Facing intensifying real estate pressures on downtown private rental equity, Metropole and Purdue are testing rent controls from July 15.
(c) Jean-Baptiste Menges – Bordeaux Metropole
The Metropolitan Council traded on October 23, 2020 to submit a capital application for rent control. With Bordeaux being the only city in the capital that meets all the criteria, the file kept by the state relates exclusively to the perimeter of the city centre.
System in effect as of July 15
All rental housing in Bordeaux is concerned as of July 15, 2022, the date the rental framework enters into force. Rental schedules apply to the signing of new housing lease contracts (bare or furnished) for use as a main residence or for mixed use (professional and main residence).
Leases signed before July 15, even tacitly renewed after July 15, or outside Bordeaux are not affected by this framework mechanism. Similarly, HLM Social Housing, subject to the 1948 Act, approval of APL and seasonal rents are excluded from the scope of rent control.
How are reference rents calculated?
Rent control is based on monitoring the local rental market. Thus, the Local Observatory of Rents (OLL) in the Bordeaux region, with the support of the Urban Planning Agency (A’rba), provides the governor with data to determine reference rents.
The reference values reflect the level of rent charged for each type of property and meet the following criteria:
- Geographical location (Bordeaux divided into 4 regions)
- Construction period (4 periods: before 1946, 1946-1970, 1971-1990, after 1990)
- Number of pieces (1 piece, 2 pieces, 3 pieces, 4 pieces and more)
- Type of rent (vacant rented accommodation or rented furnished)
For each category of housing, a governor’s decree establishes three levels of reference rents (excluding fees and any additional rent):
- reference rent corresponding to the average rent;
- Increasing the reference rent (20% higher than the reference rent);
- Discounted reference rent (30% less than the reference rent).
The basic rent that is established between the landlord and tenant will be freely determined within the limits of the increased ceiling.
Find out the reference rent amount
To find out the reference rent amount that applies to their housing, owners and tenants can consult From 5 July 2022 rental simulation :
The Conciliation Committee ensures the proper functioning of the system
If previous exchanges between tenant and landlord have not been successful with the aim of reaching an amicable agreement, the tenant may contact the conciliation committee responsible for settling disputes before taking legal action.
The conciliation commission is placed under the direction of the mayor and consists of equal parts of representatives of landlords and representatives of tenants, and the purpose of the conciliation commission is to conciliate the conflicting parties. It provides a possibility for landlords and tenants to meet and together search for a solution to the dispute between them. In the Gironde, the Provincial Administration for the Territories and the Sea is in charge of the secretariat of the Commission.
In the event of failure of conciliation, a case may be brought before the court of law and order the payment of the overpayment.
If the governor notices that the lease does not respect the increased reference rent stipulated in an ordinance, he can send an official notification letter to the lessor and initiate fine proceedings against him (up to a maximum of 5,000 euros for a natural person and 15,000 euros for a legal person).
The city and metropolis together carry the ambition of quality housing, welcoming to families as well as to singles and financially accessible. Thus the rent control implemented in the city center complements all the procedures launched since the beginning of the term of office to supervise and support private housing, with the rental permit, subdivision permit and renewal of the Historic Center concession.
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