VSHow many unsanitary housing units are there in Saintes? A 2017 study estimated that 882 households live in what is administratively called the “potentially unworthy private housing stock”. Among them, 659 are tenants. It is difficult to say to what extent these figures correspond to reality. At the same time, the CAF reported about fifteen reports of problematic housing.
On the m…
VSHow many unsanitary housing units are there in Saintes? A 2017 study estimated that 882 households live in what is administratively called the “potentially unworthy private housing stock”. Among them, 659 are tenants. It is difficult to say to what extent these figures correspond to reality. At the same time, the CAF reported about fifteen reports of problematic housing.
Eliminating substandard and degraded housing is one of the objectives of the Saintes urban area, which has assumed this responsibility. Among the tools available, there is the “rental permit”, already implemented by cities such as Cognac and Angoulême. The municipality of Saintes, by delegation of the CdA, adopted the principle in December 2023. She clarified the details during the municipal council meeting on Thursday, July 11.
21 targeted streets
The deliberation set the scope of the system. The most restrictive measure, the Prior Authorization for Rental (APML) applies to 21 streets, three on the right bank (Pelletan, Arc-de-Triomphe, Du-Perat) and 18 on the left bank, mainly in the hypercentre. In these areas, before renting, the owner must fill out a form with a certain amount of information. The City has one month to examine the file and visit the premises. It can then accept, refuse or request work.
In the rest of the city, owners will have to write a “rental declaration” within fifteen days of establishing a new contract. As its name indicates, the procedure is declarative. It is presented as “preventive and educational”. The data will also allow the community to refine its expertise.
“We start small”
“How were the sectors determined? I visited particularly unsanitary buildings in other streets, Avenue de la Marne and Rue des Mortiers for example,” asks the former mayor, Jean-Philippe Machon. “We start small, and then we will expand,” replies the deputy in charge of the file, Évelyne Parisi. “A missed opportunity,” says Mr. Machon.
“Won’t this slow down rental dynamics?” worries Pierre Maudoux. “The rental market is extremely tight. For some owners, it’s an important source of additional income. They can’t necessarily do any work,” agrees his colleague Didier Martin. “If they have nothing to hide, there won’t be a problem,” tempers Évelyne Parisi.
“We are not talking about a slightly ugly wallpaper but about unsanitary housing. This will put a stop to bad practices. It at least has the merit of existing,” defends Bruno Drapron. The mayor points out that there are various forms of assistance in the policy deployed by the agglomeration to promote rehabilitations and boost the rental stock.
The “rental permit” will come into force in January 2025. This gives the city’s services and owners six months to prepare. We imagine that it will take a little time after that for the 4,400 private rental properties listed in Saintes to declare themselves.