The 2026 Housing Recovery Bill: What Changes for Investors

Ten articles, five priorities, a stated ambition of two million homes by 2030. Put forward by Vincent Jeanbrun, Minister for Cities and Housing, the bill arrives in a tight market — around 278,000 homes delivered in 2025, roughly half of estimated needs. Beyond the political messaging, three measures speak directly to investors. Here's our breakdown.

The bill's five priorities, in brief

The bill is organised around five priorities:

• Revising the private landlord tax status (the Jeanbrun scheme);
• Bringing thermal sieves (F- and G-rated properties) back onto the rental market, subject to renovation works;
• Strengthening mayors' powers (builder mayors, local-interest schemes);
• Administrative simplification, particularly for voting on works in co-owned buildings;
• Support for shared housing for elderly people.

For a buyer-investor, priorities 1, 2 and 4 are the most significant. Let's see why.

1. A relaxed private landlord tax status

The Jeanbrun scheme, which came into force on 21 February 2026 to succeed the Pinel scheme, allows part of the value of an unfurnished rental property to be depreciated for tax purposes and that depreciation to be offset against rental income. The bill adjusts the parameters, in the direction of lowering the entry threshold for renovated older properties.

In concrete terms, for you: older properties requiring works become more attractive from a tax perspective, which lines up exactly with the type of property a hunter knows how to uncover — the property with potential, undervalued because it needs upgrading.

2. F- and G-rated properties reopened to rental

This is the most talked-about measure. Properties rated F or G, currently banned from rental under the timeline set by the Climate and Resilience law, could be brought back onto the market provided the landlord commits to carrying out works.

The proposed framework: reaching at least a D rating on the DPE, within three years for a single-family house and five years for a flat in a co-owned building, with the renovated property no longer allowed to keep a fossil-fuel boiler. The minister specified that a formally signed contractor's quote, with a deposit paid, would be required.

⚠️ Point of caution: This measure shifts the risk and cost of a time-constrained renovation onto the landlord. An F- or G-rated property bought "to take advantage of the reopening" is only a good deal if the cost of works is properly costed, realistic and covered by the purchase discount. It's a calculation, not a given.

3. Simplified voting on works in co-owned buildings

The historic obstacle to renovating thermal sieves isn't so much money as the voting rules at general meetings. The bill provides for lowering the majority thresholds needed to vote through major energy-renovation works — a substantial amendment to the law of 10 July 1965.

A notable point for a co-owned flat: the bill provides that a property could remain on the market for an additional 18 months if the general meeting refuses to carry out the works requested by the owner. A useful safety valve, but one that underlines just how much co-ownership management remains a risk factor to analyse before buying.

The timeline: one to watch closely

The government has launched the accelerated procedure. First reading at the Senate begins on 7 July 2026, with the goal of final adoption before the end of 2026. But without a stable majority in the National Assembly, the text will be amended, and several parameters — thresholds, timeframes, caps — may still change. A hearing on the co-ownership section is scheduled for 6 July.

✅ The right approach: Don't make a buying decision based on a bill that hasn't been passed yet. The broad direction is known, but the precise details remain under discussion. Anticipate, don't gamble.

The APPARTE analysis

This bill confirms an underlying trend: for an investor, value is shifting towards properties that can be intelligently renovated. A discounted thermal sieve with costed works, an older property eligible for the Jeanbrun status, a co-owned building with a healthy financial record… these are precisely the properties whose valuation requires an expert eye. We track the bill's progress through parliament and factor it into our analyses as it moves towards adoption, so your decisions are based on applicable law, not on headlines.

APPARTE decodes regulation in the service of your project

Jeanbrun status, thermal sieves to renovate, at-risk co-ownerships: we assess every property in light of the actual legal framework before you commit. Book an appointment.

General information current as of the date of publication, relating to a bill not yet passed; this does not constitute legal or tax advice. The provisions discussed may change during parliamentary debate — professional verification is recommended.