Energy-Poor Homes 2026: Which Classes Are Banned From Renting, and When
If you own a French rental rated F or G on its DPE, the clock is no longer ticking — for class G it has already struck. The loi Climat et Résilience phases energy-poor dwellings (passoires thermiques) out of the rental market on a fixed calendar, and a home that is no longer 'decent' cannot legally be rented. Here is exactly which classes are banned, on which dates, what it means for your existing tenancies, and the four moves a landlord can make right now.
The rental-ban calendar at a glance
The loi Climat et Résilience of 2021 set a staged phase-out of the worst energy performers from the rental market, measured by the DPE energy class: - Since 1 January 2023: the most energy-intensive G homes (consuming over 450 kWh/m²/year of final energy) could no longer be put on the market. - Since 1 January 2025: all class G homes are banned from new rentals. - From 1 January 2028: class F joins the ban. - From 1 January 2034: class E joins the ban. The dates apply to metropolitan France; the overseas territories (DOM) follow a later schedule. The logic is simple: each step removes the next-worst band, pushing the rental stock toward decent energy performance.
What 'décence énergétique' actually means
Since the ban took effect, energy performance is part of the legal definition of a decent home (logement décent). A dwelling whose consumption exceeds the threshold for its date is considered indecent — and an indecent home cannot lawfully be rented. In practice this gives the tenant real leverage: they can ask the landlord to carry out the works needed to meet the standard, and, if the landlord refuses, refer the matter to the conciliation commission or the judge, who can order the works, reduce the rent, or suspend it. The ban is not a fine you pay — it is a loss of the right to rent the property at all.
Which leases are affected — and which are not (yet)
The ban bites on new rental contracts signed from each date, on renewals, and on tacit renewals (reconduction tacite). It does not automatically void a lease already running: a tenant in place under a valid lease stays, but the landlord cannot renew or re-let a non-compliant home once its class is banned. That distinction matters for planning. If your class-F flat has a sitting tenant whose lease renews in 2029, you need the property compliant by that renewal — not by the 2028 headline date alone. Map each property's next lease event against its class to see your real deadline.
The rent freeze that already applies to F and G
Even before the outright ban, a financial brake is already in force. Since 24 August 2022, the rent of an F- or G-rated home in metropolitan France cannot be increased — no annual IRL revision, and no increase between two tenants — until the energy class improves. So an energy-poor home is doubly penalised: you cannot raise the rent today, and you will not be able to re-let it tomorrow. Improving the class is the only way to restore both the right to revise the rent and the right to keep renting. See how the IRL rent revision works once the freeze lifts.
Move 1 & 2: re-check the class before you renovate
Before committing to works, confirm where you actually stand — the answer changed on 1 January 2026. First, make sure your DPE is valid: diagnostics issued before July 2021 are no longer accepted, so an old label may not reflect the current method at all. Second, if the home is heated by electricity, the conversion coefficient used to express consumption in primary energy dropped from 2.3 to 1.9 on 1 January 2026. Mechanically, that lifts a large number of electric-heated flats up a class — sometimes straight out of F or G — with no works at all. Check it for free, and if you gain a class, download the official ADEME rectifying certificate. Read the full explainer on the 1.9 coefficient.
Move 3: renovate, and fund it
If the class stays F or G after re-checking, renovation is the route back into the rental market. Prioritise the measures with the biggest impact on the DPE: insulation (roof, walls, floors), replacing an old heating system (a heat pump usually moves the needle most), and ventilation. Several schemes stack to cut the bill: MaPrimeRénov' (including the landlord track with a capped-rent commitment), the interest-free eco-PTZ, and the CEE energy-savings certificates. Plan the works around a single coherent renovation rather than piecemeal fixes — the class jump, and the subsidies, reward a whole-home approach. See the MaPrimeRénov' landlord path.
Move 4: relet in compliance — or sell
Once the class improves, get the paperwork right: attach the updated DPE to the technical diagnostic file (DDT), update the energy class stated in the lease, and — if the property is now better than F — calculate the IRL revision you are finally allowed to apply, checking any local rent caps first. If renovation is not viable, selling is the alternative; energy-poor homes increasingly trade at a discount (the 'valeur verte' effect), so the longer you wait, the wider the gap. Either way, the worst option is to do nothing and discover at the next lease event that the property can no longer be rented.
Conclusion: The rental ban on energy-poor homes is not a distant threat — class G is already out, class F is next in 2028, and the rent on both is frozen today. The good news is that the path back is clearer than it looks: re-check your class under the new 1.9 electricity coefficient (many homes gain a class for free), fund a focused renovation if needed, and relet in compliance with up-to-date documents. Map each property's next lease event against its class, and act before the deadline chooses for you.
Frequently asked questions
Which DPE classes are banned from renting in France, and when?
In metropolitan France: the most energy-intensive class G (over 450 kWh/m²/year) since 1 January 2023, all class G since 1 January 2025, class F from 1 January 2028, and class E from 1 January 2034. The overseas territories follow a later calendar.
Can I keep renting to my current tenant if my home is class F or G?
A lease already running stays valid — the ban does not evict a sitting tenant. But you cannot sign a new lease, renew, or re-let a banned-class home once its date has passed. The home is also legally 'indecent', so the tenant can demand the works needed to meet the standard.
Can I increase the rent on an F or G home?
No. Since 24 August 2022, rent on F- and G-rated dwellings in metropolitan France is frozen — no annual IRL revision and no increase between tenants — until the energy class improves to E or better.
Could the 2026 electricity coefficient get me out of the ban?
Possibly. On 1 January 2026 the electricity coefficient fell from 2.3 to 1.9, which lifts many electric-heated homes up a DPE class with no works. Re-check your class first — if it now reads E or better, you may already be clear of the freeze and the F/G ban.
What counts as an 'energy-decent' home?
Energy performance is part of the legal decency standard. A home consuming above the threshold for the current date is 'indecent' and cannot lawfully be rented; the tenant can ask the judge to order works, reduce or suspend the rent until the home complies.
How can I fund the renovation?
MaPrimeRénov' (including a landlord track with a capped-rent commitment), the interest-free eco-PTZ, and CEE energy-savings certificates can be combined. A single whole-home renovation usually delivers the biggest class jump and the best subsidy mix.
Should I renovate or sell an energy-poor rental?
It depends on the works needed versus the property's value and your horizon. Energy-poor homes increasingly sell at a discount (the 'valeur verte' effect), and the rent freeze caps your income meanwhile — so doing nothing is rarely the cheapest option. Model both before the next lease event.
About the author:
Julien Maurice is the founder of AdminLanding and writes the editorial guides on GreenDailyFix. He covers French energy regulation and the administrative side of renting and renovating property in France.
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