Rent control 2026: Which new cities are taking the step for the start of the academic year?

Preparing for the start of the academic year is often stressful for students looking for accommodation, but it also raises questions for hosts wishing to rent out their property properly. In this pivotal year, the French real estate landscape is undergoing major developments. With the extension of the 2026 rent control to new urban areas, the rules of the game are changing for long-term rentals and shared housing. Far from being an obstacle, this regulation aims to balance the market and secure relationships between landlords and tenants.

At Roomlala, we know that understanding regulatory news is essential to give you peace of mind, whether you are a host offering a homestay or a student looking for the ideal shared housing for the start of the academic year. This article explains in detail the impact of these measures on the student market and reminds you of the many advantages of the 'bail mobilité' (mobility lease) in France.

Read also: Student housing Canada 2026: What is the impact of the new cap on room rentals?, Student housing shortage in Switzerland: Homestay, a vital solution for 2026 and Student accommodation EPC 2026: Everything you need to know about the new rental rules in Belgium

2026 rent control: What is actually changing this year

The new rent control cities

Since the implementation of the Elan law, several large French metropolises have been testing rent caps to fight against price spikes in tense areas. Until now, cities like Paris, Lyon, Lille, Bordeaux, and Grenoble were at the forefront of this measure. However, the big news this year is the integration of new municipalities. Indeed, new urban areas are applying rent control in 2026, joining the list of regulated zones.

Among these newcomers, we find key cities for the student market and professional mobility:

• Marseille: the city is taking the step to regulate a market under increasing pressure.
• Annemasse: a border city with Switzerland, it is part of the group due to local real estate inflation.
• Cergy: a major university hub in the Paris region, which is adopting this measure to protect its students.
• Grand-Orly Seine Bièvre: this vast territory in the Paris region is harmonising its rental rules.

For hosts in these sectors, it is now imperative to adapt to this new situation before signing any new lease for the start of the academic year. At Roomlala, we strongly advise hosts located in these new zones to familiarise themselves with the official map of their municipality today. For example, if you own an apartment in Cergy that you wish to rent to a student, you can no longer set your rent price completely freely. Knowing your specific geographical sector is the essential first step to offering a compliant and attractive listing.

How does the increased reference rent work?

The central mechanism of this legislation is based on what is known as the 'increased reference rent'. This is a price ceiling per square metre that the host cannot legally exceed. This amount is not chosen at random: it is calculated according to several very strict criteria. The prefectural decree takes into account the specific geographical sector (often defined by neighbourhood), the number of rooms in the accommodation, the year the building was constructed, and finally the type of rental, i.e., whether the property is rented unfurnished or furnished.

It is crucial to note that these reference rents are re-evaluated each year by prefectural decree. Consequently, a rent deemed compliant in 2025 might require an adjustment for leases signed during the 2026 academic year. At Roomlala, we recommend that you systematically use the official simulators published online by the prefectures or the government. These free tools allow you to check the exact amounts applicable to your situation and avoid any calculation errors when drafting your listing.

Let's take a concrete example to illustrate this mechanism. Imagine you are renting a 15-square-metre furnished room in a three-room apartment in Marseille, built before 1946. By using the official simulator of the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture, you will discover the increased reference rent specific to your neighbourhood. If this ceiling is set at 20 euros per square metre, the rent excluding charges for this room cannot exceed 300 euros per month. Respecting this ceiling is the guarantee of a stress-free rental.

What is the impact on shared housing for the 2026 academic year?

The rules applicable to single leases and individual leases

Shared housing for the 2026 academic year promises to be dynamic, but it is not exempt from the new rent control rules. The application of the law differs subtly depending on the type of contract chosen by the housemates and the host. The regulation fully applies to shared housing with a single lease. In this case, the sum of the shares paid by all the housemates must not exceed the reference rent applicable to the entire dwelling.

If you opt for individual leases, i.e., a separate contract for each room rented, the rule is similar but applies to each contract. The rent of each room, relative to its surface area (sometimes including a share of the common areas according to case law), must respect the legal ceiling. This long-term rental legislation aims to prevent the division of an apartment into several rooms from becoming a way to circumvent the overall rent cap.

To illustrate, if a host in Annemasse rents a 80 m² T4 in a shared housing arrangement with three individual leases, they cannot set the rent for each room at 600 euros if the overall increased reference rent for the apartment is 1200 euros. They will have to adjust the rents of each room so that their total does not exceed the authorised ceiling, under penalty of sanctions. At Roomlala, we make sure to inform our community so that every shared housing arrangement takes place in the strictest legality.

Rent supplement: beware of abuses

There is an exception that allows exceeding the increased reference rent: the 'rent supplement'. However, the application of such a supplement is strictly regulated. It is exclusively reserved for properties with comfort or location characteristics that are objectively exceptional compared to similar properties in the same sector. The law is very clear on this point and the case law tends to be increasingly severe towards hosts who abuse it.

What is an exceptional characteristic? It can be an immense private terrace not overlooked in the heart of the city, an unobstructed view of a historic monument (like Notre-Dame de la Garde in Marseille), or rare luxury equipment. On the other hand, a recently renovated kitchen, the presence of double glazing, or simple proximity to public transport in no way justify a rent supplement, as these elements are already taken into account in the base calculation or considered as standards of decency.

