Decent rental accommodation - Metropolis

Verified 21 mars 2025 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

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  • The housing is in the metropolis
  • This is a "simple" rental
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A rental unit must have a minimum surface area. The minimum area differs depending on whether the accommodation is rented or rented colocation.

A rental unit must respect a minimum surface area. This is one of the criteria for decent housing.

The dwelling must include at least 1 main room having:

  • Let's say one living space of at least 9 m² and a ceiling height of at least 2,20 m
  • Let's say one habitable volume of at least 20 m³.

Warning  

Departmental health regulations may impose more restrictive conditions.

The energy performance criterion to be met varies according to the date of lease of dwelling :

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For a lease signed, renewed or tacitly renewed between 2023 and 2024

Only one housing consuming less than 450 kWh of final energy, per m2 of living space and per year, can be rented with a house lease. This consumption is estimated by the energy performance diagnostics (EDP).

For a lease signed, renewed or tacitly renewed between 2025 and 2027

Only a dwelling belonging to classes A to F of the energy performance diagnostics (EDP) can be rented with a home lease.

For a lease signed, renewed or tacitly renewed between 2028 and 2033

Only a dwelling belonging to classes A to E of energy performance diagnostics (EDP) can be rented with a residential lease.

For a lease signed, renewed or tacitly renewed from 2034

Only a dwelling belonging to classes A to D of the energy performance diagnostics (EDP) can be rented with a residential lease.

The accommodation shall comply with the following conditions:

  • The accommodation provides enclosed and covered. The main structure of the dwelling and its accesses is in good condition of maintenance and solidity and protects the premises against runoff and upwelling. The exterior carpentry and the cover with its fittings and accessories provide protection against water infiltration into the dwelling.
  • The housing is protected against parasitic air infiltration. The doors and windows of the housing are sufficiently airtight. The walls and walls of the housing opening to the outside or of the non-heated rooms are sufficiently air-tight. Openings in rooms opening onto non-heated ancillary spaces shall be provided with doors or windows. The chimneys are equipped with hatches.
  • Personal restraint systems (window guardrails, stairs, loggias and balconies) located in the dwelling and in its accesses are in a state in accordance with their use.
  • The nature, state of conservation and maintenance of building materials, pipes and coatings housing do not present any obvious risks to the health and physical safety of tenants (in particular asbestos).
  • Networks and electricity and gas connections comply with safety standards and are in good working and working order.
  • The equipment of heating and hot water production comply with safety standards and are in good working and working order.
  • The accommodation allows a aeration sufficient. The opening devices and any ventilation devices of the housings are in good condition. In addition, they allow air renewal and moisture evacuation adapted to the needs of normal occupancy of the housing and to the operation of the equipment.
  • The main parts (intended for stay or sleep) have a natural illumination sufficient and one door opening to the open air, or on a glazed volume giving the free air.
  • The accommodation provides enclosed and covered. The main structure of the dwelling and its accesses is in good condition of maintenance and solidity and protects the premises against runoff and upwelling. The exterior carpentry and the cover with its fittings and accessories provide protection against water infiltration into the dwelling. As regards water infiltration, account may be taken of the specific climatic conditions of the department.

FYI  

A room in the basement cannot be offered for hire.

Housing that is the subject of a safety order or an order to deal with unsanitary conditions cannot be considered as decent housing.

Decent housing is housing that is not infested by pests (e.g. rats) or parasites (e.g. bed fleas, cockroaches).

The accommodation shall include the following equipment and comfort elements:

  • An installation allowing anormal heating. It must be fitted with devices for supplying energy and removing the products of combustion. It must be adapted to the characteristics of the dwelling.
  • A drinking water supply system. It must allow, inside the dwelling, distribution with sufficient pressure and flow rate for the normal use of its tenants.
  • Facilities for the evacuation of sewage. These installations must prevent the discharge of odors and effluents. They must have a siphon.
  • A kitchen or a kitchen area enabling the installation of a cooking appliance and comprising a sink connected to an installation for supplying hot and cold water and to an installation for discharging waste water.
  • A sanitary facility inside the housing. It must include a toilet, separate from the kitchen and the room where meals are taken. There must be personal toilet equipment with a bathtub or shower, arranged to ensure personal privacy, supplied with hot and cold water and provided with sewage disposal. But, in the case of a single-room dwelling, the sanitary installation may be limited to a toilet outside the dwelling, provided that this toilet is located in the same building and easily accessible.
  • An electrical grid. It must provide adequate lighting for all rooms and accesses. It must allow the operation of everyday household appliances essential to daily life.

