France looks to make eco-renovations easier for flat owners

The government is preparing two reforms aimed at making it easier for residents of copropriétés (shared apartment blocks) to push through renovation projects.

At present, two thirds of co-owners must agree to work being carried out for the project to go ahead.

FranceInfo reports that the Minister for Housing, Olivier Klein, is proposing to lower this to 50% of owners to encourage improvements to energy efficiency via renovations where necessary.

The government also wants to facilitate the holding of extraordinary general meetings in co-owned properties, where voting on building work normally takes place.

The plan is to allow these to be held remotely so as not to have to wait a year between each meeting.

The proposals are expected to be formally unveiled in January, just as new rules come in to prohibit the rental of properties with an energy efficiency rating (diagnostic de performance énergétique) of G – the lowest score possible.

Read more: Home energy efficiency: Key dates for property owners in France

Jean-Marc Torrollion, president of the Fédération nationale de l’immobilier (FNAIM), told FranceInfo that they could be "a good thing" but that the measure relating to the 50% majority would need to be "nuanced" so that it did not lead to “an unsustainable budget for all co-owners”.

Renovations cost an average of €20,000 per co-owner.

At present, 30% of housing in France is in co-ownership, yet this sector accounts for just 1% of applications for government renovation grants under the MaPrimeRénov’ scheme.

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