services which specify the energy decency criteria and the obligations of lessors.
Indirect control, often triggered by the tenant
In practice, these sanctions are not based on systematic control: the DPE is provided to the tenant, without regular verification by the administration. The DPE remains valid 10 years and therefore does not have to be redone at each renewal, unless it has become obsolete. On the other hand, a bad ranking may be enough to call into question the rental.
In fact, the situations are most often triggered by the tenants themselves, who can contest the decent housing or take legal action. For its part, the Family Allowance Fund can also intervene by suspending aid, which forces the owner to undertake work.
In this context, real estate agents play a relay role. “We systematically inform owners of the risks and strongly encourage them to comply,” explains Elie Sakoun. A pedagogy which is beginning to bear fruit, with a growing awareness among the lessors.
More and more radical arbitrations
Faced with these constraints, some owners are changing strategy. “We had quite a few sales linked to that, particularly on small areas whose owners did not want to undertake the work,” explains Elie Sakoun. If the financial question remains central, it is not always decisive: some lessors still wait until the last moment before acting, even if it means finding themselves stuck when renewing the lease.
The main risk, however, remains financial. “The real risk is no longer being able to rent, and finding yourself with an unanticipated additional charge,” underlines the professional. In other words, a loss of rental income potential, which can weigh heavily on the balance of the property.
A tightening schedule and costs to anticipate
In France, 5.4 million housing units are considered energy sieves, i.e. 14.4% of the real estate stock. Housing classified G has been prohibited for rental since 2025, those classified F in 2028 and E in 2034.
Priority work – insulation, heating – represents a budget of 10,000 to 40,000 euros depending on the case. Several cumulative schemes (MaPrimeRénov’, energy saving certificates, eco-PTZ, land deficit) can finance up to 90% of the cost depending on income. A bonus of 1,500 euros is also provided in the event of leaving classes F or G, and can reach up to 20,000 euros for an overall renovation.
Anticipating remains key: starting the process around a year before the deadline allows you to optimize aid and compare quotes. It is still necessary to target the work carefully: acting only on the heating without treating the insulation or the windows severely limits efficiency. In an apartment, performance also depends on the building and the co-ownership.
However, the reform of the energy performance diagnosis (DPE), which came into force on January 1, 2026, could work in favor of certain owners, by allowing certain housing to obtain a better energy label without work, thanks to a new calculation method. For those who remain classified as energy sieves, carrying out work followed by a reassessment of the DPE remains essential to secure the rental. As the timetable progresses, one thing is confirmed: inaction is already costing more than the work.
