For Bordeaux owners who thought their only options were to sell at a loss or commit to heavy renovation works, the Lecornu government's announcement changes the picture. But between political headlines, a bill still pending a vote, and strict conditions, caution is essential. Here is everything you need to understand — with a focus on Bordeaux Métropole, which is particularly exposed.
Fact-check: what is true, what is nuanced
Since the announcement, information has circulated in disorder. Below are six recurring claims tested against official sources and current legislation, to clearly separate what is confirmed from what deserves nuance.
G-rated properties have been banned from rental since 1 January 2025.
The ban has been in force since 1 January 2025 for all G-rated properties (consumption above 450 kWh/m²/year).
F-rated properties were due to be banned from rental in 2028.
The 2021 Climate and Resilience Act scheduled this ban for 1 January 2028.
The Lecornu government announced the possibility of re-letting G and F properties under conditions.
Announced on 23 April 2026. Conditions: signed renovation contract, 3-to-5-year deadline, minimum target of class E.
It is already the law.
This is a bill, not a voted law. The text still needs to be examined by the National Assembly before summer 2026. The G ban remains fully in force.
700,000 properties would be returned to the rental market.
Government figure. Distinct from the 850,000 homes already reclassified by the January 2026 EPC reform (two separate measures).
It is good news with no strings attached.
The counterpart is a firm contractual commitment to renovation works. An owner who signs and fails to deliver the works is exposed to sanctions.
What the Lecornu bill actually says
The Lecornu announcement pursues two objectives simultaneously: reboot rental supply — 1.4 million F and G homes are currently off the market in France — and fund energy renovation through rents collected during the works period. On paper, a win-win logic.
The mechanism is straightforward: the owner signs a formal contract with a certified RGE professional (Reconnu Garant de l'Environnement), committing to carry out the works required to reach at least class E. This contract is what authorises the property to be re-let. Without a signed contract, the ban remains fully applicable.
Conditions, deadlines and classes affected
| EPC Class | Current situation | If law adopted | Works deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| G | Banned since Jan 2025 | Re-lettable with signed works contract | 3 years (house) / 5 years (joint ownership) |
| F | Banned from Jan 2028 | Ban suspended with works contract | 3 years (house) / 5 years (joint ownership) |
| E | Banned from Jan 2034 | Not affected by this announcement | — |
| D → A | Lettable | Unchanged | — |
Sources: French government announcement of 23 April 2026 (Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu) · Current framework: Climate and Resilience Act of 22 August 2021 · Final terms to be confirmed after parliamentary scrutiny.
Caution — not yet law
As of 28 April 2026, this text has not yet been voted. The ban on letting G-rated homes remains legally in force. Signing a lease on a G-rated property before the law is passed exposes the owner to tenant claims. Do not take any decisions on the assumption the bill will pass.
Bordeaux Métropole: striking numbers
Bordeaux Métropole is particularly exposed. Its older housing stock — concentrated in central Bordeaux and in Mérignac, Pessac and Talence — shows shares of energy-inefficient properties well above the national average. Here are the key figures.
of homes built before 1975 are rated F or G in Bordeaux Métropole
F or G properties estimated in the private rental stock of the metropolitan area
homes already reclassified in France thanks to the EPC reform of 1 January 2026
Bordeaux is a rental-tension area — every home returning to the market matters
In Bordeaux, studios and one-bedroom flats — heavily concentrated in student districts (Saint-Michel, Victoire, Bastide) — were the first beneficiaries of the January 2026 EPC calculation reform. Lowering the electricity conversion coefficient from 2.3 to 1.9 allowed thousands of small, electrically-heated flats to exit the F or G band.
For others — gas-heated, oil-heated properties, or those with genuinely poor insulation — the situation is unchanged. These are the owners primarily targeted by the Lecornu announcement. To benchmark a property in today's market, see our complete 2026 Bordeaux property price analysis by neighbourhood.
The key timeline
To understand where we stand, the 23 April announcement needs to be placed in a longer sequence. Five key milestones structure the timeline of energy-inefficient homes in France and Bordeaux.
