Furnished rentals: the owner's obligations

Renting your furnished accommodation in France has a certain number of advantages. Be careful, however, certain rules must be respected to ensure a return on investment without pitfalls.

Location meublée - Les obligations du propriétaire Mojave - Conseil et conciergerie Golfe de Saint-Tropez

The obligations of the lessor who rents furnished accommodation are defined by law no. 89-462 of July 6, 1989. They tend to aim to improve rental relations between lessor and tenant. In a previous article, we dealt with the obligations of the tenant or the 11 obligations in terms of equipment.

Here is the main point of the law to remember:

Providing decent, non-unsanitary housing

The rented accommodation must comply with the standards of decency set by Decree No. 2002-120 of January 30, 2002. These standards concern in particular the condition of the walls, ceilings, floors, door frames, water installations, gas and electricity, sanitary and kitchen equipment.

This seems obvious but in fact, many accommodations do not meet this criterion.

Providing furnished accommodation

The rented accommodation must be furnished in such a way as to allow the tenant to live there in normal conditions of comfort. Decree No. 2015-981 of July 31, 2015 sets the list of items of furniture and equipment that accommodation must include.

Send the tenant a certain number of documents

The lessor must give the tenant, when signing the rental contract, the following documents:

* Rent lease
* Energy performance diagnosis (DPE)
* The state of natural and technological risks (ERNT)
* The co-ownership regulations (if the accommodation is located in a co-ownership)
* The home insurance contract
* Diagnosis of the state of the interior gas installation (if the accommodation is equipped with a gas installation)
* Diagnosis of the state of the interior electricity installation (if the accommodation is equipped with an electrical installation)

Maintain the accommodation

The lessor is responsible for the routine maintenance of the accommodation, i.e. normal wear and tear repairs. It must also take care of urgent repairs, that is to say those which cannot be postponed without danger for the tenant or the accommodation.

Ensure accommodation

The lessor must take out comprehensive home insurance for the rented accommodation. This insurance must cover rental risks, that is to say damage caused to the accommodation by the tenant or by third parties.

Respond to tenant requests

The lessor must respond to the tenant's requests within 1 month. These requests may relate, for example, to maintenance of the accommodation, repairs or changes to the rental contract.

Respect leave obligations

The lessor must respect the leave obligations set by law. If the tenant leaves, the lessor must respond within 2 months. In the event of termination by the lessor, the tenant must have 3 months' notice.

In the event of non-compliance with its obligations, the lessor may be sentenced to criminal or civil sanctions.

Sources

• Loi n° 89-462 du 6 juillet 1989 tendant à améliorer les rapports locatifs et portant modification de la loi n° 86-1290 du 23 décembre 1986

• Décret n° 2002-120 du 30 janvier 2002 relatif aux caractéristiques du logement décent et aux critères d'habitabilité

• Décret n° 2015-981 du 31 juillet 2015 relatif aux caractéristiques du logement meublé

• Code civil