Rental Permits in Merville, Estaires, La Gorgue and Haverskerque: What Changed on 1 September 2026?
Since 1 September 2026, a rental permit scheme has applied in designated areas of Merville, Estaires, La Gorgue and Haverskerque. Here is what landlords need to know about the properties concerned, the affected streets, the application process and potential penalties.
Rental Permits in Flandre Lys
Do you own a house or apartment that you rent out in Merville, Estaires, La Gorgue or Haverskerque?
Since 1 September 2026, an additional procedure applies before certain new lettings.
The Communauté de communes Flandre Lys, or CCFL, has introduced prior authorisation to let a property, known in French as Autorisation Préalable de Mise en Location, or APML. It is commonly called the “permis de louer”, or rental permit.
The scheme applies within designated areas across its eight member municipalities.
The measure was approved by the community council on 16 December 2025 as part of its policy to tackle unsafe, unhealthy and substandard housing.
For landlords, this is an important change. Where a property is covered by the scheme, finding a tenant and preparing a tenancy agreement are no longer sufficient. Prior authorisation must be obtained before the new letting, either through an express decision or through the applicable tacit approval procedure.
Why Introduce a Rental Permit?
A rental permit allows a local authority to assess certain properties before they are let in areas affected by poor housing conditions.
The French Construction and Housing Code allows competent local authorities to designate areas where letting a home requires prior authorisation. The aim is to tackle inadequate and unsafe housing.
This approach is not entirely new in Flandre Lys. A declaration scheme, known as déclaration de mise en location, already existed locally.
The introduction of prior authorisation adds an earlier stage of assessment within the designated areas.
Landlords should check which procedure applies to their property rather than assume that a previous declaration satisfies the new requirements.
Are All Properties in These Four Towns Covered?
No. The scheme does not apply throughout each municipality.
The CCFL has defined specific areas covering entire streets or, in some cases, only certain house numbers.
The property’s exact address must therefore be checked before a new letting.
Merville
The published area includes Rue du Pont de Pierre, Rue du Train de Loos, Rue Marcel-Lefebvre, Rue Robert-Duhamel, Rue Thiers, Rue des Capucins, Rue de la Prairie, Rue du Capitaine Charlet, Rue Basse and Rue du Capitaine Wambergue.
It also includes Cottage Duhamel, Impasse Duhamel, Cité Biebuyck, Place Bruel, Place de la Libération, Boulevard de la Liberté, Boulevard Foch, Boulevard Victor-Hugo, Avenue Clemenceau and Quai des Anglais.
The following sections are also covered:
Quai Courbet: numbers 2B to 46.
Rue du Général-de-Gaulle: even numbers 2 to 96 and odd numbers 1 to 91.
Rue des Prêtres: odd numbers 1 to 101 and even numbers 2 to 56.
Estaires
The designated area covers a substantial part of the town centre.
It includes Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, Place du Maréchal-Foch, Place Louis-Blanquart, Place Montmorency and Place Saint-Vaast.
It also includes Rue Aimé-Coupet, Rue de Lille, Rue des Récollets, Rue du Général-de-Gaulle, Rue du Lieutenant-Ernout, Rue du Quai, Rue Emile-Roche and Rue Philippe-de-Stavele, together with Quai du Rivage, Cité Marguerite and Impasse Ramon.
Only specified sections or addresses are covered on Rue de l’Égalité, Rue de Merville, Rue du Collège, Rue du 8-Mai, Rue du Sequoia, Rue du Trou-Bayard, Rue Jeanne-d’Arc, Rue Jules-Ferry, Rue Kennedy, Rue Roger-Verwaerde, Sentier rue Neuve and Rue Saint-Vincent-de-Paul.
For these streets, check the exact property number against the CCFL’s published list.
La Gorgue
The designated area includes Impasse de la Poste, Rue du 8-Mai, Rue des Tissages and Rue du Duc-de-Berry.
It also covers numbers 2 and 4 on Rue Auguste-Noël, specified sections of Rue d’en Bas, Rue de Béthune, Rue de Beaupré, Quai de l’Écluse, Rue de la Perche, Rue de Verdun and Rue du Général-de-Gaulle.
Other addresses include 95 and 97 Chemin du Halage, along with specified sections of Place du 11-Novembre and Rue Jean-Mermoz.
Check the published house-number ranges before assuming that a property is covered.
