In 2026, landlords' rights and obligations in France are primarily governed by the Law of July 6, 1989, for residential properties used as tenants' primary residences. Landlords must provide decent accommodation, comply with safety and energy efficiency requirements, carry out repairs for which they are responsible, ensure tenants' peaceful enjoyment of the property and provide all mandatory documents when signing the rental agreement. Decent housing requirements include minimum habitable floor area or volume, essential facilities and the absence of obvious health or safety risks. In mainland France, properties with a G Energy Performance Certificate (DPE) rating have no longer met the energy efficiency requirements for decent rental housing since January 1, 2025, for the rental agreements concerned. These restrictions will extend to F-rated properties in 2028 and E-rated properties in 2034. Landlords must also provide the required property surveys and inspections, prepare check-in and check-out inspection reports and supply a furniture inventory for furnished rentals. In return, landlords have the right to collect rent and recoverable service charges, require tenants to maintain the property, arrange certain viewings under legally permitted conditions and give notice at the end of the lease for an authorized reason. The landlord's notice period is generally six months for unfurnished rentals and three months for standard furnished rentals. In the event of unpaid rent, landlords may initiate the legal recovery procedures and benefit from unpaid rent insurance (Garantie des Loyers Impayés or GLI), subject to eligibility requirements. To prevent disputes, landlords should prepare compliant rental agreements, keep written records of important communications, respect legal deadlines and ensure proper rental management. Lodgis supports property owners with tenant searches, rental agreements, property inspections and rental management services through several packages tailored to landlords' needs.
Renting out an apartment involves complying with several legal obligations. As a landlord, you must provide decent accommodation, carry out certain repairs, supply mandatory documents and respect your tenant's rights. In return, you also have rights that help protect your property and secure your rental income.
What are a landlord's legal obligations towards tenants? What rights do property owners have in cases of unpaid rent, renovation work or a tenant moving out?
Specializing in furnished rentals and rental property management since 1999, Lodgis helps landlords understand French rental regulations and supports them with renting out and managing their real estate assets.
Discover the main rules established by French Law No. 89-462 of July 6, 1989, which governs relationships between landlords and tenants, particularly for properties used as tenants' primary residences.
The first obligation of a landlord is to provide accommodation that meets the legal standards for decent housing.
In particular, the property must:
Since January 1, 2025, G-rated properties have no longer met the energy efficiency requirements for decent rental housing in mainland France, for the rental agreements concerned. These requirements will extend to F-rated properties in 2028 and E-rated properties in 2034.
These standards must be maintained throughout the tenancy. To check whether your property complies with the applicable requirements, you can consult the official French decent housing standards.
Landlords must keep their rental properties in good condition and carry out repairs that do not fall under the tenant's routine maintenance responsibilities.
These may include:
Tenants remain responsible for routine maintenance and tenant repairs, subject to the exceptions established by law.
With Lodgis rental property management packages tailored to your needs, you can delegate the day-to-day management of your property and, depending on the package selected, the coordination of technical maintenance and repairs.
Throughout the tenancy, landlords must allow tenants to occupy their accommodation peacefully.
In particular, landlords must:
Landlords therefore cannot enter the rented accommodation freely, even if they have a spare set of keys.
When maintenance or renovation work must be carried out during the tenancy, landlords must comply with the legal requirements concerning notification and property access.
In particular, they must:
If the work lasts more than 21 days, a proportional rent reduction may be required under the conditions established by Article 1724 of the French Civil Code.
These rules help balance the maintenance of real estate assets with the protection of tenants' rights.
When signing a rental agreement, landlords must provide a legally compliant contract and the required supporting documents.
Depending on the property, these documents may include:
Certain documents, such as asbestos-related information, must be made available to tenants without necessarily being attached to the rental agreement.
Habitable floor area refers to the area intended for residential use, calculated by excluding certain elements such as walls, partitions, staircases, specified ancillary spaces and areas where the ceiling height is below 1.80 meters.
This measurement, sometimes known as the Loi Boutin floor area, must be stated in the residential rental agreements concerned. It differs from the Loi Carrez measurement, which is primarily used when selling a condominium unit.
Habitable floor area is defined by Article R. 156-1 of the French Construction and Housing Code.
Property inspection reports (états des lieux) are essential for protecting the interests of both landlords and tenants.
They document the condition of the accommodation and its equipment when the tenant moves in and when they move out.
Comparing the two reports makes it possible to identify damage that may be attributable to the tenant, while accounting for normal wear and tear and the applicable rules concerning security deposits.
Inspection reports must be prepared jointly by the parties in accordance with legal requirements. If an amicable inspection cannot be completed, specific procedures are available.
Preparing a compliant rental file requires time and a good understanding of the applicable regulations.
Lodgis supports property owners with marketing their accommodation, selecting tenants and preparing rental agreements suited to their projects.
