Broken appliances in furnished French rentals: who pays?
A broken fridge or washing machine does not always produce the same answer about payment. Check whether it belongs to the tenancy, its identity, starting condition and the cause of failure.
This guide concerns French furnished main-residence rentals. It develops the rental repairs guide without inventing universal legal lifespans for appliances.
1. Establish what was supplied
Read the lease, inventory and move-in observations. Identify make, model, accessories and anything that could not be tested. A tenant's own appliance differs from one supplied under the tenancy.
A fridge and cooking facilities are part of the minimum furnished-rental equipment under the relevant rules. A washing machine is not automatically compulsory, but contractual provision still matters. Our furniture and inventory guide explains this distinction.
2. Describe the fault before assigning blame
Record symptoms, date, any error code and relevant circumstances. Photos or video of visible faults can help without dangerous handling. Do not dismantle electrical equipment to create your own diagnosis.
Inform the landlord or agent promptly. Where a leak or associated risk occurs, limit damage safely and consult the water-damage guide as needed.
3. Separate possible causes
| Situation | Check before allocating cost |
|---|---|
| Cleaning, descaling or minor upkeep | Exact work and tenant maintenance obligations |
| Part worn through normal use | Evidence of wear, not assumed age alone |
| Appliance disabled through misuse | Established cause and responsibility |
| Fault already present at move-in | Handover records and notification |
| Unexplained failure | Diagnosis before a final decision |
Official tenant maintenance rules (opens in a new tab) include upkeep and small interventions on certain equipment listed in the lease. Damage and wear-and-tear rules (opens in a new tab) prevent every replacement being treated as a tenant expense.
4. Arrange diagnosis, repair or replacement
Ask the professional to separate symptoms, likely cause, proposed repair and any replacement. “Old appliance” is not a complete diagnosis; “broken appliance” does not prove tenant fault.
Outside urgent circumstances requiring appropriate action, discuss before ordering a replacement and claiming reimbursement. Identify who authorises the work and the agreed payment position. Where supplied equipment fails through normal ageing, maintaining the relevant equipment should not simply become a requirement for the tenant to buy new.
Check seller/manufacturer guarantees and insurance separately. Their existence does not replace tenancy duties or required claims procedures.
5. Update the history without overwriting the inventory
After replacement, retain the former reference, reason, date and new appliance details. Add useful instructions and any agreement. Do not silently edit the signed starting document.
If contractual duties change rather than an equivalent item simply being replaced, consider an appropriate amendment. File invoices and reports with the rental records.
6. Treat departure accounting separately
At departure, compare presence and condition with previous records. Do not automatically charge a new purchase price from a breakdown alone. Age-related replacement does not become attributable damage merely because it is discovered at move-out.
The deposit deductions guide explains evidence and wear. A dispute over an appliance during occupation does not create a general right to stop paying rent unilaterally.
Frequently asked questions
Must the tenant always pay the call-out?
No. Separate any advance payment, responsibility for the fault and final cost allocation.
Can optional equipment simply be removed?
Check the contract and supplied items. Absence from the regulatory minimum list does not mean an included appliance can freely be withdrawn.
Is there one statutory replacement age?
Do not infer a universal lifespan from illustrative examples. Condition, use, parts and evidence matter.
Sources checked on 29 October 2026: Articles 6, 7 and 25-4 of the 1989 law (opens in a new tab), furnished-rental equipment (opens in a new tab). General information about French law.