France Recoverable Charges (Charges Locatives) FAQ

In a French residential lease, the rent is rarely the only sum the tenant pays. Charges locatives récupérables (recoverable charges) are co-ownership and maintenance costs that the landlord can pass on to the tenant. The catalogue is set by Décret n° 87-713 du 26 août 1987, exhaustively. Anything not listed is not recoverable — a rule that frequently catches landlords by surprise. This FAQ unpacks the regime as it stands for 2026.

Q1. What are charges locatives?

The Loi du 6 juillet 1989 distinguishes:

• Loyer — the principal rent
• Charges locatives récupérables — costs the landlord pays first and recovers from the tenant under article 23
• Charges non récupérables — costs borne entirely by the landlord (e.g., insurance, owner’s representation fees, major works)

Statutory basis: Loi du 6 juillet 1989 articles 23 to 23-1; Décret n° 87-713 du 26 août 1987 (the master list).

Primary source: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/LEGITEXT000006066071/

Q2. What categories are recoverable?

Décret 87-713 is structured around four headings:

A. Building Services and Equipment

• Lift maintenance and electricity (within limits)
• Heating system maintenance and energy (where central)
• Hot water production maintenance and energy
• Lighting of common areas (electricity)
• Ventilation maintenance
• Antenna and TV distribution maintenance
• Door, window, ironwork maintenance of common parts (limited)

B. Maintenance and Cleaning of Common Parts

• Cleaning supplies and labour
• Common area lightbulb replacement
• Disposal of household waste (where collective service)
• Lift cabin cleaning
• Garden / outdoor space maintenance

C. Personnel

• Salaries of guardians (gardiens) — 40% if the gardien performs both cleaning and waste collection; 75% if only one
• Salaries of cleaning staff — recoverable in full where directly attributable
• Trainee social security contributions

D. Public Charges and Taxes

• Taxe d’enlèvement des ordures ménagères (TEOM) — recoverable
• Sweep / brossage tax — recoverable
• VOIRIE / sewer tax — recoverable in some communes

Reference: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F947

Q3. What is NOT recoverable?

Examples of non-recoverable costs (article 6 Loi 1989, jurisprudence):

• Major works (gros travaux) — façade, roof, structural
• Owner’s representation fees (syndic management fees borne by owner)
• Insurance owner-of-property
• Property tax (taxe foncière) — borne by landlord
• Replacement of equipment (lift, heating boiler) at end of life
• Court fees and legal advice
• Diagnostics for sale or letting
• Vacant period costs

Anything not listed in Décret 87-713 is non-recoverable, regardless of how the lease is drafted. Lease clauses purporting to charge the tenant for non-recoverable items are réputées non écrites (deemed unwritten — null) under article 4 Loi 1989.

Q4. How are charges paid?

Two principal mechanisms under article 23:

Provisional Charges with Annual Reconciliation (Common)

The landlord estimates monthly charges and adds to rent. Annually, the landlord:

• Sends a régularisation statement comparing actual charges to provisions paid
• Provides justification (syndic statements, invoices)
• Refunds excess paid by tenant or invoices shortfall

Requires support documents to be available for 6 months for tenant inspection (article 23 paragraph 6).

Forfait (Fixed Charge)

For furnished apartments, ELAN allows a forfait charge — a fixed amount, no reconciliation. The forfait must be reasonable based on actual costs.

Forfait for Bail Mobilité

Bail mobilité must use forfait charge — no provisional/régularisation route allowed.

Q5. What is the régularisation deadline?

Under article 23, the landlord must communicate the régularisation at least 1 month before the end of the year in which costs were incurred. In practice, régularisation typically takes place within 6 months of receiving the syndic’s annual accounts.

If régularisation is more than 1 year late, the tenant can challenge the calculation and the prescription period under article 7-1 Loi 1989 (3 years) limits look-back.

Q6. What does the régularisation statement include?