A landlord's primary right is to receive rent and recoverable service charges under the conditions established in the rental agreement.
In cases of late or unpaid rent, landlords may:
To secure rental income, landlords may consider taking out unpaid rent insurance (Garantie des Loyers Impayés or GLI), subject to the relevant eligibility criteria and rules governing the combination of guarantees.
With Lodgis unpaid rent insurance, landlords can protect their rental income against payment defaults and benefit from appropriate assistance when payment difficulties arise, under the conditions established by the insurance contract.
Tenants must carry out routine maintenance and are responsible for damage attributable to them.
This includes:
Landlords may request that certain elements be restored to their original condition or, when legal conditions are satisfied, make justified deductions from the security deposit.
Landlords do not have a general right to enter or inspect their rented property annually.
However, access may be arranged in certain circumstances permitted by French regulations, including:
Viewings must respect the tenant's rights and cannot be imposed abusively. The landlord cannot enter the accommodation without the tenant's agreement.
Landlords may give notice at the end of the rental agreement for a legally authorized reason, provided they comply with the applicable deadlines and formalities.
For accommodation used as the tenant's primary residence, the landlord's notice period is generally:
Legally permitted reasons include:
Notice must be delivered using the procedures prescribed by law. Special protections may also apply to certain tenants.
It is important to distinguish notice given at the end of the lease from early termination procedures, particularly in cases of unpaid rent.
Effective rental property management depends on compliance with the law, clear communication and careful follow-up.
To reduce the risk of disputes, landlords are advised to:
These good practices help maintain a positive landlord-tenant relationship and protect the long-term value of the property investment.
When disagreements arise, seeking an amicable solution is generally preferable as a first step. Depending on the nature of the dispute, landlords or tenants may also contact a legal conciliator, refer the matter to the Departmental Conciliation Commission (Commission Départementale de Conciliation) when competent, or initiate legal proceedings.
Being a landlord involves administrative, technical and legal responsibilities. From finding tenants and preparing rental agreements to monitoring payments and maintaining the property, managing a rental investment can quickly become time-consuming.
To save time and secure the rental process, landlords can work with a specialized real estate agency.
Since 1999, Lodgis has supported landlords with furnished rentals and rental property management in Paris and major French cities.
Our services can be adapted to your needs, whether you simply want to find a tenant or delegate the management of your apartment.
Lodgis helps property owners throughout the different stages of marketing their accommodation:
You retain the opportunity to choose your tenant while benefiting from the expertise of a specialized real estate agency.
For landlords looking to delegate more responsibilities, Lodgis offers several rental property management packages.
Depending on the package selected, services may include:
Our rental property management packages are available from 3.9% including VAT of rental income, with different service levels designed to meet landlords' requirements.
Our objective is to help you rent out your apartment under the best possible conditions while benefiting from professional support.
Renting out a property involves complying with numerous obligations, including decent housing requirements, maintenance, mandatory property surveys, contractual formalities and respect for tenants' rights.
In return, landlords have rights that allow them to collect rent, protect their accommodation and take appropriate action when tenants fail to fulfill their obligations.
A good understanding of rental regulations and careful property management help minimize disputes and preserve the profitability of the investment.
Working with a professional such as Lodgis can also simplify the procedures involved in renting out and managing your real estate assets, depending on the services selected.
Landlords must provide decent accommodation, carry out repairs for which they are responsible, provide mandatory property inspections and supporting documents, and guarantee tenants' peaceful enjoyment of the accommodation.
They must also comply with the legal requirements governing rental agreements, rent revisions and the return of security deposits.
Landlords are generally responsible for major repairs, work required to maintain the property's condition and repairs resulting from normal aging or deterioration, subject to legal exceptions.
Tenants are generally responsible for routine maintenance and minor tenant repairs.
No. Landlords cannot freely enter occupied rental accommodation, even if they have a spare set of keys.
Viewings and maintenance interventions must comply with applicable legal requirements and respect the tenant's rights. The tenant's permission is required to enter the accommodation, except in certain exceptional circumstances.
To protect their rental income, landlords can assess prospective tenants' financial reliability using legally authorized supporting documents, take out unpaid rent insurance (GLI) or entrust property management to a professional.
Lodgis offers unpaid rent insurance that can provide protection against missed rental payments and assistance with the necessary procedures, subject to the terms and conditions of the policy.
Working with Lodgis, a specialist in furnished rentals and rental property management, allows property owners to benefit from support tailored to their needs.
From finding tenants to providing full rental management services, Lodgis offers several packages designed to simplify administrative procedures, ensure proper rental follow-up and protect rental income.
Whether you own an apartment in Paris or another major French city, Lodgis supports you with renting out and managing your property.
Benefit from our expertise to find a tenant, simplify administrative procedures and protect your rental investment.
Entrust your property to Lodgis and discover our rental management packages.
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