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INFORMATION FOR TENANTS
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You've looked at the details of the properties registered with French Locations and, we hope, have found some of interest – so what next? Contacting property owners You will find details of how to contact the property owners with each set of individual property details. A few owners prefer the initial contact to come via French Locations. In this instance, give us a call or email with the property reference number and your contact details, together with an idea of the period you might be considering for renting. We will then contact the owner and ask them to get in touch with you. Viewing properties Please note that we are not able to visit the properties listed individually. The descriptions are as supplied to us by the owners. Arranging a long-term booking is very different from making a week or fortnight’s holiday reservation and we do feel that it is very advisable to visit and view the property first prior to making a firm commitment. If you make an arrangement to meet the owner or their agent at the property for a viewing, please keep the appointment. If your circumstances change and you are unable to make it, or will be late, please let them know. There is nothing owners dislike more than a “no-show”. Furniture, pets and other belongings Whether or not you arrange a viewing and meet the owner, do check in detail what is included in the let. For example, some tenants will want to take their own bed linen, whereas others want it to be supplied by the owner. Most properties available for long-term rentals are let furnished, as under French law unfurnished properties should be let for a minimum of three years. It is often possible, however, to come to an arrangement with an owner if there are a few particular items of furniture you wish to take with you to a property. Alternatively, some properties have a secure outbuilding or storage area which the owner may be willing to make available to you for the period of your let. If you are intending to take domestic pets with you, or larger animals such as horses, please discuss this with the owner at an early stage of your negotiations. Some owners will not accept any pets, others are very flexible about arrangements, and some are happy to allow pets but will want to apply conditions (such as requiring professional cleaning of carpets and soft furnishings at the end of your tenancy period, or restricting use of the garden). |
Tenancy agreements
If you agree to a booking of one month or more it is advisable to have a formal French tenancy agreement in place, and most owners will want to do so as a matter of course. French Locations can offer this service to owners and tenants. The tenancy agreement, or ‘Contrat de Location’, sets out in thorough detail all the terms and conditions that need to be agreed between owner and tenant to ensure a trouble-free let. It is designed to help avoid any misunderstanding or disagreement between the two parties, and you will need a Contrat de Location if you want to open a bank account in France. The tenancy agreement will include full details of the period booked, the amount of monthly rent payable, dates when rent should be paid, and any other mutually agreed conditions of the tenancy.
Security Deposit
You should expect that most owners will ask you for a security deposit once the booking is agreed in principle. This is (a) to guarantee the booking until a tenancy agreement has been drawn up, and (b) to act as a warranty against breakages or damage during the rental period. There is no fixed amount for a security deposit, but many owners ask for the equivalent of one month’s rent. This deposit should be returned to the tenant within one month after the end of the booked period, subject to the owner being happy that the property is in the same condition as at the beginning of the tenancy.
Utility Bills
Expect to pay for consumable utilities, e.g. oil, gas, water, electricity, during the rental period. In the case of metered utilities (such as water and electricity) an owner may ask the supplier to change the bills over to the tenant’s name. In practice, however, it is more common for the owner still to receive and pay the bills and arrange for the tenant to reimburse them within, say, 10-14 days of receipt of a copy of the bill. For bills covering the beginning and end of the tenancy period which will not be the tenant’s responsibility in full, the owner will take a meter reading and charge the tenant pro-rata. As for oil and bottled gaz, the usual practice is for the owner to supply a full tank for the tenant at the start of the tenancy, and for the tenant to leave the tank full again on departure
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TV, telephone and internet connections
Most, but not all, properties will have connections for televisions and phone lines but the owner may not provide the actual TV set or phone. If this is important to you, please discuss with the owner what they can provide and what they are happy for you to plug in. Bear in mind that not all UK appliances are compatible with French systems. |
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