Latest relocation developments - Increase in real estate agency fees as of January 1, 2026

On July 17, 2025, an official decree (Legifrance) confirmed the revision of the caps on agency fees charged to tenants under standard leases, known as "Law 89" or "ALUR Law."

These fees, which have remained unchanged since 2014, will now be indexed annually to the Rent Reference Index (IRL) starting January 1, 2026, marking the first change in a decade of frozen agency fees. With the recent publication by ANIL of the IRL for the 3rd quarter of 2025, compared with the IRL for the 3rd quarter of 2024, we can now deduce the caps applicable from January 1, 2026.

What changes in practice:

• Until December 31, 2025:
  • Very tight zones: 12 €/m²
  • Tight zones: 10 €/m²
  • Other areas: 8 €/m²
  • Inventory of fixtures: 3 €/m² (distinct and stable cap after the decree)
• From January 1, 2026:
  The caps for the services of visit, rental file creation, and lease drafting will be indexed to the change in the IRL between the 3rd quarter of 2024 and the 3rd quarter of 2025. According to the latest data published by ANIL, the IRL has increased by +0.87% over the year.

Estimations by zone (simulation)

Overall example (tight zone):

• “Visit + lease” fees: 505 € (instead of 500 €)
• Inventory of fixtures: 150 € (unchanged)
• Total: 650 € → 655 € (+5 €)

Therefore, we see a very modest increase, but symbolically significant after a decade of stability.

Key points to remember:

• This indexation will only apply to new "Law 89/ALUR" leases signed from January 1, 2026.
• Existing leases or tacitly renewed leases are not affected.
• The inventory fees remain fixed at 3 €/m².
• Agencies will need to update their rate schedules and clearly inform tenants and property owners.
• For households, this slight increase adds to other expected rises in 2026, notably the household waste tax.

In summary:
After a decade of stability, rental fees will now evolve, with the adjustment framework becoming flexible and updated annually. This measure is deemed necessary by professionals but comes at a time when tenants' purchasing power is already under strain.

Our Relocation Department remains at your disposal to assist you with all the steps of your move or relocation and to help you anticipate the practical impacts of this regulatory change.

Sources

• Legifrance – Arrêté du 17 juillet 2025 portant révision des plafonds des honoraires liés à la mise en location d’un logement imputables aux locataires
• Service-Public.fr – Honoraires de location : qui paie et combien ?
• ANIL – Tableau de l’Indice de Référence des Loyers (IRL)
• Capital – Budget 2026 : la mauvaise surprise qui va encore faire grimper votre taxe sur les ordures ménagères
• MySweetImmo – Hausse des honoraires d’agences pour les locations en 2026
• MonImmeuble.com – Revalorisation des honoraires de location