Apur proposes an unprecedented assessment of the effects of rent controls being tested in Paris until November 2026.
After almost five years since the rent control scheme was initially implemented, the Paris Urbanism Agency - Apur - gives the first assessment of its impact. Introduced on 1st July 2019 in Paris, in the context of an affordable housing crisis, the experimental scheme has enabled rents to be limited for housing in the areas covered by the scheme, which are set by landlords under residential leases (including mobility leases). The decision to continue the scheme after the 23rd November 2026, when the trial period ends, is particularly influenced by the assessment of its efficiency.
In this context Apur in partnership with the City of Paris, asked a CESAUR economics research team to measure the effects of rent control in Paris. The team, made up of Marie Breuillé, Camille Grivault, Julie Le Gallo, Yoann Morin and Martin Regnaud, used causal inference methods and advertising data from the SeLoger group as well as lease data collected by the Paris Conurbation Rent Observatory - l’Observatoire des loyers de l’Agglomération parisienne -. The researchers were assisted by a steering committee formed of representatives from Insee Ile-de-France, the City of Paris, Government Departments in Ile-de-France, OLAP, Apur and qualified experts.
This first econometric study carried out in France to assess the impact of rent control shows that the system put in place has had the specific effect of moderating the rise of rents in Paris, which is distinct from inflation, changes in the the rent reference index IRL and even the economic situation. Without the framework, we have estimated that the average rent between July 2019 and June 2023 would have been 1,533€, whereas the average rent observed within the framework was only 1,469€, that is a saving of 64€ per month. This corresponds to a moderation in rent increase of -4.2% compared to the non-framework context. The effect tends to strengthen over time: it was -2.5% between mid-2029 and mid-2020 and reached -5.9% between mid-2022 and mid-2023. It is also, on average, greater in smaller homes than larger ones.
