Recoverable rental charges in France: which tenant expenses qualify?
Recoverable rental charges are certain expenses initially paid by a landlord for services and maintenance benefiting the tenant. In French private main-residence tenancies, an invoice does not become recoverable simply because it concerns the building or appears in the property manager's accounts.
This guide helps classify expenditure. To calculate a balancing payment or refund after advances, read our annual service-charge reconciliation guide. Social housing, regulated agreements and special regimes need separate checking. This is guidance about French tenancies, not English leasehold service charges.
1. Check the nature of the expense before the amount
The starting points are Article 23 of the French Law of 6 July 1989 (opens in a new tab) and the list in Decree no. 87-713 of 26 August 1987 (opens in a new tab). These cover services, routine maintenance and certain taxes associated with services provided to the tenant.
Ask three questions: is the category recoverable, what fraction of the invoice qualifies, and what share belongs to this property and tenant's period? A spreadsheet label saying “tenant charges” does not establish the answers.
2. Practical expense table and limitations
| Expense | Treatment to check |
|---|---|
| Water and collective heating energy | Justify the recoverable portion, consumption and allocation |
| Common-area electricity | Recoverable operating expenditure for the relevant service |
| Common-area cleaning | Routine services; separate other work included in the contract |
| Lift | Operation, maintenance and small repairs covered by the rules, not every refurbishment |
| Caretaker or building staff | Partial or full recovery rules depend on duties and remuneration items |
| Household waste collection tax, or TEOM | Attributable property and period amount, excluding administration fees |
| Landlord's letting-management fees | Owner's responsibility |
| Major works, façade renovation or substantial replacement | Do not pass these on as ordinary operating charges |
| Landlord insurance | Do not confuse it with ordinary recoverable rental charges |
This table is a guide, not permission to recover every invoice in a broad category. A lift-maintenance contract can combine services with different treatment. Read its breakdown. The official rental charges guide (opens in a new tab) gives examples by equipment type.
3. Distinguish funding calls from final expenditure
A copropriété manager's call for funds finances building operations or works. It is not automatically the tenant's bill. Some amounts are advances; others fund non-recoverable expenditure.
Start with the annual accounts and supporting records. Separate the recoverable part, then apply the property's allocation and relevant period. Major works should not be transferred to tenants merely by relabelling the item “maintenance”.
4. TEOM: exclude administration fees
The household waste collection tax can be recovered, but administration fees shown on the tax notice are excluded. If the notice covers several properties, identify the relevant property's share rather than passing on the full property-tax total.
Teaching example: the property's attributable TEOM is €180, with €14 of administration fees. For a full year attributable to one tenant, the recoverable item is €180, not €194. Adjust the attribution if the tenancy covers only part of the period. Source: French tax administration on TEOM and administration fees (opens in a new tab).
5. An equipment repair is not always a collective charge
A leak inside the property or a broken appliance first requires the cause and responsibility to be established. Routine seal maintenance, an ageing pipe and an insured incident are different situations. Use the rental repairs guide rather than automatically adding the invoice to annual charges.
Likewise, individual maintenance already paid directly by the tenant should not be charged again through the landlord's statement.
6. Check the lease's payment method
With advances, payments on account are compared with justified recoverable expenditure through reconciliation. With a legally permitted fixed package, the landlord does not later request a balancing payment based on actual costs. TEOM should not automatically be added on top of a package without analysing the applicable regime.
Our lease clauses guide explains the distinction. A fixed package must also respect the rules against a manifestly disproportionate amount relative to the charges it represents.
7. Build a checkable record
For each item, retain the invoice or relevant tax notice, period, recoverable portion, allocation method and advances already taken into account. Explain corrections and check that the same expense has not been counted twice.
Reconciliation must also respect advance information and access to evidence. The rental document retention guide distinguishes document inspection requirements from archiving needs.
Frequently asked questions
Can a lease clause make every expense recoverable?
No. Mandatory tenancy rules still apply. A general clause does not convert the landlord's ownership expenses into tenant charges.
Is the manager's “recoverable” figure sufficient?
It is a useful starting point, but the landlord must be able to explain the property's allocation, relevant period and any necessary adjustments.
What if a tenant disputes an item?
Identify the specific expense, check its regulatory basis and provide the relevant evidence. An ADIL housing advice service can help distinguish an allocation error from disagreement about recoverability.
Editorial verification: 29 October 2026. General information about French law; check the tenancy regime and supporting records.