Prices of second-hand dwellings and rents, 2000-2010
Between 2000 and 2010, prices of second-hand dwellings more than doubled while rents rose 29%, nearly matching the growth in household disposable income. Consumer prices, meanwhile, registered more modest increases. Rent increases began to slow in 2006, when the new rent reference index was introduced. These changes, measured on a constant-quality basis, coincide with a broader trend, i.e., the increase in the share of household income devoted to housing-related expenditures, including rent, monthly loan repayments, building maintenance charges, and individual expenditures on energy and water. The increase has been particularly steep for private-sector tenants and low-income households. The gaps between the Paris region and other regions are generally narrowing.