France combines rental restrictions on poorly rated homes with large renovation subsidies. A guide to the DPE, the Climate and Resilience Law, MaPrimeRénov’ and the other instruments.
France has one of the most developed sets of building renovation policies in the EU. It combines a legally enforceable energy certificate, rental restrictions on the worst-rated homes, large subsidy programmes and an obligation on energy suppliers to finance energy savings. Many of these rules were in place before the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive was adopted, so France offers an early view of how such policies work in practice.
The DPE: a certificate with legal force
The diagnostic de performance énergétique (DPE) is France’s energy performance certificate. A reform that took effect in July 2021 changed it in two ways. First, the rating is now calculated from the building’s characteristics, such as insulation, windows and heating system, rather than from past energy bills, which depended on how the occupants used the home. Second, the DPE became legally enforceable: a buyer or tenant can rely on it, and an incorrect certificate can have legal consequences.
The rating combines two indicators, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and the building’s class is set by the worse of the two. The recast EPBD requires all member states to move towards a common A to G certificate scale, so the DPE will need to be aligned with the EU template.
Rental restrictions under the Climate and Resilience Law
The Loi Climat et Résilience of August 2021 uses the DPE to set minimum standards for rented housing. Homes below a given class are treated as not meeting the decency standard and can no longer be let under new leases:
- G-rated homes from 2025;
- F-rated homes from 2028;
- E-rated homes from 2034.
Since August 2022, rents on F- and G-rated homes can no longer be increased. This is effectively a minimum energy performance standard for the rental market, of the kind the recast EPBD allows member states to adopt as part of their residential renovation trajectory.
MaPrimeRénov’
MaPrimeRénov’, launched in 2020 and run by the national housing agency Anah, is the main renovation grant for homeowners. It has two tracks:
- Single measures, such as a heat pump, with grants that depend on household income.
- Comprehensive renovation (rénovation d’ampleur), for projects that improve the home by at least two DPE classes and include insulation works. Households on this track must start with an energy audit and be guided through the project by an accredited adviser, Mon Accompagnateur Rénov’.
The scheme has changed often. In 2025 the comprehensive track was temporarily limited to lower-income households and to homes rated E, F or G, and applications were paused at the start of 2026 before the portal reopened in February 2026. The frequent changes illustrate a wider problem with stop-and-go subsidies, which the Renovation Wave has also faced.
Other instruments
- Energy savings certificates (CEE). Energy suppliers are obliged to finance energy savings, and they do so by paying bonuses for eligible works. The bonuses are available regardless of household income and can be combined with MaPrimeRénov’.
- The eco-PTZ. A zero-interest loan of up to €50,000 for energy renovation works, repayable over up to 20 years.
- France Rénov’. A public network of advisers that gives owners free, independent guidance. It works as the kind of one-stop shop the recast EPBD now requires every member state to provide.
- RGE certification. Most subsidies require the works to be carried out by a contractor with the RGE quality label.
New buildings: RE2020
For new construction, the RE2020 regulation has applied since January 2022. It limits energy use and also sets limits on life-cycle carbon emissions, including the materials used to build. The recast EPBD will require all member states to calculate and disclose the life-cycle global warming potential of new buildings: from 2028 for buildings above 1,000 m², and from 2030 for all of them. France already goes further by setting limits on that carbon.
Challenges to 2030
The main challenge is depth. Single measures such as replacing a heating system are much more common than comprehensive renovations, and the rental rules create pressure on owners of F- and G-rated homes who may lack the means to renovate. How France handles that tension, between enforcing standards and supporting owners and tenants, will be closely watched in other member states. For the EU-wide framework, see the EPBD Policy Tracker; for France’s place among other member states, see the country profiles.