Annual rent revision in France: IRL calculation and conditions

An annual rent revision adjusts rent using France's rent reference index, the indice de référence des loyers (IRL). A calculation alone does not authorise an increase: the lease must allow revision and the property must satisfy the applicable restrictions.

This guide covers ordinary private furnished and unfurnished main-residence tenancies in France. Annual indexation is different from reassessing rent on renewal or agreeing an increase for improvement works. It does not describe UK or US rental law.

1. Check the lease before using the index

Find the revision clause, the agreed date and the reference quarter. Without a revision clause, the landlord cannot apply annual IRL indexation. Where a clause exists but gives no date, revision falls at the end of each contractual year. Where no reference quarter is specified, use the latest index published when the lease was signed.

Our guide to mandatory lease information and clauses explains which mechanisms must be included in the contract to operate.

Before changing the amount, distinguish the possible mechanisms: Increasing rent in France: indexation, works, reletting and renewal.

The energy rating may prohibit an increase: F- or G-rated homes in France: can the rent increase?.

2. Check restrictions before calculating

Rent increases are prohibited for F- or G-rated properties covered by the rent freeze: leases signed, renewed or tacitly renewed from 24 August 2022 in metropolitan France, and from 1 July 2024 in the five relevant overseas departments. Check the applicable energy performance certificate, known as the DPE, and the contract's position before making a request.

A French mobility lease does not allow revision during its term. Social housing, regulated agreements and tenancies governed by the 1948 law require their own rules to be checked. An IRL calculation does not resolve these legal questions. Source: official rent revision guidance (opens in a new tab).

3. Select matching reference indices

Use the lease's reference quarter in the revision year and the same quarter in the previous year. Do not compare different quarters or automatically use the latest index available on the day you calculate.

Select the correct geographical series: mainland continental France, Corsica or the overseas departments. Published values can differ. The official IRL guide (opens in a new tab) provides the reference information.

4. Apply the formula to rent excluding service-charge advances

Revised rent = current rent excluding charges × new IRL / previous IRL.

The following teaching example uses invented indices, not actual Insee publications:

If monthly charge advances remain €70, the payment due becomes €882. Advances are not automatically multiplied by the IRL: they follow estimated expenditure and annual service-charge reconciliation. A fixed charge package may, where the law and contract allow, follow the conditions for rent revision; it is not an advance.

Keep precision during the calculation and round the final result to the nearest cent. The rent revision calculator helps with the arithmetic; check the inputs and legal eligibility separately.

5. Request revision without backdating

The landlord has one year after the revision date to express the intention to apply it. Revision takes effect from the request and cannot recover increases for earlier months. Once that deadline passes, the missed annual revision is lost.

For example, if revision is due on 1 April but requested on 1 July, the landlord cannot claim an additional amount for April, May and June. Several forgotten annual increases should not simply be accumulated either.

Send a traceable written explanation identifying the clause, both indices, the calculation, the revised rent excluding charges and its effective date. Keep a copy and evidence of the request. Source: Article 17-1 of the French Law of 6 July 1989 (opens in a new tab).

6. Update the payment schedule without rewriting past receipts

Apply the amount to the relevant period and distinguish money requested from money received. A revision does not justify changing an earlier receipt that accurately reflected the payment made. Read the rent receipt guide to keep the schedule, payment and document consistent.

Frequently asked questions

Must the parties sign an amendment every year?

A revision exercised under an existing clause does not require recreating the lease. The tenant should nevertheless be informed and the calculation retained. Changes outside that mechanism need separate consideration.

Can the tenant check the amount?

Yes. Compare the clause, geographical series, both indices and starting rent, then report an error in writing. A local ADIL housing advice service can help where disagreement persists.

Can the landlord simply use the general inflation rate?

No. The calculation uses the two IRL values relevant to the lease. General inflation, higher service charges and neighbouring rents are different matters.

Checklist before sending the request

• Identify the clause and revision date.
• Check the tenancy regime and DPE restrictions.
• Use the same quarter and correct geographical series.
• Exclude charge advances and check the final rounding.
• Request revision within the deadline, without backdating.
• Keep supporting records with the lease documents.

Editorial verification: 29 October 2026. General information about French law; check the contract and property circumstances before acting.