Rent review in France: the IRL index explained
Lease clause, reference quarter, the formula with a worked example, the one-year deadline, the letter to the tenant and the F and G freeze: reviewing French rent with the IRL.
Kivlo · Updated November 7, 2026 · Sources checked November 6, 2026 · 4 min read
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If your lease has a review clause, you may raise the rent once a year, by no more than the change in the IRL (indice de référence des loyers, the rent reference index published every quarter by INSEE, the French statistics office). The review is not automatic: you must ask your tenant for it, it only applies from your request, and you lose it if you wait more than a year. It is forbidden for a home rated F or G on its DPE (diagnostic de performance énergétique, the energy performance certificate).
These rules apply to unfurnished and furnished lets used as the tenant's main residence. They come from article 17-1 of the law of 6 July 1989, the main French residential tenancy law.
First condition: a clause in the lease
No review clause, no review. The law is plain: the review happens "when the contract provides for the review of the rent". If your lease is silent, the rent stays as set at signing until the lease ends. At renewal, an increase is still possible if the rent is manifestly undervalued: see raising an undervalued rent at lease renewal.
The clause usually sets two things:
- the review date: the one written in the lease or, failing that, the lease's anniversary date;
- the IRL reference quarter: normally written in the lease. Failing that, it is the last index published on the date the lease was signed, according to ANIL, the national housing information agency.
One index per quarter
INSEE publishes an IRL every quarter. You always compare two indices of the same quarter, one year apart: for example the third quarter of 2026 with the third quarter of 2025. Corsica and the overseas departments have their own values.
The formula and a worked example
The formula given by Service-Public, the French government's official information site:
New rent = current rent × IRL of the reference quarter this year ÷ IRL of the same quarter last year
The calculation applies to the rent excluding service charges, and the result is rounded to the cent.
Example: a studio let for €800 a month excluding charges, with a review indexed on the third quarter.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Current rent excluding charges | €800.00 |
| IRL, Q3 2026 | 148.06 |
| IRL, Q3 2025 | 145.77 |
| Calculation | 800 × 148.06 ÷ 145.77 |
| New rent | €812.57 |
| Monthly increase | + €12.57 |
The law caps the increase at the change in the IRL: you may ask for less, never more. To run the numbers on your own lease, use our free IRL rent review calculator.
Latest IRL values
| Quarter | IRL (mainland France) | Change over one year | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 148.06 | + 1.57% | JO, 16 Oct 2026 |
| Q2 2026 | 148.37 | + 1.15% | JO, 12 Jul 2026 |
| Q1 2026 | 146.60 | + 0.78% | JO, 16 Apr 2026 |
| Q4 2025 | 145.78 | + 0.79% | JO, 16 Jan 2026 |
Source: Service-Public and INSEE, values as of 6 November 2026. JO is the Journal officiel, France's official gazette.
The deadline: one year, no catching up
Two rules work together, and they matter more than the formula.
The review is not retroactive. It applies from the date of your request, not from the review date in the lease. Service-Public gives the example of a lease reviewable on 13 March 2026: if the landlord asks on 13 June 2026, only the rent due from 13 June is reviewed. The three months in between are lost.
After one year, that year's review is lost. If you do not show your intention to review within one year of its effective date, you are "deemed to have waived the benefit of this clause for the year that has passed" (article 17-1). You cannot stack two years of increases the following year.
Ask on the review date
Every month of delay is a month of reviewed rent you will not get back. Note each lease's review date and send your request as soon as the relevant index is out.
The letter to the tenant
The law sets no template. ANIL strongly advises landlords to send the request by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt (lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception, or LRAR), restating the terms of the review. The date of the request is when the new rent starts, so you want to be able to prove it.
Your letter states:
- the lease clause that provides for the review, and the review date;
- the two indices used (quarter and value);
- the calculation and the new rent excluding charges;
- the date from which it applies.
Homes rated F or G: the rent is frozen
Since 24 August 2022, under the Climate and Resilience law of 22 August 2021 (loi Climat et Résilience), the review is forbidden for a home rated F or G, even when the lease has a review clause. The dates below, overseas included, are those given by Service-Public.
| Territory | Leases concerned |
|---|---|
| Mainland France | Leases signed, renewed or tacitly renewed since 24 August 2022 |
| Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, La Réunion, Mayotte | Leases signed, renewed or tacitly renewed since 1 July 2024 |
A lease already running therefore falls under the freeze when it is renewed or tacitly renewed. The Ministry for the Ecological Transition adds that the freeze also covers increases on renewal and between two tenants, and applies to unfurnished and furnished lets alike (furnished holiday lets are not concerned). It ends when works bring the home to at least class E, shown by a new DPE.
Check your DPE before you write
A review is only possible for a home rated A to E, backed by a valid DPE. If you do not know your home's class, have a DPE carried out before sending your request.
Special cases
- Furnished lets: the review follows the same rules (article 25-9 of the 1989 law).
- Bail mobilité (a short-term furnished lease): the rent cannot be reviewed during the lease (article 25-16).
Have your situation checked
Each lease has its own clause, review date and reference quarter. If you are unsure about the clause, an older lease or the DPE class, have your case checked by the ADIL (the free local housing advice agency) of your département or by a lawyer.
Sources
- Article 17-1 of law no. 89-462 of 6 July 1989 (Légifrance, in French)
- Rent reference index (IRL), Service-Public (in French)
- New IRL and annual rent review, ANIL (in French)
- Rent freeze for energy-inefficient homes, Ministry for the Ecological Transition (in French)
- Rent reference index, Q3 2026, INSEE (in French)
Last checked on 6 November 2026
Kivlo prepares your IRL reviews
On the Pro plan, Kivlo computes each lease's review on its date with the index quarter named in the lease, drafts the letter and emails it to your tenant. Home rated F or G: the review is blocked.
Frequently asked questions
Can I review the rent if the lease says nothing about it?
No. The annual review is only possible when a clause in the lease provides for it. Without one, the rent stays as set in the lease for its whole term.
Is the rent review automatic?
No. Even with a clause, the landlord has to ask for it. The new rent applies from the date of the request, never retroactively.
What happens if I forget to review the rent?
If you do not ask within one year of the review's effective date, you are deemed to have waived it for the year that has passed. That year's review is lost.
What is the latest IRL?
The IRL for the third quarter of 2026, published in the Journal officiel on 16 October 2026, is 148.06 in mainland France, up 1.57% over one year.
Can I raise the rent on a home rated F or G?
No. In mainland France, for leases signed, renewed or tacitly renewed since 24 August 2022, the review is forbidden when the home is rated F or G on its DPE.
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Kivlo
Kivlo editorial team
Updated November 7, 2026 · Sources checked November 6, 2026 · 4 min read