F and G rated properties: what the new bill changes for owners
6 minutes
The subject returns with predictable regularity. After several years of EPC adjustments, postponements, and partial reforms, the government has just announced a new bill regarding the rental of thermal sieves. This time, the challenge is concrete and immediate: to avoid a major rental housing crisis by re-authorizing — under certain conditions — the rental of properties classified as G, while maintaining the course toward banning F-rated properties by 2028.
What this project concretely changes for you, a landlord in Paris: here is the essential information.
The context: 700,000 homes threatened with a rental ban
Approximately 9% of the French private rental stock is classified as F or G. This figure, seemingly modest in percentage terms, represents in volume a very significant portion of the available supply — with particularly marked concentrations in certain cities where housing pressure is already high.
The ban on renting G-rated properties has come into effect. That of F-rated properties was scheduled for January 1, 2028. Without a regulatory shift, the combination of the two would have removed several hundred thousand homes from the rental market — in a context where supply is already structurally insufficient compared to demand, in Paris in particular.
The bill announced by the Minister of Housing directly addresses this risk. It does not call into question the goal of energy renovation of the rental stock — it adjusts the practical conditions to prevent the regulatory deadline from producing the opposite effect of what is desired: fewer available homes, rents under even stronger pressure, and tenants in increased difficulty.
What the bill concretely provides for
The central mechanism is simple: owners of G-rated properties will be able to continue renting their property on the condition of proving a firm commitment to energy renovation works at the time of signing the lease.
Property status | Required timeframe for work commitment |
|---|---|
Individual housing (house) | Contract signed with a contractor within 3 years |
Co-ownership property (apartment) | Contract signed with a contractor within 5 years |
The longer timeframe granted to co-ownership properties takes into account the reality of collective decisions: voting on works in a general meeting, finding a consensus among co-owners, and mobilizing common financing takes time. It is a pragmatic concession to the legal structure of co-ownership.
This same system will apply to properties classified as F starting January 1, 2028, the date on which their rental ban will come into force according to the current schedule.
⚠️ Point of vigilance: the bill requires a contract signed with a contractor — not simply a quote. A quote does not constitute a commitment and will not suffice to meet the eligibility condition. It is also important to note that a construction contract does not guarantee the energy rating that will be achieved after renovation — this is a real limitation of the system, which we will return to below.
The real limits of the system: what the bill does not solve
A construction contract does not guarantee the energy result
This is the main weakness of the mechanism as currently envisioned. A contract signed with a contractor commits to carrying out the work — not to the EPC class that will result from it. However, moving from a G-rated property to an E or D-rated property often requires heavy insulation work, the result of which depends on many technical parameters specific to each property.
For a truly reliable commitment regarding energy performance, it is ideally necessary to work with a thermal engineering consultant capable of simulating the expected performance before work starts — and calibrating interventions accordingly. This step is not made mandatory by the bill, but it represents best practice for a landlord wishing to permanently leave the regulatory risk zone.
Renovation works are difficult to conduct during a lease
The argument that this project would encourage work during the rental period does not hold up well under scrutiny. Insulation work — whether it concerns walls, roofs, or joinery — is invasive. Dust, moving furniture, noise, sometimes partial removal of the kitchen or bathroom: these interventions are hardly compatible with the occupancy of a home by a current tenant.
In practice, the most suitable time to conduct an energy renovation remains the period of rental vacancy between two leases — ideally planned in advance, with a controlled budget and a coordinated schedule. A well-prepared project of this type represents an average of €10,000 and an intervention duration of about a week for the most common tasks. The additional vacancy generated is therefore limited — and largely offset by bringing the property into compliance.
What this project changes for Parisian landlords
In Paris, the older building stock concentrates a significant portion of energy-intensive properties — particularly in Haussmannian buildings in central arrondissements, whose thermal performance is structurally low due to a lack of wall and floor insulation. Parisian landlords are therefore directly affected.
Here is what this regulatory schedule concretely implies according to your situation:
Situation | Impact and recommended action |
|---|---|
Property classified as G, currently rented | You will need to provide a contractor contract at the next lease signing (renewal or new tenant). Anticipate now. |
Property classified as G, vacant | You can put it back up for rent under the condition of committing to work. This is also the ideal time to conduct the project before welcoming a new tenant. |
Property classified as F | No immediate urgency — but January 1, 2028, is coming fast. An energy audit now gives you time to plan and finance calmly. |
Property classified as E | Outside the scope of the short-term ban, but be vigilant: regulatory requirements could evolve beyond 2030. |
💡 Good to know: energy renovation grants — MaPrimeRénov', eco-PTZ, grants from energy suppliers (CEE) — remain accessible to landlords. The amounts and eligibility conditions vary according to the type of work, the location of the property, and your income. An authorized Rénov' advisor can help you build the optimal financing plan.
A fair measure? The two realities on the ground
This bill reveals a real tension between two categories of landlords that regulations tend to treat uniformly, even though their situations are deeply different.
On one side, landlords who have already undertaken renovation works in the past — often without paying particular attention to the EPC, at a time when this did not condition the ability to rent — and who today find themselves in a situation they legitimately experience as unfair.
On the other, owners who have never invested in the thermal comfort of their tenants and for whom regulatory obligation constitutes the only incentive to act. For these, the flexibility of a work commitment over 3 to 5 years risk effectively becoming a tool for postponement rather than a lever for action.
The system is pragmatic — it avoids a rental supply crisis in the short term. Its success will depend on the quality of controls carried out on the reality of the commitments made, and on the building sector's capacity to absorb the volume of projects that should result from it.
Do you own an F or G-rated property in Paris?
BAUVAUT supports landlords in assessing their regulatory situation and planning their rental strategy — before, during, and after works. Whether you wish to keep your property on the rental market under the new system or anticipate energy compliance, we help you navigate this constantly evolving regulatory schedule. Contact us for an initial free consultation.
