Nearly 40% of French rental properties breach rent control laws

Nearly 40% of rented properties fail to respect rent control laws in France, a new report reveals, as senators are set to discuss whether these measures should be extended. 

The report, by the Fondation pour le Logement des Défavorisés (formerly Fondation Abbé Pierre) cites that 37% of properties in areas subject to rent control exceed legal limits, up from 32% in 2025. 

In Paris, up to 46% of landlords fail to respect rent controls, with Le Figaro reporting up to 62% and 59% respectively in the 16th and 7th arrondissements. 

In comparison, Montpellier (12%) and Bordeaux (17%) performed far better. Cities including Lyon (26%) and Lille (25%) fall somewhere in the middle.

Senators will debate the renewal of rules in October with rent caps in most locations set to end in November 2026 - the current rules are part of a trial on the issue - and are subject to a vote to renew them. 

Some cities including Paris will see rules in place until at least July 2027.

“We can clearly see the effects of property owners relaxing their compliance as we approach the announced end of the trial period,” said the foundation.

“They may feel that rent controls are already a thing of the past and deliberately decide not to comply.”

Despite the increase in landlords flouting the rules, the average amount by which rents exceed the limits is falling, down to €159 per month in 2026  from €191 in 2025. 

Rent controls in major cities

There are currently 69 municipalities and inter-communal areas where rent controls are in place across France.

This mainly consists of larger cities and their high-density suburbs, as well as popular tourist locations or areas with high student populations.

In most cases, rental units are subject to a maximum price, set by local authorities, when the property is first put on the market.

This maximum rent is 20% above the median cost for the area.

Once leased, the rent cannot be increased at will by landlords and is typically restricted to one increase per year.

Landlords are limited in how much they can increase rent, either upon renewal of a lease or when a new tenant leases the property. The increase is usually limited by changes in national inflation rates.

There are certain exemptions where rents can be increased above these levels, such as if renovation works have been carried out.

Landlords who fail to respect rent control rules risk fines of up to €5,000 per infraction.

Certain areas have specific rules, including exemptions on first-rent prices (with limits only on subsequent increases).

A full list of communes impacted and the specific rules applying to them is available through the Service Public government website. 

Why so many issues? 

Alongside the potential end of rules, the foundation highlights a rise in ways landlords attempt to benefit from exemptions. 

“In Paris, we are seeing landlords becoming more professional and learning ways to circumvent the system, particularly through the use of rent supplements,” the report said.

The city allows for rent supplements – increases above the typical rates – for units containing an exceptional element, such as direct view of a famous landmark or high-end amenities. 

Landlords are including these supplements for things as trivial as a coffee machine or TV, with unwitting renters paying extra. 

“There is a particularly severe housing shortage,” the foundation adds, particularly in the capital.

This is “coupled with very high demand… as seen at the start of the academic year, with between 700 and 1,000 applications for a single studio apartment.

“Landlords know they will find a tenant for their property regardless of the price, so they can afford to exceed legal rent caps.” 

One example highlighted by public service broadcaster FranceInfo is Gaspard, a 27-year-old engineer living in Paris.

Using the city council’s online tool to check rents are legal, he found that his 32m² flat in the 20th arrondissement, was €221 per month over the cap. 

He contacted his landlord about this, who said it was a rent supplement – not mentioned anywhere in the contract – for the property’s views.

“I overlook a tiny Parisian square with a bar downstairs that stays open until 02:00… it’s a bit of a stretch to call that an 'exceptional property’,” said Gaspard.

A bailiff came three days later to deliver a notice giving him three months to vacate the property as the lease would not be renewed.

“The most likely scenario is sleeping on a friend’s sofa even though I’m 27, employed, and a university graduate. This is the reality in Paris today.”