Haverskerque
The designated area is smaller, but several village streets are affected:
Rue du 11-Novembre: numbers 10 to 53.
Rue du Moulin: even numbers 76 to 80 and odd numbers 55 to 59.
Rue du 8-Mai: even numbers 42 to 266 and odd numbers 7 to 285.
Rue Bellot: numbers 22 to 72.
Rue de l’Église.
The whole village is not subject to the scheme. The property’s address determines whether the requirement applies.
The CCFL’s rental permit page provides the published address lists.
Which Lettings Are Covered?
The scheme concerns new lettings of homes within the designated areas, including reletting following a change of tenant, under the residential tenancy framework specified by French law.
A renewal or automatic continuation of an existing tenancy, or an amendment to its agreement, does not by itself trigger a new application under Article R.635-1 of the Construction and Housing Code.
Although the CCFL’s information page mentions tenancy renewals, the national regulation expressly excludes them. Landlords encountering conflicting instructions should request clarification from the housing department.
The statutory scheme also excludes homes let by social housing organisations and homes covered by the relevant agreements with the State.
For private landlords, the practical approach is straightforward: before a new letting, check whether the address and type of tenancy fall within the scheme.
How Do You Apply for a Rental Permit in Flandre Lys?
The CCFL asks landlords to submit their application one month before the intended letting.
Its current instructions direct applicants to the online planning and housing application portal.
The national form for requesting prior authorisation is Cerfa 15652*01. This is different from the form used to declare a letting.
The application must include the applicable property diagnostic file, known as the dossier de diagnostic technique, or DDT.
Depending on the property, this includes:
A lead exposure report where required.
Gas and electrical installation reports where applicable, particularly for installations more than fifteen years old.
A current risk disclosure report.
Other applicable documents required for the property.
The CCFL also lists asbestos documentation for certain properties. Landlords should check its current application checklist and distinguish these additional requirements from the documents normally attached to a tenancy agreement.
An acknowledgement is issued when the application is submitted.
Under national legislation, if no express decision is notified within the applicable one-month period following submission of a complete application, the authority’s silence constitutes prior authorisation.
An acknowledgement of submission is not, on its own, permission to proceed immediately.
A new authorisation is required for each subsequent new letting covered by the scheme. The authorisation must be attached to the tenancy agreement.
For assistance, contact:
Service Habitat Flandre Lys
500 rue de la Lys
59253 La Gorgue, France
Telephone: +33 (0)3 28 50 14 90
Email: [email protected]
Can a Rental Permit Be Refused?
Yes. Authorisation may be refused or made subject to conditions where the property does not meet the applicable housing standards or could compromise occupants’ safety or public health.
A refusal must state its reasons and identify the work or improvements required.
This makes early preparation important. Discovering an electrical problem, missing documentation or necessary repairs after finding a prospective tenant can delay the letting.
The application process should therefore be included in the landlord’s timetable alongside diagnostics, any required work and preparation of the tenancy agreement.
What Are the Penalties for Failing to Apply?
The potential penalties are significant.
The French Construction and Housing Code provides for a fine of up to €5,000 where a landlord lets a property without first submitting the required authorisation application.
For a further breach within three years, the maximum rises to €15,000.
Letting a property despite a refusal of authorisation can also result in a fine of up to €15,000.
These are maximum penalties, not automatic fixed charges. The scheme is a legal requirement for covered properties.
Landlords: Prepare Before Your Next Letting
If you own a rental house or apartment in Merville, Estaires, La Gorgue or Haverskerque, checking its exact address should now be an early step before reletting.
Two nearby properties, even on the same street, may be treated differently because the scheme sometimes applies only to specified house numbers.
This is also relevant when buying a rental investment property.
Alongside energy performance, renovation costs and expected rental returns, buyers should check whether the property falls within the rental permit area and what this means for their letting plans.
The address check is particularly relevant in the centres of Merville, Estaires and La Gorgue, where several streets are included.
Planning a Rental Property Project in Merville or the Lys Valley?
The rental permit scheme adds a compliance step that should be considered when assessing a rental investment and preparing a new letting.
Whether you are a landlord, a prospective investor or an owner considering selling a tenanted property, I can help you review your plans in Haverskerque, Merville, Estaires, La Gorgue and the surrounding municipalities.
For official confirmation that a specific address is covered, and for the current application requirements, the housing department of the Communauté de communes Flandre Lys remains the appropriate point of contact.
