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Electricity & gas · France
Checked 2026-09-30

🔑 I rent my home in France: who pays for energy and how do I check the service charges?

The short answer

As a tenant you either have your own energy contract or you pay energy through the rent or service charges. The rules on shared meters and yearly statements protect you.

📜 The rules in France

Energy costs for tenants

In a rented home, the landlord can pass on the cost of energy for collective heating and hot water, and maintenance of that equipment, as service charges (décret n°87-713). You pay monthly advances, settled once a year.

  • One month before the yearly settlement, the landlord must send a breakdown of charges by type; the supporting documents stay available to you for 6 months. Unpaid charges can be claimed for up to 3 years. (service-public.gouv.fr)
  • Buildings with collective heating must bill heating by each flat's own use (meters or heat cost allocators) where technically possible, unless consumption is below 80 kWh/m² a year. Occupants get a monthly estimate of their use. (ecologie.gouv.fr)
Commission départementale de conciliation (CDC)Free conciliation between landlord and tenant, including disputes about service charges; the CDC of the département where the home is🔗 service-public.gouv.fr
Official source: service-public.gouv.fr · Checked 2026-09-30

🪜 Step by step

  1. Find out how you payYour own contract with a supplier, or energy through the landlord? Your tenancy agreement says so.
  2. Ask for the statementIf the landlord charges energy or heating, ask for the yearly statement and how your share is worked out.
  3. Check the rules for FranceSee below what landlords must do on meters, cost splitting and statements.
  4. Dispute in writingWrite to the landlord with your questions. If there is no solution, go to the body named below.

📇 Who to contact

Commission départementale de conciliation (CDC)Free conciliation between landlord and tenant, including disputes about service charges; the CDC of the département where the home is🔗 www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1216
Institut national de la consommation (INC)Independent advice for consumersFor advice, template letters and a second opinion🔗 www.inc-conso.fr

❓ Questions

Can I choose my own supplier as a tenant?

If you have your own meter and contract, usually yes. If energy is in the rent, the landlord chooses.

How is heating split between flats?

Often by individual meters or heat cost allocators plus a fixed share. The rules for France are on this page.

Can the landlord cut my energy?

A landlord may not simply cut your supply. Contact the body named on this page.

📎 Sources

Checked: 2026-09-30

🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

🔗 Also useful

🌡️District heating, oil and LPG→📦Moving house→🧾Wrong or high bill→🔄Switching supplier→📈Price increase→

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