In Draguignan, the rental permit for real estate is delivering its first results: so what does it look like?

Since 2021, the municipality and the urban area have been carrying out a planned operation for housing improvement and urban renewal (OPAH-RU). This program provides assistance to individuals for the thermal renovation of their properties, but also to combat substandard housing. Among the existing measures is the rental permit.

"This system allows us to continue the positive momentum we have been building for several years and to continue the fight against housing and slum landlords," recalls Sylvie Francin. The deputy mayor responsible for housing presented a resolution in June to expand the scope of the rental permit. In Draguignan, the latter was implemented over a large part of the old town center in December 2023, then extended to the Place du Marché on September 18, 2024. "This resolution allows us to expand the scope of the rental permit, particularly around the Place du Marché, because some buildings are through-streets from Rue du Combat in particular," explains the elected official. "We are also taking the opportunity to remove buildings owned by the municipality."

A system implemented by the Family Allowance Fund

In practice, obtaining a rental permit is simple. Owners wishing to rent out their property must submit an application. The property is then inspected by an agent during a visit. While some municipalities use municipal agents to monitor applications and carry out inspections, others may delegate this to a third-party organization. This is the case for the municipality of Dracénoise, which uses the Family Allowance Fund (CAF) of Var to manage the rental permit.

During the municipal council meeting, Sylvie Francin took the opportunity to make an initial assessment using the figures provided by the Caf. They allow us to assess the situation from the implementation of the system in 2024, then during the 2025 financial year . "Today, 150 applications have been submitted since October 1, 2024, distributed as follows: 86 applications granted in the first instance, including 29 that had been refused and then granted with the submission of additional documents," reports the elected official. And to detail a little more: "One application was refused twice, then after the provision of additional documents, was finally granted."

28 permits definitively refused

And to mention the cases for which a refusal was necessary. "28 applications were definitively refused; four were resubmitted and three are unfit for habitation, so it is impossible to find habitable solutions for them. And one application was refused twice and is again being processed after submitting additional documents," said Sylvie Francin. "Today, there are 14 complete applications still being processed, five incomplete applications are awaiting additional documents, seven applications were definitively cancelled and seven applications were submitted late, and three applications are outside the scope."

To ensure that the rental permit is fully implemented, the Family Allowance Fund relies on the housing assistance it distributes within the area.

Thus, the CAF was able to identify 23 tenants in the area. "Therefore, there are still 23 owners concerned by the rental permit who have not yet submitted an application for authorization. 21 of them received a letter. Two of them then submitted their application. To date, six landlords have submitted an application to regularize their situation and seven have committed to submitting an application soon," reports Sylvie Francin. "We therefore have six owners who remain without answers, we have followed up with them, we will summon them."

As for the current year, the municipality has a file dating from March 2025: "There are 22 Caf beneficiaries, including two outside the scope." If "five rental permits were granted" , there is also "one refusal, four landlords contacted by telephone and seven who have come forward today indicating that they have submitted an application to be in compliance."