Rental property: what charges are included in the rent?

Renting or sharing: what charges are included in the rent? Recoverable charges, provisions, annual adjustment... We explain everything.

Definitions to help you understand what charges are included in the rent

At Colonies, we help landlords and tenants better understand how rental charges work. We explain what rental charges and maintenance charges are. The jargon of the rental property world becomes more accessible.

Recoverable or rental charges

When you rent a property, you pay rent for it. Property advertisements specify "rent excluding charges" (HC) or "rent including charges" (CC). The charges in question are partly made up of recoverable charges.

Recoverable charges, or rental charges, are the expenses associated with a property rented by a landlord. They are paid by the landlord, who then requests reimbursement from the tenant.

What is an advance on service charges?

Recoverable service charges are added to the rent in the form of an advance on service charges. The amount of these advances is the same each month. Provisions on charges are paid monthly by the tenant.

Annual adjustment

Once a year, the lessor or owner adds up the provisions for service charges and calculates the difference with the sum of the expenses incurred. If the sum of the provisions for charges is higher than the expenses incurred, the landlord reimburses the tenant. Otherwise, the tenant pays the difference.

What is included in rental charges?

The charges included in a furnished rental are the same as for an empty rental. The list of recoverable charges is set by decree. The terms of payment are set out in the lease and vary according to the nature of the rental. Any charges recovered must be justified by the owner.

List of recoverable charges

The French government has drawn up an exhaustive list of recoverable charges. The landlord is entitled to obtain reimbursement from the tenant for :

• salaries of building employees, including social security charges and taxes. Note that the percentages are different if the janitor or concierge has company housing;

• maintenance of common areas (elevator, freight elevator, timer, garbage chute, corridors, entrance hall, etc.) and exterior spaces (parking areas, green areas, children's play areas, traffic lanes). Recoverable expenses also include cleaning products, including disinfectants and disinfectants, and repairs to cleaning equipment;

• electricity in common areas and outdoor spaces;

• operation of general and individual meters;

• collective energy supply, e.g. collective heating;

• maintenance of smoke purifiers;

• maintenance of heating, water distribution and hot

• water production systems in private areas;

• hot and cold water required to maintain common areas and green spaces;

• hot and cold water consumed by the tenant;

• water operating, maintenance and treatment products;

• household waste collection ;

• sweeping tax;

• wastewater treatment charges.

What expenses are not recoverable?

Not all expenses incurred in the operation of a property are recoverable by the lessor. Insofar as the list of recoverable expenses is fixed by decree, certain expenses are not subject to reimbursement by the tenant. These include

• management fees (for example, issuing rent receipts) ;

• major repairs, including replacement of faulty appliances;

• property tax;

• landlord's insurance for the rental property.

Payment of recoverable service charges

In the case of an empty rental, service charges can only be paid by means of an advance on charges, with annual adjustment. Charges included in a furnished rental can be paid by advance on charges, with annual adjustment, or by lump-sum payment. The method of payment must be specified in the lease. The lump-sum amount may be revised each year.

Other tenant charges

Tenants must add to their rent a number of operating and maintenance charges that are not advanced by the landlord.

Electricity in private areas

The tenant's own electricity consumption is not a rental expense. The tenant has a subscription in his or her own name with an electricity distribution company. In the case of shared accommodation, there is only one subscription for all tenants.

Minor repairs

Various maintenance and repair expenses are the exclusive responsibility of the tenant.

• Maintenance of private outdoor spaces (garden, balcony).

• In a house, maintenance of gutters.

• Maintenance of door and window mechanisms (greasing of hinges, locks, bolts, shutters).

• Replacement of lost keys.

• Maintenance of windows and repair of sealants.

• Painting, wallpapering, floor coverings, filling holes in walls.

• Maintenance of woodwork, floors and joints.

• Emptying septic tanks.

• Replacement of switches, light bulbs, sockets, shower hoses.

• Maintenance and repair of appliances and equipment provided by the tenant and indicated in the rental contract (refrigerator, extractor hood, fireplace, etc.).

Charges included in Colonies shared apartments

To simplify the management of charges by the tenant, Colonies offers a rent that includes recoverable charges as well as those for electricity, internet and home insurance.

Do you have a question about the rent including charges for a single-family home available for sharing at Colonies? Or about the charges included in a furnished rental? Contact us, we'll be happy to discuss it with you.