Rent Freeze on F/G Properties in France: What Landlords Can and Can't Do in 2026
Can you raise the rent on an F or G property in France? No. Since 24 August 2022, the rent of a "passoire thermique" (DPE class F or G) in mainland France is frozen: no IRL indexation, no increase at renewal, none between tenants — until renovation lifts it to class E or better, proven by a new DPE.
The short answer: F and G rents are frozen
If your property is rated F or G on its DPE, the rent is frozen for the entire time it stays in that class. This comes from article 159 of the loi Climat et Résilience (law n° 2021-1104 of 22 August 2021) and has applied since 24 August 2022. In practice the rule shuts down every lever a landlord normally uses to raise the rent: - You cannot apply the annual IRL revision, even when the index is rising and your lease has a revision clause. - You cannot increase the rent at renewal, even if it is below market (the "loyer manifestement sous-évalué" route is closed). - You cannot increase the rent between tenants — re-letting at a higher figure is forbidden. The freeze attaches to the dwelling because of its DPE class, not to a particular tenant. It follows the home through every new lease and renewal until the class changes.
What exactly is blocked?
It helps to see the three mechanisms side by side. For an F or G home, all three are off the table:
| Rent lever | Normal home | F / G passoire |
|---|---|---|
| Annual IRL indexation | Allowed (with a clause) | Blocked |
| Increase at lease renewal | Allowed if under-valued | Blocked |
| Increase when re-letting (new tenant) | Allowed within rules | Blocked |
Which leases and which territories are concerned?
The freeze applies to leases signed, renewed or tacitly renewed on or after 24 August 2022. Because most residential leases renew tacitly each year or every three years, almost every ongoing F/G tenancy in mainland France is now caught. For overseas territories (DROM), the enforceable DPE and the rent freeze took effect later — from 1 July 2024 — to line up with the rollout of the DPE there. One quiet relief: an order of 25 March 2024 adjusted the DPE thresholds for small homes under 40 m² from 1 July 2024, and roughly 140,000 dwellings stopped being classed F or G overnight. If your property is small, it is worth checking whether it is still a passoire at all.
How the freeze ends: renovate out of F/G
There is exactly one way to lift the freeze: improve the home's energy performance so a new DPE puts it at class E or better. Once the dwelling is no longer F or G, the normal rules return — you can index, revise at renewal and re-let within the usual limits. The proof is the new DPE issued after the works. Until that document exists and shows class E (or higher), the rent stays frozen — promises of future works do not unfreeze anything. Two things can move a home out of F/G without a full renovation: - The 2026 DPE coefficient change for electric heating (the primary-energy coefficient fell from 2.3 to 1.9 on 1 January 2026), which mechanically lifts many electrically heated homes up a class. If you heat with electricity, re-run the DPE — your home may already be class E and free of the freeze. - The small-surface threshold revision mentioned above, for homes under 40 m². In both cases the lever is the same: a fresh DPE in an authorised class is what unlocks the rent.
Freeze vs. rental ban — don't confuse them
The rent freeze and the rental ban are two different rules with two different timetables. Mixing them up is the most common landlord mistake. - The freeze (this article): an F or G home can still be rented, but its rent cannot rise. In force since 24 August 2022. - The ban: certain classes can no longer be put on the market at all. G has been barred from new lets since 1 January 2025; F follows in 2028; E in 2034. So a class F home in 2026 is in a particular squeeze: it is legal to rent but frozen on price, and it has a deadline (2028) before it becomes unrentable for new leases. For the full ban timetable, see the passoire thermique rental-ban calendar. This is general information, not legal advice. Rules and dates change and depend on your exact situation — verify with ANIL or service-public.gouv.fr before acting.
Conclusion: The rule is blunt: a class F or G home in mainland France is frozen on rent — no IRL, no renewal increase, no re-letting bump — and has been since 24 August 2022. The only key that unlocks it is a new DPE in class E or better, whether earned through renovation, the 2026 electric-heating coefficient, or the small-surface threshold change. Keep this distinct from the rental ban, which is a separate calendar (G since 2025, F in 2028, E in 2034). Check your current DPE class first; it decides everything about what you may charge.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply the IRL annual revision to an F home?
No. Since 24 August 2022 the IRL indexation is blocked for class F and G homes, even when the index is rising and your lease contains a revision clause. The rent stays at its current figure until the home leaves the F/G band.
Can I raise the rent when a new tenant moves in?
No. Re-letting an F or G home to a new tenant must be at the same rent the previous tenant paid. The freeze attaches to the dwelling's DPE class, not to the person, so a change of tenant does not reset the rent.
Does the freeze end after renovation?
Yes — but only once a new DPE issued after the works shows class E or better. At that point the home is no longer a passoire and the normal rules (IRL, renewal, re-letting) apply again. Future or planned works do not lift the freeze; the new DPE does.
Is the rent freeze the same as the rental ban?
No. The freeze means an F/G home can still be rented but its rent cannot rise (since 2022). The ban means certain classes cannot be rented at all — G since 1 January 2025, F from 2028, E from 2034. They are separate rules on separate timetables.
Can the 2026 electricity coefficient lift my freeze?
Possibly. The DPE primary-energy coefficient for electricity fell from 2.3 to 1.9 on 1 January 2026, which moves many electrically heated homes up a class. If a fresh DPE puts yours at class E, it is no longer frozen — re-run the DPE before assuming you are stuck.
I'm an overseas (DROM) landlord — does the freeze apply to me?
Yes, but it started later. In overseas territories the enforceable DPE and the rent freeze took effect on 1 July 2024, in step with the DPE rollout there. The substance is the same: no rise on F/G homes until a new DPE reaches class E.
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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