In Lyon, the rent control comes into force to curb the price hike

No more overpriced rents in Lyon and Villeurbanne: the rental price framework comes into effect on Monday, November 1 and for a period of three years. Ceiling prices have been set according to the location, the number of rooms, the year of construction and the nature of the property, furnished or empty. Like other cities such as Paris or Lille where this measure is already applied, prices have soared in recent years in the second economic city in France: up to more than 800 euros for less than 20 m².

“We could have thought of it as studios or student rooms, but at two or three times the price we would usually see, sighs Pauline, a 19-year-old student living in an apartment in the city center. In September, this is where we see the biggest rents because everyone is looking. ” Pauline is rather happy to discover this new regulation:

“I have a little less than 30 m² and we pay 550 euros. When I go home, I will go and see if my rent is in line with the prices given.”

Pauline, tenant in Lyon

to franceinfo

As this capped price applies for a new lease or for a renewal, the entire private park is concerned, whether the accommodation is empty or furnished. And according to Agate, owner of an apartment, it is precisely profiles like Pauline’s that could be penalized. “I’m going to want to choose students a little less because I’m going to make a little less margin, she explains. If a student leaves in July-August, I’m not going to be able to make up for that loss in rent because I’m really renting at the lower end of the range that I was hoping for. “

5,000 euros fine for offenders

Philippe offers a 35 m² apartment in the 3rd arrondissement for 650 euros per month, or 40 euros below the ceiling. He received 250 requests in one day and for him, this measure will have no other effect than to disgust the owners.

“Since the purchase price is high, owners are leaving on 15-20 years of credit. If they are told that they can no longer stay within their costs, they are no longer interested.”

“The big problem in Lyon is that there is a shortage of housing”, concludes Philippe, even if the metropolis aims to build 8,000 homes per year. There is also the risk of seeing owners prefer to put their property on Airbnb. “We will make sure to limit this effect, assures Renaud Payre, vice-president of the metropolis in charge of housing. We are in the process of legally studying how far we can go. In a territory as tense as ours, we must be careful of any form of immobilization of property that would no longer be rented out. “

A metropolitan team is responsible for monitoring online listings and helping tenants who are paying too much rent. Owners who refuse to comply with the measure face a fine of 5,000 euros. The fine can go up to 15,000 euros if the owner is a legal person. The metropolis has put an online site (toodego.com) on which owners and tenants can find out the ceiling price for housing.