Forced to carry out substantial work to meet the new energy performance criteria, landlords tell MoneyVox that they prefer to sell their homes rather than undertake costly renovations whose benefits are uncertain.
New Energy Performance Diagnosis (DPE), future energy audit at the start of the school year… Landlords and more generally all owners who wish to sell a home, will have to make important decisions in the next few months or years. In effect, goods classified G by the new DPE, and qualified as energy strainerscan no longer be offered for rent from 2025. Before that, housing F and G, whose number is estimated at nearly 8 million in France, will have their rent frozen carrying out the recommended works by the future energy audit. As of September 1, this examination invoiced for nearly 1000 euros will be compulsory, before the sale or rental of classified F and G real estate.
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Result, many owners are in a hurry to resell their property before new obligations arrive. A joint study between MeilleursAgents and SeLoger has shown that in 2021, 12.9% of real estate put up for sale were energy sieves. Except Paris, a property whose DPE is F or G sees its sale price fall by 6.7% compared to a C, D or E. A class F or G apartment with DPE sells, on average, 13% cheaper than if it is labeled A or B. As for the discount suffered by an energy-intensive house, it reaches up to -17%, specifies the study.
In this context, MoneyVox questioned the contributors to its forum to find out if they too were thinking of putting their property up for sale as soon as possible or carrying out the necessary work before parting with their accommodation or continuing to rent it. I have two houses, one of which is rented, and I intend not to renew the lease on chance because she was already class F under the old DPE. I can’t improve the insulation further, it would be too expensive. The costs to get out of the F or E label can be prohibitive, explains Christine P. The tenants have been there for 7 years, no complaints to make but we will sell at the chance of the lease, i.e. in two years. I haven’t raised the rent in 7 years and just did it this year because I want to sell and that investors look at the amount of rent to assess the profitability of the project.
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In the end, we sold without asking ourselves any questions
Christine’s second house is for sale with energy compliance work estimated at nearly 80,000 euros as part of a so-called global renovation. And this, even if devices like MaPrimeRenov’ help with means-tested financing on an average proportion of one third of the total bill. Impossible to insulate the walls from the outside in the city center. Inside? In old houses, the rooms become ridiculously small or you have to rethink the space, break load-bearing walls… The best solution for me is therefore to sell. My buyer will not rent, will live in the premises and will be able to carry out the work at his own pace.
Buffeto also made the choice to part with his property: Last year, I had a badly classified rental apartment in a residence that was nevertheless fairly recent and in good condition. We discovered the bad energy result during the renewal of the lease. In the end, we sold without asking ourselves any questions with a nice capital gain.
Investors are targeting small areas, which are easier to rent
In this context where many owners are putting their property up for sale, there are going to be great deals to be had, Damienn wants to believe. Investors are targeting small areas, which are easier to rent and whose yield is better, insists Christine P.
But beyond that, some are also worried about the consequences of the new ECD for many households. Downgrading housing E, F, G to substandard housing will generate stress on the housing stock, especially among low-income tenants, fears LeBadeil. In some large cities, there is a lack of new housing and some old housing will no longer be able to accommodate tenants (after the end of a current lease, editor’s note) because of excessively high renovation costs, or simply linked to a dead end of unvoted collective works in a condominium.
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