Please note

To be considered furnished, the dwelling must contain at least some furniture.

The landlord (or real estate agency) must provide the tenant with decent accommodation.

Warning  

The tenant must not under any circumstances stop paying all or part of his rent on the pretext that the landlord does not respect his obligations.

If the accommodation is not decent, the tenant must indicate to the owner (or the real estate agency) the signs of non-compliance of the housing with the criteria of decency. It is recommended to do so in writing, and to send this letter by registered mail with notice of receipt. To do this, he can use this letter template:

Report to the landlord (landlord or real estate agency) the indecency of the rented accommodation

Depending on the department where the accommodation is located, the tenant can report signs of indecency of the dwelling on Histology, in order to obtain support from the State services in its approach to the owner (or the real estate agency):

History: to report to state services signs of indecency of rented housing

The rest depends on the response of the owner (or real estate agency):

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The owner recognizes the signs of indecency

The tenant must have the landlord specify, by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, the following information:

  • Compliance work that the owner undertakes to carry out
  • Time limits for carrying out this work.

The owner disputes the signs of indecency

Energy performance
For a lease signed, renewed or tacitly renewed between 2023 and 2024

The tenant must demand that the owner carry out the compliance work by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt.

FYI  

When the body paying the housing allowance due to the tenant (or a body mandated to establish indecency) informs the owner of his obligation to bring the housing into conformity, this amounts to a formal notice by the tenant.

After 2 months, if the formal notice has not been answered or if the disagreement persists, the tenant (or owner) may:

FYI  

However, the tenant or the landlord (or the real estate agency) can choose to engage in a conciliation with:

If the judge finds that the dwelling does not meet the standards of decency, he can determine the work to be done and the deadline for doing it. It can reduce the amount of rent or suspend, with or without consignment, its payment and the duration of the lease until such time as the work is carried out.

But the judge can't order measurement to meet a maximum final energy consumption threshold, if the 2 conditions the following are combined:

  • The unit is part of a condominium
  • The owner demonstrates that, although he proposed at a general meeting that work be carried out in the common areas or on the common equipment be co-owned, and that, despite carrying out work in the private areas, he was unable to achieve a level of energy consumption below the maximum threshold.
For a lease signed, renewed or tacitly renewed from 2025

The tenant must demand that the owner carry out the compliance work by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt.

FYI  

When the body paying the housing allowance due to the tenant (or a body mandated to establish indecency) informs the owner of his obligation to bring the housing into conformity, this amounts to a formal notice by the tenant.

After 2 months, if the formal notice has not been answered or if the disagreement persists, the tenant (or owner) may refer the case to the protection litigation judge the court on which the rented accommodation depends.

FYI  

However, the tenant or the landlord (or the real estate agency) can choose to engage in a conciliation with:

If the judge finds that the dwelling does not meet the standards of decency, he can determine the work to be done and the deadline for doing it. It can reduce the amount of rent or suspend, with or without consignment, its payment and the duration of the lease until such time as the work is carried out.

But the judge can't order work aimed at achieving a minimum level of performance if it involves at least one of the constraints following:

  • They pose a risk of pathology of the building, affecting in particular the structures or the enclosed and covered buildings, attested by a reasoned note drawn up, under his responsibility, by an architect.
  • They would involve changes in the condition of the exterior, including the second work, or in the condition of the architectural and decorative elements of the building, and have been refused authorization by the administrative authority competent in matters of city planning or natural or historic heritage on this ground.

FYI  

It is up to the owner to provide the judge with the documents proving that it is impossible to carry out this work. However, the judge may postpone his decision pending the decision of the competent administrative authority.

In another field

The tenant must demand that the owner carry out the compliance work by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt.

FYI  

When the body paying the housing allowance due to the tenant (or a body mandated to establish indecency) informs the owner of his obligation to bring the housing into conformity, this amounts to a formal notice by the tenant.

After 2 months, if the formal notice has not been answered or if the disagreement persists, the tenant (or owner) may refer the case to the protection litigation judge the court on which the rented accommodation depends.

FYI  

However, the tenant or the landlord (or the real estate agency) can choose to engage in a conciliation with:

If the judge finds that the dwelling does not meet the standards of decency, he can determine the work to be done and the deadline for doing it. It can reduce the amount of rent or suspend, with or without consignment, its payment and the duration of the lease until such time as the work is carried out.

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