The right to housing (DALO) theoretically guarantees relocation for priority households within a defined timeframe. In practice, the number of DALO appeals reached a record high in 2025 in certain regions, with waiting times extending between the favorable decision of the mediation commission and the actual housing offer. Tracking the progress of one’s DALO file online has become an administrative survival reflex for thousands of applicants.
Actual delays after a favorable decision: what platforms do not show
Online tracking tools generally display a synthetic status: file submitted, file under review, decision made, proposal pending. This breakdown masks a more granular reality.
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Between being recognized as a priority household and receiving a housing offer, the legal timeframe is six months for housing and three months for accommodation. However, field reports diverge significantly on the adherence to these timelines. In the most strained areas, thousands of recognized priority households remain without an offer well beyond the legal deadline.
The status displayed on the platform does not always distinguish the intermediate steps: transmission of the file to the prefect, referral to a social landlord, follow-up with the landlord after refusal. An applicant checking their online space may see “pending proposal” for months without understanding where the blockage lies.
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The ability to perform DALO file tracking online remains useful, but it does not replace direct contact with the prefecture or the mediation commission for obtaining clarifications.
Île-de-France platform and other departments: very uneven tracking tools
In Île-de-France, a dedicated extranet allows users to create, submit, and track a DALO or DAHO file directly online. The user space provides access to submitted documents, progress status, and any requests for additional documents. The site also recommends using a computer rather than a phone for optimal navigation.
Outside Île-de-France, the situation varies significantly from one department to another. Some prefectures offer digital tracking via their site, while others limit themselves to an acknowledgment of receipt by mail. There is no unified national portal for DALO tracking. The Service-public.fr site redirects to regional platforms when they exist, but does not centralize file statuses.
The available data do not allow for a complete inventory of departments equipped with online tracking tools. An applicant must first check with their departmental prefecture if an extranet exists, and if not, contact the mediation commission’s secretariat directly.
Accessible information depending on the platforms
- Status of the file (submitted, complete, under review, decision made) and date of the last update
- Documents submitted and any missing documents indicated by the commission
- Decision of the mediation commission (favorable, unfavorable, irrelevant) with the notification date
- Indication of the remaining legal timeframe before the possibility of referring to the administrative court
Appeal to the administrative court: tracking after the mediation commission
When the mediation commission issues a favorable decision and no suitable housing offer arrives within the specified timeframe, the applicant can refer the case to the administrative court. This contentious appeal constitutes the second phase of the DALO system, and its tracking follows different rules.
The administrative court does not use the same platform as the mediation commission. Tracking the contentious procedure goes through the Télérecours citoyens application, accessible online, which allows for submitting a request and checking the progress of the judicial file. The two systems do not communicate with each other.
A DALO applicant engaged in a contentious appeal must therefore monitor two distinct spaces: that of the mediation commission (for tracking relocation) and that of the administrative court (for the legal procedure). This dual monitoring complicates the process for applicants who are less familiar with digital tools.
Points of vigilance for the contentious appeal
- The appeal must be introduced within four months after the expiration of the relocation deadline set by the commission’s decision
- The court can order the state to relocate the applicant under financial penalty, but the actual execution depends on the availability of housing
- The court’s decision does not guarantee immediate relocation: it creates a legal obligation accompanied by penalties
Pressure on the social housing stock and concrete limits of digital tracking
The current context of social housing directly impacts the usefulness of online tracking. With several million social housing applications pending nationally, even households recognized as DALO priority find themselves in dense waiting lines. The status “pending proposal” can remain displayed for a considerable time without any visible action on the applicant’s side.
Online tracking informs about the administrative status of the file, not about the actual likelihood of relocation. A file marked as “priority” on the platform does not mean that suitable housing will be available within a foreseeable timeframe, especially in areas where demand structurally exceeds supply.
For applicants, regularly checking the online space remains relevant to detect a request for additional documents or a status update. However, the absence of change on the platform for several weeks does not necessarily indicate a malfunction. It often reflects the reality of a system confronted with a housing shortage that digital solutions cannot resolve.