One of the papers you get when you sign a lease


There’s been some fear mongering about apartments lately. When you rent (or buy) a home you’re given this big stack of papers. Since I live in Paris this was all of the information on my building, the flood plans, and it included the mandatory DPE. I barely glanced at them because they were in French and none of it really meant much to me, but I should have paid more attention to the DPE, and if I had had more options, I would have. My DPE is low (but thankfully not the lowest). In fact, I think considering my apartment’s age (1932), it’s probably within reason.  

As many Paris dwellers know Paris is all about climate change. In it’s quest to make the city more energy efficient, the city is tackling what I assume it thinks is one of its biggest culprits: inefficient buildings. What this means is that landlords will soon have to bring their apartments up to specific levels or they won’t be able to rent them. What this means for you is that there may be even less inventory as landlords are forced to take their apartments off the market. If you’re thinking of leaving your apartment, keep that in mind. 

It won’t exactly be an overnight thing. The government says: “This threshold will indeed evolve over the years, in order to be more and more demanding in connection with the other provisions aimed at the eradication of thermal sieves resulting from the law relating to energy and the climate (in particular the obligation to renovate thermal sieves by 2028)“.  But I’ve already seen fear mongering in the Paris apartment groups. People are like Chicken Little crying “there will be no apartments!”. I guess just be aware.