The Mandatory DPE & Energy Mentions in a French Rental Listing (2026)
What must a French rental listing show about energy? Every annonce must display the DPE energy class (A–G), the GES greenhouse-gas class, the estimated annual energy cost range with its reference year, and — for F or G homes — the mention "logement à consommation énergétique excessive". The DPE must then be handed to the tenant and annexed to the lease. This guide sets out each mandatory mention, since when it applies, and what a wrong or missing one costs.
The quick answer: what every rental ad must show
Since the loi Climat et Résilience, a rental advertisement is not a free-text marketing blurb — it is a regulated notice. Whatever the medium (online portal, agency window, print press), the same mandatory energy mentions apply, and they apply identically to private landlords and to agencies. A compliant 2026 rental listing must show: - The DPE energy class (A to G), labelled and legible. - The GES / climat class (A to G) — the greenhouse-gas rating, which is separate from the energy letter. - The estimated annual energy cost for standard use, as a euro range, with the reference year of the energy prices. - For F and G homes, the mention "logement à consommation énergétique excessive". Get one of these wrong and the ad is non-compliant — the consequences are set out below. This is general information, not legal advice; check your exact situation against service-public.gouv.fr or with a professional.
Energy class and GES class: two letters, both mandatory
The most common mistake is showing only the energy letter. The DPE produces two ratings, and the listing must carry both: - The energy class (classe énergie), A to G, reflecting primary energy consumption. - The climate class (classe climat / GES), A to G, reflecting greenhouse-gas emissions. The letters must be presented clearly and legibly, in characters at least as large as the text of the advertisement. A listing that mentions "DPE: D" but omits the GES class is incomplete. Why both matter: a gas-heated home can sit at a good energy class but a poor GES class, and an electric-heated home the reverse. The tenant is entitled to see both before applying — which is precisely why the regulation makes the GES class non-optional.
The estimated annual energy cost range (since 1 Jan 2022)
This is the mention landlords most often forget. Since 1 January 2022, every rental listing must indicate the estimated annual energy expenditure for standard use, taken from the DPE. It is shown as a euro range (minimum–maximum), preceded by the wording "Montant estimé des dépenses annuelles d'énergie pour un usage standard", and it must state the reference year of the energy prices used in the calculation. The estimate covers all the uses in the DPE: heating, cooling, hot water, lighting and auxiliaries. The point is to let a prospective tenant see, before they apply, roughly what the property will cost to run — so a comfortable rent on a thermal sieve no longer hides a punishing energy bill. Because the DPE is legally binding, a tenant who later finds real consumption far above the figure annexed to the lease can claim the difference: a tribunal at Colmar in November 2025 ordered a landlord to pay the gap between the DPE estimate and the tenant's actual over-consumption.
The 'excessive consumption' mention for F and G homes
For any home rated F or G — a passoire énergétique — the listing must carry the explicit mention "logement à consommation énergétique excessive", in characters at least as large as the rest of the ad. This is not a soft warning, it is a regulated label, and it sits alongside two hard realities for F/G landlords in 2026: - Rent freeze: rents on F and G homes cannot be increased (no IRL indexation, no re-letting increase) until the property is upgraded. - Letting bans: class G is already banned from new leases (since 1 January 2025); F follows in 2028 and E in 2034. If your home is electric-heated and sits at F or G, re-check its class first: the electricity primary-energy coefficient dropped from 2.3 to 1.9 on 1 January 2026, which lifts many electric homes up a class with no works — and may remove the excessive-consumption mention entirely.
From listing to lease: the DPE must be annexed
The listing mentions are only stage one. At signature, the DPE must be handed to the tenant and annexed to the lease, inside the dossier de diagnostic technique (DDT). The energy class also appears in the body of the lease, and the estimated annual energy cost is carried into the lease as well. Since 1 July 2021 the DPE is opposable — legally binding. A tenant can bring an action before the tribunal of the property's location to seek damages or even cancellation of the lease if the DPE is wrong or was not provided. That is a materially different exposure from the pre-2021 "information only" DPE. So the chain is: correct mentions in the annonce, a valid DPE annexed to the bail, and the same energy figures consistent across both. A lease generated from a template that bakes in the current mandatory mentions keeps that chain intact automatically. For the wider file you must hold to prove the home is lettable at all, see the décence énergétique landlord document checklist.
What a missing or false mention costs
The consequences fall into three buckets: - Administrative fine on the advert. A professional (agency, or a landlord acting in a professional capacity) who omits the mandatory listing mentions faces an administrative fine of up to €3,000 for an individual and €15,000 for a company. - Civil liability to the tenant. Because the DPE is opposable, a tenant who relied on a wrong DPE annexed to the lease can claim a rent reduction or damages, or seek cancellation of the lease — the Colmar 2025 ruling is the live example. - Misleading-practice exposure. A materially false energy figure in an ad can also be attacked as a misleading commercial practice under consumer law. The rules apply to private landlords and agencies alike — there is no "small private landlord" exemption from the listing mentions or from annexing the DPE.
Conclusion: A French rental listing is a regulated notice, not free copy. Show both the DPE energy class and the GES class, state the estimated annual energy cost range with its reference year, add "logement à consommation énergétique excessive" for F and G homes, then hand the DPE to the tenant and annex it to the lease. Keep the same energy figures consistent from annonce to bail, because the DPE is binding and a wrong mention now carries a fine and real civil liability — for private landlords and agencies alike. Generate the lease and listing from a template that already carries the current mandatory mentions, and the chain stays compliant by default.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to show the energy cost in the rental ad?
Yes. Since 1 January 2022 every rental listing must state the estimated annual energy cost for standard use, as a euro range, preceded by "Montant estimé des dépenses annuelles d'énergie pour un usage standard" and specifying the reference year of the energy prices. It is taken straight from the DPE.
Is the GES (climate) class mandatory too, or just the energy class?
Both are mandatory. The listing must show the DPE energy class and the GES / climat class, A to G. Showing only the energy letter and omitting the greenhouse-gas class makes the advert non-compliant.
What if I forget the DPE class in my listing?
The advert is non-compliant. A professional who omits the mandatory mentions faces an administrative fine up to €3,000 (individual) or €15,000 (company). The rule applies to private landlords and agencies alike, on every medium — portals, agency windows and print.
Must the DPE be attached to the lease?
Yes. The DPE must be given to the prospective tenant and annexed to the lease within the dossier de diagnostic technique (DDT), and the energy class appears in the lease itself. Since 1 July 2021 the DPE is legally binding.
What is the 'excessive consumption' mention, and when do I add it?
For any home rated F or G, the listing must include "logement à consommation énergétique excessive", in characters at least as large as the body text. These homes also face a rent freeze, and G is already banned from new leases since 2025 (F in 2028, E in 2034).
Can a tenant sue me over a wrong DPE?
Yes. Because the DPE is opposable since 1 July 2021, a tenant can ask the tribunal for damages or cancellation of the lease if the DPE is wrong or missing. A 2025 ruling made a landlord pay the gap between the DPE estimate and the tenant's real over-consumption.
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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