Rent including charges: what exactly does this mean?

At Colonies, our aim is simple: to make your life easier. So, whether you're looking for accommodation via our site or elsewhere, we like to share tips with you to help you navigate this all-too-frequently complex area of real estate. Today, let's take a look at what the famous "rent charges included" statement means.

This has been mandatory since 2014, when the "ALUR law" came into force. From now on, agencies or lessors who put a property up for rent must specify the monthly rent price. Added to this is an estimate of the sum to which the charges included in the total price of this rent amount.

If you're looking for a rental property, expect to see the words "rent including charges" on a regular basis. In concrete terms, this indicates the full amount you'll have to pay each month. This is as true for shared flats as it is for single-family homes, whether apartments or houses.

But what exactly are these charges? Maintenance, electricity, sanitation charges, private charges, regularization of charges... Don't panic, we'll tell you everything in the following paragraphs.

Furnished rental with service charges and electricity: what service charges are included in my rental?

When you see the words "rent including utilities" in a property advertisement, you're looking at the monthly rent, which includes what are known as "service charges". Every month, you therefore pay your landlord or rental agency an advance on charges.

But what exactly do these charges include? First and foremost, expenses related to the energy consumption of the building in which you live. We're talking here about water, electricity, gas and heating.

Rental charges also include the costs of maintaining the common areas of your building. These costs include repairs to all common equipment such as elevators, mailboxes, and so on.

Last but not least, rental charges include taxes for taking care of household waste, or sweeping your building lobby and stairs.

Would you like to have access to the complete list of items that may be included in your rental charges? Consult the decree of August 26, 1987 on this link.

What's included in the rent: what charges are NOT included in my rent?

Now that you know what charges are included in your rent, another question arises. Are there any charges that are not included in the rent? The answer is yes.

These "non-recoverable" charges include insurance for your property, property tax and various building association fees. But they also include the replacement of faulty heating, pest control and cleaning up vandalism on the premises (graffiti, etc.).

Other costs not included in your rent (including charges) include video surveillance. But also the cost of bringing all mailboxes up to standard, if necessary, and the salary of your building's janitor.

Please note: as a tenant, you must also pay for your own water and electricity consumption, as well as your Internet access.

Rent including charges, water and electricity: the subject of calculating charges

But how are these famous service charges calculated? This is a question that most tenants don't know how to answer. It's quite simple: rental charges are based on the previous year's actual total consumption for the entire building. The sum obtained is then divided by twelve: for the 12 months of the year, of course.

If you're renting furnished accommodation, your landlord or agency must provide you with an exact figure. On the other hand, if your rental is empty, the amount of your monthly charges is an estimate. This is why, the following year, you can benefit from an adjustment of charges.

Rent including service charges for a single-family home: what about regularization?

How do you go about adjusting your service charges when you're a tenant? Rest assured: you don't have to do anything. It's up to your landlord or rental agency. Each year, they will carry out a balance sheet to verify the amounts actually spent in the building during the year.

Once the balance sheet has been drawn up, the lessor, whether a landlord or an agency, must send you a statement. This includes details of the sums actually paid. There are two possible scenarios here.

If you have paid more than you needed to in the past year, your landlord or agency must reimburse you the difference. If not, you'll have to pay more.

Do you have any doubts about the regularization of your rental charges? You can access invoices and other supporting documents at any time.

Rent including charges for furnished accommodation: why not choose Colonies?

If you're tired of the often complex procedures involved in renting a property, don't hesitate to take a look at the accommodation offers from Colonies. With us, everything is made as easy as possible, because we include all utilities in the rent: water, electricity, wifi, heating, cleaning of common areas and home insurance.