Published on: October 28, 2024 | By: @rprasanth_kumar
When you’re in the process of renting a property, landlords often require specific documents to confirm your identity, residence, employment, and financial situation. However, in France, strict regulations limit the types of documents landlords can legally request from prospective tenants or their guarantors.
Requesting unauthorized documents can lead to fines up to €3,000 (or €15,000 if the landlord is a legal entity). This article explains the approved documents a landlord may request and the rules surrounding these requirements.
Topics Covered 📚
- Exceptions to Trêve hivernale
- Proof of Identity
- Proof of Residence
- Proof of Employment
- Proof of Financial Resources
- Sources & References
List of Documents
A landlord can request the following documents from a tenant and a guarantor.
1. Proof of Identity
The landlord is permitted to ask for one valid identity document from the following list:
- National ID card (French or foreign) with a photo.
- Passport (French or foreign) with a photo.
- Driver’s license (French or foreign) with a photo.
2. Proof of Residence
To confirm your current residence, the landlord can request one document from the following options:
- Recent rent receipt.
- Utility bill (water, gas, or electricity) from the past three months.
- Home insurance certificate from the past three months.
- Most recent property tax statement, or property title for primary residence if applicable.
3. Proof of Employment
To verify your employment status, the landlord may ask for one or more of the following documents:
- Work contract, internship contract, or employer certificate specifying job position, salary, start date, and trial period duration if relevant
- Professional license for those in independent professions
- Identification certificate from Insee (French national statistical agency) for self-employed individuals
- Recent (less than three months old) D1 extract from the Trades Register for artisans
- Recent K or K bis extract (less than three months)
- Any recent document attesting to the applicant’s professional activity (for other cases).
4. Proof of Financial Resources
To confirm financial stability, the landlord may request one or more documents from this list:
- Last three pay slips
- Last two financial statements or, if applicable, an income statement for the current year from an accountant (for self-employed individuals)
- Proof of social benefits, pensions, family benefits, or other financial aid received over the last three months, or a certificate confirming rights from the issuing authority
- Property ownership title or most recent property tax statement
- Evidence of real estate income, annuities, or income from investments and capital
- Last income tax statement or equivalent (or prior year statement if earnings were not taxed in France)
Sources & References 📕
- Justificatifs à donner au propriétaire
- Décret n°2015-1437 du 5 novembre 2015 listant les justificatifs pouvant être demandés au futur locataire et à sa caution
- Loi n°89-462 du 6 juillet 1989 sur les rapports locatifs: article 22-2
