The qualification of a property in a tense zone does not rely on a simple search by city name. Two addresses in the same municipality may fall under different regimes depending on the date of lease signing and the applicable decree. Properly verifying this qualification requires cross-referencing three parameters: the geographical perimeter defined by decree, the lease date, and the regulatory framework in effect at the time of verification.
Decree No. 2013-392 amended: the reference text for identifying a tense zone in 2026
The classification of municipalities as tense zones is based on the decree No. 2013-392 of May 10, 2013, which has been amended several times. The latest substantial modification to the list of municipalities comes from decree No. 2023-822 of August 25, 2023, which expanded the perimeter to approximately 1,151 municipalities.
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We often observe confusion: many landlords are looking for a “2026 decree” to verify their situation. This text does not exist. The list applicable in 2026 remains that of the 2013 decree in its consolidated version after the 2023 amendments.
For leases signed, renewed, or extended from December 24, 2025, it is the decree No. 2025-1267 of December 22, 2025 that sets the conditions for applying the reduced notice period. This decree does not modify the geographical list of municipalities, but it updates the regulatory framework for tenant notice. Consulting the list of tense zones 2026 allows for a quick check to see if your municipality is included in this consolidated perimeter.
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Failing to distinguish between these two texts risks applying a notice or rent control regime that does not correspond to the actual lease situation.
Lease date and applicable regime: why the same municipality can produce different effects
The date of signing, renewing, or extending the lease determines which regulatory framework applies. Three periods currently coexist:
- Lease signed before August 27, 2023 (and not renewed since): the applicable tense zone perimeter is that of the 2013 decree in its version prior to the 2023 amendment. Some municipalities added in 2023 are therefore not considered tense for these leases.
- Lease signed or renewed between August 27, 2023, and December 24, 2025: the expanded list from decree No. 2023-822 applies, but the notice framework follows the regime prior to the December 2025 decree.
- Lease signed or renewed from December 24, 2025: decree No. 2025-1267 applies in full, both for the list of municipalities and for the notice terms.
A tenant whose lease was signed in 2022 in a municipality added to the list in 2023 does not benefit from the reduced one-month notice, unless the lease was renewed after August 27, 2023. This overlap of temporal regimes is the primary source of errors we encounter.
Rent control in tense zones: the decree extending it until July 31, 2026
The classification as a tense zone not only affects the notice period. It also conditions the regulation of rent increases upon re-letting. The decree No. 2025-652 of July 15, 2025 has extended this rent control mechanism until July 31, 2026.
This decree refers to the initial mechanism established by the decree of July 27, 2017. In a tense zone, a landlord cannot freely increase the rent between two tenants: the rent of the new lease is capped at the amount of the previous tenant’s rent, adjusted according to the IRL.
Exceptions to rent control upon re-letting
Two situations allow for deviations from this capping:
- The landlord has carried out improvement or compliance works amounting to at least the last year’s rent. In this case, a limited increase may be applied.
- The previous rent was clearly undervalued compared to rents in the neighborhood for comparable properties. Justification must be based on precise references.
- The property has remained vacant for more than 18 months: the landlord then regains the freedom to set the rent, but this situation remains regulated in certain municipalities where a prefectural order imposes a reference rent ceiling.
Verifying the tense zone must therefore be accompanied by checking the local rent control regime. Some municipalities in tense zones also apply a capping by prefectural order, adding an additional layer of constraint.
Tax on vacant properties and tense zones: a fiscal criterion often overlooked
The classification as a tense zone triggers liability for the tax on vacant properties for any property unoccupied for more than 12 months. The rate is 17% of the rental value in the first year, then 34% in subsequent years.
This tax applies to owners who keep a property empty without legitimate reason (ongoing work, active sale). We recommend checking the classification as a tense zone before making any decision to leave a property unoccupied, even temporarily between two rentals.
The verification is not limited to a search by postal code. The simulator on service-public.fr, updated to reflect decree No. 2025-1267, remains the most reliable method: it cross-references the municipality name with the lease date to determine the applicable regime. Lists published by third-party sites do not always specify the version of the decree used, which can lead to errors for municipalities added in 2023.
Verifying the tense zone involves cross-referencing three data points: municipality, lease date, applicable decree. Relying solely on a nominal list without these cross-checks exposes the landlord to a disputable rent setting and the tenant to a poorly calculated notice period. The rigor of the approach directly conditions the legal security of the lease.