1 January 2025 — In force
Ban on letting G-rated homes
Existing leases can continue; new lettings are banned. In Bordeaux, around 6,000 to 8,000 G-rated homes are affected.
1 January 2026 — In force
EPC calculation reform (electricity coefficient 2.3 → 1.9)
850,000 homes in France exit the energy-inefficient bracket. In Bordeaux, a strong impact on electrically-heated studios and one-bedroom flats.
23 April 2026 — Today
Lecornu announcement: bill to allow F and G re-letting under conditions
Signed works contract, 3-to-5-year deadline, minimum target of class E. Not yet law. Parliamentary scrutiny expected before summer.
Summer 2026 — If adopted
Possible entry into force of the new framework
Subject to parliamentary adoption, G and F owners would be able to sign a works contract to re-let their property.
1 January 2028 — If the bill is not adopted
Ban on letting F-rated homes
Around 20,000 additional properties would be affected in Bordeaux Métropole.
What this concretely changes for you, owner in Bordeaux Métropole
The Lecornu announcement is good news — conditional good news. It opens a third path where only two existed before (sell or renovate). But that third path is neither free nor without commitment.
If your property is G-rated
Your property has been off the rental market since January 2025. If the bill is adopted, you will be able to re-let provided you sign a works contract committing to renovation up to class E within 3 to 5 years. During this period, you will receive rent — which helps fund the works. The risk: if the works are not completed within the deadline, you face sanctions and tenant claims.
If your property is F-rated
You can still let it today. The government's announcement secures your horizon beyond 2028 — but again, subject to renovation commitments. There is no exemption: this is a contractually-framed reprieve, not a removal of the obligation.
The question Bordeaux owners ask most often
"Should I renovate or sell?"
The answer depends on three factors: the real cost of works to reach class E, the property's value as-is versus renovated, and your investment horizon. A G-rated home in Mérignac does not have the same post-renovation appreciation potential as a three-bedroom flat rated F in Bordeaux's Triangle d'Or.
The three options to consider
Facing an F or G property in Bordeaux Métropole, three strategies emerge. None is universally right — everything depends on your wealth situation and your tolerance for regulatory risk.
For a property suitable for renovation, see our complete guide to buy-to-let investment in Bordeaux and high-yield neighbourhoods. For those who prefer to sell, our deep dive on selling a Bordeaux property at the best price covers every step.
My advice at this stage: do not yet decide based on a text that does not yet exist. On the other hand, this is the ideal moment to get a precise picture of your situation — current property value, estimated renovation cost to reach class E, available subsidies, projected rental yield. With those numbers in hand, you will be able to decide intelligently as soon as the law is adopted — or to sell if the figures are not in your favour.
In all cases, both scenarios (sale and renovation) deserve to be costed side by side. That is exactly what I do free of charge, within 48 hours, for owners across the metropolitan area.
Verified sources
- Franceinfo — The government wants to allow energy-inefficient homes to be let under certain conditions, 23 April 2026
- Franceinfo — Deadlines, works, homes affected: three questions on energy-inefficient housing, 25 April 2026
- CNews — Energy-inefficient homes: why nearly 700,000 properties are about to return to the rental market, 24 April 2026
- ADEME / EPC Observatory — housing stock data by energy class, Jan. 2025
- Bordeaux Immo 9 — EPC in Bordeaux: over 40% of older properties at risk of rental ban
- DGFIP / Sustainable development statistics — housing stock by EPC class, Jan. 2025
- Grange-Delmas Immobilier — EPC 2026: a new calculation that reshuffles the deck, especially in Bordeaux
Article for information only. Nothing herein constitutes legal or tax advice. Check the current legal position at the time of any decision.
James Nisbet
IAD Prestige property agent · Bordeaux Métropole
Based in Bordeaux Métropole for eighteen years, I am an IAD Prestige agent specialising in the area's premium residential market. What I have been seeing since the 23 April announcement is cautious hope among many owners who thought their only option was to sell at a loss. My role: cost both scenarios — sale and renovation — so you can decide with cool-headed real numbers rather than intuition.