Rent control does not apply everywhere in Francebut only in urban areas described as “tense”, where the demand for housing greatly exceeds the supply. These areas concern cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, where access to housing is particularly difficult, such as Paris, Lyon, Lille or even certain municipalities in Seine-Saint-Denis. In all, 28 urban areas are classified as tense zones, and reference rents are set for these areas.
These reference rents vary depending on several criteria, such as the location, surface area, and date of construction of the accommodation. They apply to both furnished and empty accommodation, and concern main residences as well as mixed leases (professional use and residential use). Some exceptions nevertheless remain, such as:
- housing subject to the 1948 law,
- housing approved by Anah,
- social housing (HLM),
- sublets,
- furnished tourist accommodation,
- furnished accommodation located in serviced residences.
