He had until now opposed it, in the name of respect for private property. The mayor (Horizons) of Nice now declares himself in favor of a form of rent control in the fifth largest city in France, among the most expensive in France for real estate. “We are working on the precise rules to be put in place following a dialogue with the stakeholders concerned,” explained Christian Estrosi on Monday, during a situation update on housing in the Nice metropolis. The implementation of such a measure, already underway in several large cities, and in particular those of Paris, Lyon and Lille, “should not be a brutal decision”, also assured the city councilor.
Rent control is, however, a “social emergency” in Nice, the citizen gathering Viva! warned last week. throwing a petition to demand its establishment. According to an inventory published by Seloger, the Riviera capital was, last September, the large city which recorded the highest increase in rents in France, with +6.1% in one year and an average price of 18.9 euros. per square meter, “among the highest”. And this, while the stock of rental properties has been divided by three in twelve months (-33.9%), also indicates the platform.
The notion of “progressive” supervision
After having opposed a categorical “no” to a control measure, the metropolis focusing “its efforts on different tools allowing it to influence the rents charged, without discouraging landlords”, Christian Estrosi indicates that he is now ready to consider it cautiously, in a “progressive” way. “I have requested a report on this issue,” he explained.
“We welcome this announcement,” reacted the members of Viva! The gathering, competing in the last municipal elections, nevertheless remains on alert. “The notion of “progressive control” used by the mayor of Nice is not based on a legal concept, it could, in the end, reduce rent control to a simple announcement effect”, fears the group in a press release .
Christian Estrosi assures us that “a workshop, as part of the development of the fourth Local Housing Program, will bring together the housing stakeholders concerned on this theme”. After that ? No date for the implementation of such a system has been announced at this time. If it is actually decided, a decree will still have to authorize it. Then, a prefectural decree will set the level of reference rents not to be exceeded, according to different criteria and in particular the rental property sector.