Tenants, especially students, are increasingly informed of their rights. In the event of a dispute over an abusive rent supplement, the tenant has a period of time to refer the matter to the departmental conciliation commission. If the excess is deemed unjustified, the host is exposed not only to the cancellation of the supplement but also to administrative sanctions and the obligation to reimburse the entirety of the overpayment to the tenant. Transparency is therefore your best ally.

The French 'bail mobilité': The ideal solution for students and hosts

Why choose this contract for the start of the academic year?

In this changing regulatory context, the French 'bail mobilité' is an extremely flexible and secure option, both for hosts and tenants. Created by the Elan law, this short-term furnished rental contract (ranging from 1 to 10 months non-renewable) is specially designed for people in a situation of mobility. It is therefore perfectly suited to students, interns, or young professionals in training who are looking for accommodation for the academic year.

One of the major assets of the 'bail mobilité' is its administrative flexibility. Unlike a standard one-year furnished lease, the 'bail mobilité' prohibits the host from requiring a security deposit. To secure the host against the risk of non-payment or damage, this contract relies entirely on the Visale guarantee, a free system financed by Action Logement. At Roomlala, we strongly encourage the use of this guarantee, which considerably simplifies access to housing for young people.

Concretely, if you host an Erasmus exchange student in Cergy for a semester, the 6-month 'bail mobilité' is the tailor-made solution. The tenant does not have to block a large sum for their security deposit, and the host benefits from solid and free coverage. It is a win-win contract that makes the student rental market more fluid, especially during the peak of the September start of the academic year.

'Bail mobilité' and rent capping: what you need to know

Although the 'bail mobilité' is perceived as a short-term contract, it is important to dispel a common misconception: it is not exempt from long-term rental legislation regarding prices. Indeed, rent control applies in the same way to 'bail mobilité' leases located in tense zones subject to regulation. Renting for only a few months does not authorise you to set a rent higher than the increased reference rent of your municipality.

This measure provides direct protection for students for the start of the academic year, who are often the most vulnerable to high prices in the real estate market. When a student signs a 'bail mobilité' in Marseille or in the Grand-Orly Seine Bièvre in 2026, they have the guarantee that their rent respects the legal ceilings. For hosts, this implies demonstrating the same rigour in setting the price as for a standard one-year furnished lease.

Take the case of a host in Lyon (a city already subject to rent control) who decides to switch from a tourist-style Airbnb rental to a 9-month 'bail mobilité' for a student. They will be required to adjust their monthly rate to comply with the increased reference rent of their Lyon neighbourhood. At Roomlala, we provide our hosts with resources to help them make this transition serenely while maximising their occupancy rate over the academic year.

Long-term rental legislation: Towards the end of the experiment?

The rent control as we know it today is the result of a legal experiment from the 2018 Elan law. Legally, this test phase is theoretically scheduled to end in November 2026. This deadline raises many questions among real estate players. Are we going to see the end of the system, or on the contrary, its definitive establishment in French law?

Currently, government consultations are underway to decide on the extension or the consolidation of this measure. The first feedback from local rent observatories shows that the system has helped to curb the rise in prices in several large cities, although efforts remain to be made on monitoring and applying sanctions. The integration of new cities in 2026 is a strong signal suggesting that rent control could become a permanent feature of the legislative landscape.

For hosts, this transition period may seem uncertain. However, anticipation is the key. By scrupulously respecting the current ceilings, you secure your rental income and protect yourself against potential disputes. In the event of non-compliance with the ceiling, the host is exposed to heavy administrative sanctions:

• A fine of up to 5,000 euros for an individual.
• A fine of up to 15,000 euros for a legal entity.
• The strict obligation to reimburse the full overpayment to the tenant.

At Roomlala, we follow these parliamentary discussions very closely. Our goal is to provide you with reliable and up-to-date information so that you can rent your property with complete peace of mind. Whether the experiment ends, is extended, or transformed into definitive law, we will adapt our advice and tools to support you in managing your student rentals and shared housing.

Hosts and tenants: Roomlala's support for a serene start to the academic year

The application of the 2026 rent control and the arrival of new cities in the system can complicate rental procedures. However, these rules have the merit of clarifying the market and protecting all stakeholders. For a student, it is the assurance of finding a room or shared housing at a fair price. For the host, it is the guarantee of renting a property in full legality, establishing a climate of trust from the moment the lease is signed.

On the Roomlala platform, we make it a point of honour to facilitate your procedures. We regularly update our advice sheets to incorporate the latest developments in long-term rental legislation. When creating your listing, we invite you to check your reference rent if you are in a tense area. In addition, our secure messaging system allows you to communicate in full transparency with your future tenants or housemates to prepare for the start of the 2026 academic year.

Finally, do not forget that homestays remain one of the most friendly and economical solutions in the face of the student housing crisis. By combining the flexibility of the French 'bail mobilité', compliance with local regulations, and the support of a trusted platform like ours, you give yourself every chance to succeed in your year. Join the Roomlala community and approach this new academic year with serenity and security.