Before listing
Provide a decent home · Carry out the mandatory diagnostics (DDT) · Comply with rent control and the rent-supplement cap where they apply · Do not request forbidden documents from applicants
Free guide — the complete recap
Landlord obligations: the legal recap and annual calendar
Renting out a home commits the owner well beyond handing over the keys. From listing the property to the end of the lease, and including the milestones that come back every year, here are all your landlord obligations, sorted by stage and by deadline, with their legal basis.
The landlord's core legal obligations
Law no. 89-462 of 6 July 1989 governs the landlord-tenant relationship and sets out the landlord's duties. Three obligations shape the whole lease: deliver a decent home in good condition, guarantee the tenant peaceful enjoyment of the property, and maintain the premises by carrying out major repairs throughout the tenancy.
On top of these substantive duties come formal ones: provide a compliant written lease, attach the technical diagnostics file (DDT), draw up a move-in inventory of fixtures, issue a rent receipt on request, comply with rent control where it applies, and take out the required insurance. Each breach can be sanctioned (damages, rent reduction, or even the nullity of certain clauses).
A decent home: the foundation of renting out
Decree no. 2002-120 of 30 January 2002 defines a decent home: minimum size (9 m² and 2.20 m ceiling height, or 20 m³), no risk to safety or health, comfort features (heating, hot water, kitchen, sanitary facilities) and no pests. Since the Climate and Resilience law, an energy performance criterion has been added: a home rated G on the DPE that consumes too much energy is no longer decent, and the rules tighten through 2034.
A non-decent home exposes the landlord to court-ordered compliance work, a rent freeze or reduction, and can block the tenant's housing benefits. Checking decency before every letting is therefore the first precaution.
Your obligations, step by step
From finding a tenant to returning the deposit, what the law expects of you at every phase of the lease.
At signing
Provide a compliant written lease (standard contract) · Attach the DDT and the information notice · Draw up a contradictory move-in inventory · Cap the security deposit (1 month unfurnished, 2 months furnished)
During the tenancy
Guarantee peaceful enjoyment · Issue a rent receipt on request · Carry out major repairs and upkeep · Revise rent within the IRL limit · Reconcile charges each year
Insurance and co-ownership
Take out non-occupying owner (PNO) insurance, mandatory in co-ownership (Alur law) · Require and check the tenant's insurance certificate · Bear non-recoverable charges
At the end of the lease
Respect notice periods and grounds (6 months for sale/repossession, unfurnished) · Carry out the move-out inventory · Return the deposit within 1 or 2 months · Justify any deduction
Tax obligations
Declare rental income or BIC (LMNP) every year · Pay the CFE for furnished lettings (LMNP) where applicable · Keep supporting documents for deductible charges and works
The landlord's annual calendar
The milestones that come back every year: anticipate them to stay compliant.
Every month
Collect the rent and charges · Issue the rent receipt if the tenant asks for it (free of charge)
On the lease anniversary
Revise the rent using the IRL if a revision clause is in the lease (revision is optional and must happen within the year, otherwise it is lost)
Once a year
Reconcile rental charges against actual expenses · Request the tenant's home-insurance certificate · Renew your PNO insurance
In spring
Declare rental income (form 2044) or BIC under LMNP with your income tax return · Set aside tax and social contributions
At diagnostic deadlines
Renew expiring diagnostics (ERP less than 6 months old at each lease signature, gas and electricity every 6 years, DPE every 10 years)
Depending on works
Anticipate the energy renovation of thermal sieves (DPE timeline 2025-2034) and equipment upkeep (boiler, ventilation) to preserve decency
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Create a free accountFrequently asked questions
What are the landlord's main obligations?
The landlord must deliver a decent home in good condition, guarantee the tenant peaceful enjoyment, maintain the property and carry out major repairs. They must also provide a compliant written lease with the technical diagnostics file, draw up an inventory of fixtures, issue a rent receipt on request and comply with rent control where it applies (law no. 89-462 of 6 July 1989).
What is a decent home?
A decent home (decree no. 2002-120) is at least 9 m² with a 2.20 m ceiling, poses no risk to safety or health, has comfort features (heating, hot water, sanitary facilities, kitchen) and is free of pests. Since the Climate and Resilience law, an energy performance criterion has been added: the most energy-hungry homes are no longer considered decent.
Must the landlord provide a rent receipt?
Yes, but only at the tenant's request, and free of charge. The landlord cannot refuse or bill for this document. The receipt confirms payment of the rent and charges for the period concerned; tenants often use it as proof of address.
Which repairs are the landlord's responsibility?
The landlord covers major repairs and anything caused by wear or a defect: roof, boiler beyond routine servicing, ageing electrical or plumbing systems, structural work. The tenant covers routine upkeep and the minor repairs listed by decree no. 87-712.
Must the landlord insure the home they rent out?
In co-ownership, the Alur law requires the landlord to hold non-occupying owner (PNO) insurance covering at least their civil liability. Outside co-ownership it remains strongly recommended. The landlord must also require the tenant's home-insurance certificate every year.
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