Traders ask for the generalization of the cap on the increase in commercial rents

Six trade federations asked the government and parliamentarians on Tuesday to “generalize» to large companies and «to prolong» for VSEs and SMEs the cap on the increase in commercial rents at 3.5% granted last August, in a context of high inflation.

While the quarterly national index of commercial rents (ILC) has just been published, “recording an increase of +6.29% over twelve months», these federations describe as «extremely dangerous” the situation “for businesses in the coming months“, according to a press release. Store leases are indexed to this index set up as part of the law on the modernization of the economy in 2008. Its calculation had already been modified in March 2022 after a long mobilization of traders.

Previously calculated according to three parameters: the evolution of consumer prices, that of new construction prices and that of retail turnover, which includes both in-store and online sales, the ILC now only depends on the first two parameters, which should make it possible to “halve the revaluation of indexed rents“according to Bercy.

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End of the cap scheduled for the end of the first quarter of 2023

The cap on the indexation of commercial rents at +3.5% only applies until the first quarter of 2023 and only for VSEs and SMEs, recalled the Alliance du Commerce, Commerssants et Artisans des Métropoles de France, the Confederation of French Traders, the French Franchise Federation, the National Federation of Clothing and Procos. Thus, large companies are left “without a solution in the face of the sharp increases in their rental costs“, according to them.

“In the current situation of a business facing multiple difficulties (increase in energy prices, wages, supplies, and pressures on consumption), failures of many networks and stores“, these federations ask “limit the explosion of real estate costs“. Last December, three trade federations (Alliance du Commerce, Fédération de la Franchise and Procos) asked landlords to cap the increase in commercial rents at 3.5% in 2023 for all businesses.