Tenant Home Insurance in France: What Is Compulsory and What Is Advisable

A legal obligation, not an option

Whether you rent an unfurnished or a furnished home, and even under a short-term mobility lease (bail mobilité), you are legally required to insure it. This is set out in Article 7 of the law of 6 July 1989 (Articles 25-3 and 25-12 for furnished lets and mobility leases). In practice, you must take out a home insurance policy covering at least the tenant's liability risks (risques locatifs): damage caused to the property by fire, explosion or water damage.

In Paris, where old buildings and shared water pipes make leaks common, this insurance is far more than a formality: it is what saves you from paying out of your own pocket to repair a parquet floor or the ceiling of the neighbour downstairs.

What the law requires, and what it doesn't

Only cover for tenant's liability risks is compulsory. As Service Public points out, it has two important limits:

• It only covers the rented property. If the damage spreads to your neighbours, their losses fall under third-party and neighbour liability cover (recours des voisins et des tiers), which is optional.
• It does not cover your belongings. Furniture, computer, clothes: to protect them you need additional cover, usually called comprehensive home insurance (multirisque habitation), which is also optional.

In practice, most policies offered to tenants are comprehensive policies that include tenant's liability, neighbour liability, personal civil liability and cover for your belongings. Before picking the cheapest offer, check what it actually covers, the compensation ceilings and the excesses.

When to give the certificate to your landlord

You must provide your insurance certificate (attestation d'assurance) at two points:

• when you receive the keys, which in practice means the day of the check-in inspection;
• once a year, at the request of the landlord or the letting agency.

The right move: take out the policy as soon as you sign the lease, starting no later than the day you move in. You will then arrive at the check-in inspection with the certificate in hand, and the home is covered from the very first night.

What happens if a tenant is not insured?

If you fail to provide a certificate when asked, the landlord can choose between two routes:

• Seek termination of the lease. If the lease contains a termination clause (clause résolutoire) for lack of insurance, the landlord has a formal notice served on you by a judicial officer (commissaire de justice); if you are still uninsured one month later, they can ask the court to confirm the termination of the lease and order eviction. Without such a clause, they must summon you before the local civil judge (juge des contentieux de la protection).
• Take out insurance on your behalf. The landlord informs you by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt; you then have one month to get insured. After that, they can take out a tenant's liability policy themselves and pass on the premium to you, increased by up to 10%, in twelve monthly instalments with the rent. Service Public's example: for a €200 premium, you will owe €220 over the year, or €18.33 a month.

Good to know: once the landlord chooses the second route, they can no longer seek termination of the lease for lack of insurance. And you can end that policy at any time by taking out your own insurance and handing over the certificate.

Switching insurer or moving out

After the first year of the contract, you can cancel your home insurance at any time without penalty. Because insurance is compulsory for tenants, it is the new insurer that sends the cancellation request to the old one, so the home is never left uncovered. Cancellation takes effect one month after the old insurer receives the request.

If you move, the change of address allows you to cancel the policy even before the end of the first year: the request must be made within three months of the move, with proof, and takes effect one month after notification. You can also simply transfer the policy to your new address. Remember to align these steps with your notice period so that you neither pay for two policies for too long nor go uninsured between two homes.

Points to watch in Paris

• Declare the correct floor area and number of rooms. A false or incomplete declaration can lead the insurer to cancel the policy.
• In a flat share, make clear who insures what. The set-up differs depending on whether you sign a single lease or individual leases: ask the insurer to confirm that each occupant is properly covered. Our article on flat sharing in Paris explains both options.
• Value your belongings honestly. A ceiling that is too low for your furniture and computer equipment leaves you exposed to insufficient compensation.
• Keep your receipts and photos. In the event of a claim, they are what prove the value of what you have lost.

Frequently asked questions

Can my landlord make me use their insurer? No. You are free to choose your insurer; your only obligation is to provide a certificate covering at least the tenant's liability risks.

Is insurance compulsory in a furnished flat? Yes. The obligation applies to furnished leases for a main residence as well as to unfurnished leases and mobility leases. Different rules apply to furnished holiday lets (meublés de tourisme).

Do I need to be insured before I get the keys? The certificate must be handed over when you receive the keys, so the policy must be in force on that day at the latest.

Conclusion

Home insurance is one of the first steps of a successful move: compulsory, inexpensive compared with the risks it covers, and essential in a Parisian building. At APPARTE, with our Rubis package, we support our clients right up to setting up their contracts, so they can move into their new home with peace of mind. Looking for a home in Paris or Île-de-France? Book an appointment with APPARTE.

This article provides general information that is up to date at the time of publication. For a specific situation, have your rights checked by a professional (ADIL, lawyer or notary).