Nearly two-thirds of Parisians are renters and one-third are homeowners. More than 500,000 tenants in the private housing market can be affected by rent control at one point or another.
Originally, this task was carried out by the prefect, but the City of Paris has requested the ability to collect reports of rent excess and ensure that landlords comply with the regulations. This action can lead to sanctions.
A platform now allows for the assessment of the rent to be respected and the reporting of any excess. Tenant recourse is facilitated and their purchasing power is increased, as housing is the largest expense for households.
Since January 1, 2023, 1,181 reports have been filed on the platform. This is ten times more than before. These reports mainly come from the 18th, 11th, and 15th arrondissements where the largest number of private housing units are located. 82% of the reports concern the rental of studios and two-room apartments.
Among these 1,181 report cases, 47% have already been processed and over half (61%) have revealed proven excesses. The remaining cases were ineligible. 183 reports have resulted in demands to comply with the normal rent price and reimbursement of the overpayment. In 68% of cases, the monthly excess exceeds 100 euros.
To date, seven fines have been imposed.
A striking example of abuse: in the 16th arrondissement, a landlord was renting a 15 sqm studio for 900 euros, while the authorized reference rent for this type of space is 583 euros. Refusing to comply with rent control, the landlord was fined 5,000 euros.
However, in the majority of cases, mediation works. So far, nearly 97,000 euros of overpayments have been reimbursed to different tenants following discussions with landlords.