The landlord must provide:

• Detailed breakdown of charges by category
• Comparison with provisions paid by tenant
• Calculation of tenant’s share (typically by tantième for shared building costs)
• Notice that tenant can consult supporting documents (syndic statements, invoices) for 6 months at the landlord’s domicile or at the syndic’s offices

Failure to provide breakdown gives the tenant grounds to challenge — and obtain refund — in court.

Q7. What about the heating issue specifically?

Heating costs are among the most contested. Recoverable under Décret 87-713:

• Maintenance of heating system (servicing contracts)
• Fuel (gas, fuel oil, district heating bills)
• Hot water production

Not recoverable:

• Replacement of boiler
• Major repairs to system
• Initial installation of new system

For shared/central heating, the répartition by tantième in the building’s syndic statement is generally accepted.

Q8. How do I challenge charges as a tenant?

A tenant who believes charges are wrong can:

1. Request supporting documents within 6 months of régularisation
2. Challenge in writing to the landlord
3. Refer to CDC (Commission Départementale de Conciliation) — free conciliation
4. File in Tribunal de Proximité or Judiciaire for refund

Prescription period: 3 years from each year’s payment under article 7-1 Loi 1989.

Q9. What about water charges?

Water charges are a complex area:

• Eau froide for individual apartment use — recoverable if a meter exists OR by tantième where collective
• Eau chaude — production cost recoverable; system maintenance partly recoverable
• Pool / leisure facility water — non-recoverable in most cases

If the building has individual cold water meters, the regularisation must be based on actual consumption per apartment.

Q10. Common Mistakes — Gyoseishoshi View

Q11. Are there any sectoral special rules?

Furnished Lease (Bail Meublé)

Same Décret 87-713 list applies; can use forfait (fixed) instead of provisional/regularisation.

Bail Mobilité

Forfait mandatory under ELAN.

HLM (Social Housing)

Décret 87-713 applies, but enhanced procedural rules under article L.442-3 CCH.

Single-Family House

Some categories (lift, gardien) become irrelevant. The recoverable list is shorter.

Q12. What about EDF / Engie individual contracts?

If the tenant has direct individual subscription with EDF, Engie, or other utility supplier, those costs are not recoverable — they are paid directly by the tenant to the supplier. The landlord’s recoverable charges relate only to common services and centralised provision.

Q13. Strategic Implications for Landlords

1. Build a charge inventory at start of lease — know what is recoverable in your building
2. Use forfait for bail meublé to avoid annual reconciliation friction
3. Communicate régularisation within 6 months of syndic accounts to maintain landlord credibility
4. Document the 6-month consultation right in régularisation letter
5. Audit lease clauses — purge non-recoverable items that are commonly mis-included

Q14. Strategic Implications for Tenants

1. Request supporting documents every year during régularisation
2. Compare year-over-year for unexplained jumps
3. Challenge non-recoverable items in writing immediately
4. Use CDC before court — free and effective for documentary disputes

Conclusion — An Exhaustive List Tightly Policed

Charges locatives operate on a closed list principle: only what Décret 87-713 includes can be recovered. The regularisation procedure is designed to be transparent, documented, and challengeable. Both sides benefit from knowing the rules.

A Gyoseishoshi cannot represent French parties at CDC or court. Scrib🐮 produces compliant lease templates with régularisation clauses aligned to Décret 87-713, annual régularisation letter templates, and 6-month consultation right notifications.

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Disclaimer

Legal information, not legal advice. MmowW Scrib🐮 is operated by a licensed Gyoseishoshi (行政書士) office in Japan. We are not avocats.

Sources

• Décret n° 87-713 du 26 août 1987: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/LEGITEXT000006066071/
• Loi du 6 juillet 1989: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/LEGITEXT000006069108/
• Service-public.fr (charges locatives): https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F947
• ANIL: https://www.anil.org/votre-projet/vous-louez-un-logement/