A guide to renting a home in France

The most common way of renting a home in France is through an estate agent, who is commissioned to rent out a property by the owner, propriétaire. Agents' fees vary, but a tenant, locataire, should expect to pay roughly one month's rent as a commission after locating a home.

 French law offers generous protection to tenants, including a prohibition of evictions during the winter and a lengthy process of appeals. Owners are therefore very cautious and the future tenant is required to present a battery of financial guarantees. During the period of the lease (usually 3 years) the tenant cannot be ousted either due to the sale of the property or because an owner wishes to re-occupy the premises. The tenant is always free; however, to leave at any time, subject to three-month term of notice delivered in writing to the agency/ landlord.

What you will be asked for (private rental)

• A French bank-account slip, relevé d'identité bancaire (RIB) that shows all account information; the landlord will ask for automatic monthly deduction of your rent, prélèvement automatique, from this account. Opening a French bank account is done by appointment only and receiving your chequebook will take several days if not weeks, so this is the first step to consider before renting a property.

• Pay slips, for at least the previous three months. In general, you will be required to prove that your monthly income is at least three times the monthly rent and that you are not currently on employment probation, nor close to retirement. The most common way to do this is simply to provide a copy of your employment contract as well as your payslips, which must include the date from when you have been employed and the length of the contract.

• ·         Your most recent income tax return. If you have neither French pay slips nor French tax return statements, you may be asked to open a bank account with enough cash to cover your rent for a pre-determined number of months or years. This can take several weeks so allow for delays.

• Proof of identity in the form of a residence permit (occasionally a passport)
  
• You may be asked for proof of home ownership abroad or your 3 last rent receipts from your last rental home.

• ·         Finally, you will be asked for a deposit (by cheque) equal to one month’s rent, called a caution or security deposit, which is repaid to you only at the end of the rental period with no interest and less the cost of repairing any damage to the property for which you are held responsible. Add to this the agency fee, again paid by cheque.

  •  Bef ore you move in, there will be a written evaluation of the condition of the property signed by the owner (or agency) and the tenant (you), état des lieux entrant or inventory. Clearly mark details such as scratches on the floor or cracks in the ceiling or you may be held responsible for their repair when you leave. On termination of the lease, this document is compared to its counterpart, the état des lieux sortant, to establish whether any damages and repair expenses are the responsibility of the tenant. 
    

    The tenant is required by law to have a comprehensive household insurance policy (premium rates depend on the size of the property). Proof of insurance must be shown to the agency/landlord at the signing of the inventory and may be requested at lease renewal each year.

     Note that the tenant, not the owner, is responsible for damage includi ng those caused to third parties, as in the case of a water leak or a fire; the landlord is responsible to insure the communal areas.