For new arriavals: save time and unpleasant surprises trying to rent an apartment or house in France with this overview of the market, rental conditions and the pitfalls.

Most property rentals in France are handled by estate agents

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

An alternative practice is to rent directly from the owner, via ads in weekly publications like 'De Particulier à Particulier' (meaning "from individual to individual"). The benefit of this is escaping the agents' fees but don't expect the rents to be lower; in fact, some owners avoid the estate agents because they want to charge rents above the market average. And, if you enter a rental agreement directly with the owner, you won't have the minimal legal protections that agents offer against deceptive practices or descriptions.

Unless you are fluent in French and know your rights as a renter, you are best advised to deal only with a licensed estate agent. Agencies rarely pool their listings so you will want to contact several for an efficient search. Agencies are found through the Yellow Pages or walking into offices in the area you want to live.

All local and some national newspapers carry rental ads posted by both agencies and owners; there are also now a number of websites that do the same.

An estate agent will only be involved in drawing up the rental contract; after that is signed, you're likely to deal directly with the owner. Many buildings also hire an on-site caretaker, concierge, or a maintenance company, syndic, to keep up common areas.

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 locataire is required to present a battery of financial guarantees.

Take photos of details like flooring when moving in to avoid future disputes

Some apartments rent month to month under a contrat de location. You may also be offered a renewable lease, bail, that pledges the owner to rent the property for a given period, usually three years.

During the period of the lease 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, usually subject to three-month term of notice delivered in writing to the landlord.

Before you move in, there will be a written evaluation of the condition of the property signed by the owner (or agency) and the renter, état des lieux. 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. It is advisable to take photos of the property during the état des lieux.

You will be required to take out a home insurance policy and to present the owner proof that you have done so. Note that the renter, not the owner, is responsible for damage including those caused to third parties, as in the case of a water leak or a fire; the landlord is responsible to insure the common areas.

Renting an apartment will also involve paying for day-to-day upkeep, such as cleaning or gardening services. These are called the charges communes. They are often included in the rent, in which case the rental sum will be described as charges comprises, as opposed to charges non comprises. The charges do not necessarily include utilities, although they might cover water or garbage collection, so specify which fees are included.

The charges are first calculated on a monthly average from the previous year, and can be adjusted, up or down, at the end of the first year of rental, according to the difference.

Finally, you will also be subject to a yearly tax, taxe d'habitation. This is calculated according to the size of your home and varies greatly from one region to another. As the sum can be significant, it is advisable to find out from the mairie the amount of tax paid on your residence the previous year.

Property Descriptions

The French describe the size of apartments or houses by the number of rooms

The French calculate the size apartments or houses by the number of rooms, pièces, excluding the kitchen and water closets. This is often indicated in advertisements as a T1, T2, etcetera. A deux-pièces or T2 is a one-bedroom apartment. A T1 bis is a studio with a larger living space than a standard T1.

The surface area is described in square metres, mètres carrés. As a rough guide, the average surface area for a three-room city apartment (i.e. two bedrooms and a sitting-dining room) would be between 80 and 100 square metres.

Kitchens and bathrooms may or may not include appliances or even cupboards. A kitchen with cabinets and counters is called a cuisine aménagée; a kitchen with appliances is a cuisine équipée.

Likewise, your landlord is not required to window coverings or light fixtures .

What you will be asked for

• Pay slips, fiches de paie, for 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, contrat du travail.

Agencies will often refuse people who work in contract fields like entertainment unless they have a co-signer, garant, on the rental agreement. If you are self-employed, you will be asked to provide your previous year's tax returns and up to two letters from guarantors who must also prove monthly earnings of three times the rent.

If you have no 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.

• Proof of identity in the form of a residence permit (occasionally a passport)
  
• A bank-account slip, relevé d'identité bancaire (RIB), that shows all account information; the landlord may ask for automatic monthly deduction of your rent, prélèvement automatique, from this account window coverings
• If you have previously rented in France, you also be asked for a quittance de loyer, or document from your previous landlord showing that you left on good terms.
  
• Finally, you will be asked for a deposit of two times the monthly rent, caution, 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. It is not unheard of to also be asked to pay an additional one to three months rent in advance to insure against your leaving without notice.

UPDATED September 2006

Copyright Expatica

Subject: Living in France, Survival Guide, renting in France