Vincent Jeanbrun rules out a nationwide extension of rent control.

Housing Minister Vincent Jeanbrun indicated on Wednesday that the government was “not in favor” of a nationwide implementation of rent control in France. This stance comes as the pilot program being conducted in several major cities is theoretically scheduled to end next November.

This statement follows the publication of a report commissioned by the government on the effects of the system currently in place in some sixty municipalities, including Paris, Lyon, and Lille. The document highlights results deemed “ambivalent”: rents appear generally moderate, but the system suffers from weaknesses in its management and oversight.

A debate has been reignited regarding the future of the system.

The report highlights, in particular, difficulties related to the lack of reliable data to accurately measure the effects of rent control on the rental market. Its authors also believe that the government currently lacks sufficient tools to ensure effective oversight of the system.

Those who support rent control now fear its outright disappearance in several cities due to the lack of new legislation. The Foundation for Housing for the Disadvantaged has launched a petition demanding its continuation, while some local authorities are calling for a swift extension of the pilot program.

Vincent Jeanbrun, however, announced the upcoming opening of consultations with local elected officials and parliamentarians in order to assess the follow-up to this policy of regulating the real estate market.