ClearFrance has recorded its highest number of forced evictions in history. In 2024, over 24,000 households were removed from their homes with police assistance — more than double the figure from a decade ago. This article examines the French housing crisis and how the enforcement system works.
Record Evictions in 2024
Households forcibly evicted in France (2024) — a 29% increase from 2023
The number of forced evictions (expulsions locatives) in France has multiplied by eight since 1983. The previous record of 19,000 evictions set in 2023 has been decisively broken.
The Eviction Pipeline
- 171,000 payment demands (commandements de payer) served on tenants in 2024 — up 11% year-on-year
- 81,000 judicial eviction decisions pronounced — up 9.3% year-on-year
- 24,000 eviction orders delivered — up 87% from 2023
- Only 10-15% of evicted households are successfully rehoused
Housing Shortage Crisis
2.6 million social housing applications were pending in 2024, whilst 4.2 million people were classified as poorly housed (mal-logés).
French Household Debt
French household debt as percentage of GDP (2024)
French household debt remains lower than the UK (118%) and Germany (100.4%), but has been rising steadily. Total household debt reached $2.34 trillion in September 2024 — an all-time high.
Rent Arrears
The estimated rate of rent arrears in France for 2024/25 is around 3.1%, lower than many European neighbours but rising.
The French Enforcement System
Commissaire de Justice
The Commissaire de Justice (formerly huissier de justice) is the French equivalent of a bailiff. They are authorised court officers who can:
- Serve legal notices and court documents
- Investigate debtor assets
- Execute court judgments including property seizures
- Carry out forced evictions with police assistance
2025 Reform: Faster Wage Garnishment
Since 1 July 2025, landlords can trigger wage garnishment (saisie sur salaire) without going through the enforcement judge, via a commissaire de justice, for rental debts up to €5,000.
La Trêve Hivernale (Winter Protection)
France has a unique protection called la trêve hivernale — the winter truce — which prevents evictions during the coldest months:
- Protection period: 1 November to 31 March each year
- Exceptions: Squatters and some social housing tenants
- Purpose: Preventing homelessness during winter
However, the 2023 "Kasbarian-Bergé" law significantly hardened eviction procedures, reducing possibilities for tenants to remain in housing and instructing préfets (regional officials) to evict more systematically once the truce ends.
Comparison with UK
While the UK and France have different systems, both face rising eviction pressures:
- UK: ~30,000 possession orders enforced annually
- France: 24,556 forced evictions in 2024
- Both countries face court backlogs and housing shortages
- Both have seen tightening of tenant protections
Facing Housing Issues in the UK?
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Request a QuoteSources
- Fondation pour le Logement (March 2025)
- French Ministry of Housing
- Banque de France (Q4 2024)
- CEIC Data
- Habitat Urbain Gestion