Test Your French: Essential Vocabulary for Renting a Property in France

Ready to start house hunting or searching for an apartment? These are the French words and phrases that you’ll need to know.

Agence Immobilière/ agent immobilier – real estate agency/real estate agent.

À Louer – to rent

Une location –  a property for rent

Locataire/ Locateur  – renter/tenant

Propriétaire – landlord

Co-Locataire – co-renters

Immobiliers/un bien – properties/a property. This could be a maison (house), appartement (flat), immeuble(building)or logement (accommodation).

Frais d’agence/ honoraires d’Agence  – Real estate agency fees

Hors Taxe or HT – Price, not including sales tax

Understanding property announcements

T1/T2/T3 – Designates the number of rooms. A T2 apartment means a 2-room apartment, but note that this will be 1 bedroom + 1 living space. The kitchen, bathroom, and toilet are not counted as separate rooms.

Surface Habitable – Floor space in m²

Libre de Suite – Available immediately

Loyer – Rent

CC or Charges Comprises / HC  or Hors Charges– Includes Charges/doesn’t include charges. This indicates whether the listed rental price includes or doesn’t include building charges (these could include rubbish pickup, building maintenance fees, or gardening fees, and are typically non-negotiable).

Charges Locatives – The building charges due to the tenant.

Pièce – Room

étage –  Floor

Meublé – Furnished

Voisinage – Neighborhood

Double Vitrage – Double-Glazed Windows

Douche Italienne – Walk-In Shower

Cour  – Courtyard

Climatisation – Air conditioning

Concierge – Caretaker, who usually lives on site,

Dépendence –  Outbuilding

Cuisine équipée et aménagée – a fitted kitchen with cupboards and kitchen appliances

Chambre – Bedroom

Chauffage Central – Central heating

Cheminée – Fireplace

Cuisine équipée – a kitchen with cupboards

Visiting the property/your dossier

Une Visite – a house viewing

Bon de Visite – Some agencies require this certificate to be signed prior to visiting a property.

Dossier – You’ll likely be asked for this before you are able to arrange a property visit, and it will typically include your Carte d’identité – ID card or passport, previous Quittances de loyer – rent recipes, and previous Bulletins de salaire – payslips, Avis d’imposition – Tax bill, or Contrat de travail – Work Contract

Fiche de Renseignements – Real estate agency form to submit with your dossier

Le bail – lease/a rental contract, either un bail nu for an unfurnished property or un bail meublé for a furnished property.

Le bailleur  – the property owner/landlord

Clause Particulière – Conditions particular to your lease

Dépôt de Garantie – Security Deposit

Durée du Contrat – Rental Period

La caution/ le garant – a co-signer or guarantor

Garantie des Loyers Impayés or GLI – Landlord’s insurance policy

Dossier de Candidature/ Le dossier de location – the file of documents to be presented at the signing of the rental agreement. A typical dossier might include:

• une photocopie de votre carte d’identité (a photocopy of your passport)
• trois derniers bulletins de salaire (your last three payslips)
• un justificatif de domicile (proof of your current address)
• le dernier avis d’imposition (your last tax return)
• un garant (a guarantor)
• votre carte de séjour (your French residence card)
• votre RIB (your French bank account details)
• trois derniers quittances de loyer de votre dernière location (receipts of payment from the last rental property you stayed in).

Mandataire – Third-party or agency who has a mandate to manage the property on behalf of the landlord

Préavis – Notice period

Prelèvement Automatique – Direct debit

Obligations du Locataire – Tenant obligations as per the lease

Obligations du Bailleur – Landlord obligations as per the lease

Resiliation – Cancellation of a contract

Responsabilité Civile – Third-party liability

L’état des lieux – the inventory/property inspection carried out prior to renting

Assurance d’habitation – Home insurance, which includes your civil liability insurance. Renters are obliged by law to take out an annual policy, and your landlord will likely ask to see a copy.

Taxe d’habitation – Council tax, or residency tax, due and payable wherever you are living on January 1^st

Taxe foncière – Property tax

Titre Interbancaire de Paiement or TIP – You can pay your utility and insurance bills with a “TIP,” like a check that you date and sign

Avis d’échéance – Rental invoice

à la charge du locataire -tenant’s charges

Le revenu foncier – rental income

La sous-location – subletting

From applying for your visa and opening a French bank account, to integrating in your new community – FrenchEntrée is here to help! Let our Essential Reading and Visa & Residency articles guide you through the whole process, then visit our Owning Property, French Tax, Healthcare, and Life in France zones for everything else you need to know.