Published on : 01 June 20202 min reading time

In a private housing rental contract, the rent can be revised. Landlords and tenants should inquire about their rights. Whether it is for a decrease or an increase in the rent, there are several essential points to know.

What is a rent review

Rent adjustment is the increase or decrease in the rent of a household. It is made according to a date written on the lease or the date of signature of the lease. The amount cannot exceed the IRL, which is the rent reference index. It is the average over the last 12 months of the change in consumer prices excluding tobacco and rent. On the day of the request for rent review, it takes effect immediately. From the date of the revision, tenants have one year to make the request. The revision is no longer feasible after this period. Rent adjustment is possible under different conditions.

Conditions for a rent adjustment

The rent can be revised once a year if this is provided for in a clause on the lease. If there is no revision clause, the rent does not change until the end of the contract. However, a rent adjustment is possible in exceptional cases. When work has been carried out by the landlord, the landlord can ask for an increase in the rent even during the course of the lease. A request for a decrease is also possible if the request for a rent review is made between the 9th and 6th month before the end of a three-year period (a period of 3 years).

How to calculate the rent review?

The calculation is based on the Rent Reference Index or RRI. Its variation makes it possible to calculate the increases that landlords can ask tenants for. The elements taken into account are: the rent without charge before its increase noted by (L); the new amount of the IRL which is the result of the reference quarter recorded in the lease or the quarter of the last IRL when the contract was signed which is noted by (N); and the reference rent index for this same quarter of the previous year noted by (P). To obtain the result of the new rent, the calculation is made according to the formula : (L × N) all divided by P.