France’s rental crisis deepens as eviction delays hit 21 months on average
Tensions experienced by national council commissaires de justice members were 'particularly high'
The commissaires say it takes an average of 21 months in France to evict a tenant who is not paying rent, the second-longest time in Europe
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An alarming picture of France’s rental housing crisis has been painted by the commissaires de justice (formerly known as huissiers) – court officers in charge of organising evictions of tenants who fail to pay their rent.
The national council of the commissaires de justice said housing-related tensions experienced by its members were “particularly high”.
“Eviction procedures, abandoned rentals, unpaid bills and squats – the problems are numerous and call into question the balance between protecting tenants, owners’ rights and the real effect of judicial decisions,” the council said in its report.
While recognising that problems concern only a small proportion of France’s 38 million homes – 40% of which are rented out – the commissaires said there had been a 2.4% rise in court-issued payment orders in 2025, to 175,000 cases.
There has also been a 1.3% increase in court summonses for tenants behind on or not paying rent, reaching 147,000 cases.
Further along the judicial process, courts issued 30,500 eviction orders.
The commissaires say it takes an average of 21 months in France to evict a tenant who is not paying rent, the second-longest time in Europe after Italy (30 months).
In Spain, it takes an average of 15 months; in the UK, 12 months; in Belgium, 10 months; in Germany, nine months; in the Netherlands, seven and a half months; and in Finland, seven months.
It is not just private landlords who are affected. Figures from the Fondation pour le logement des défavorisés, quoted by the commissaires, show that 300,000 tenants in HLM social housing were more than three months behind on rent – about 6.4% of all HLM residents.
Eviction fails after court hearing
A court case last year in which property owners were unable to evict an elderly tenant highlighted the rules around locataire protégé (protected tenant) status.
Tenants can claim this status if they are over 65, have a modest income, and the property is their main residence.
In this case, a couple asked their 70-year-old tenant to leave so they could sell the house.
He refused, arguing that the owners had not provided alternative accommodation at a similar rent within five kilometres of the property. The owners took him to court, but lost.
