GSCM > Living in Montpellier > Accommodation > Rental agreements or contracts
Rental agreements or contracts
Last update: 03-05-2008
These are obligatory to be signed for all rented accommodation, except individual room renting chez the inhabitant.
The lease
The lease is the common name given in France to refer to a rental agreement. To be legal it must to be composed of:
- Date of the rental beginning and also its period.
- The nature of the accommodation (studio flat, T2…).
- Description of the appartment and equipment.
- The name of bailleur (landlord), his/her contact details and those of the tenants
- The price of accommodation, the means of payment, and the conditions in case of change in rent price
- The price of deposit.
The deposit
This is a paid sum for the landlord that could be kept entirely or partially in case of problems. This will depend on the state of the accommodation when you leave it (so the inventory is very important. See below).
Clauses
Two clauses are mostly added in a renting agreement.
- One clause foreseeing any differences in charges (eg electricity, gas etc)
These are charges, whose sum is fixed by the landlord. When the contract is finished, you should verify the accounts; if you had payed more than consumed the landlord should reimburse you the difference. If you have consumed more, you should pay the difference.
- One clause of a guarantor
This is the person (who can belong or not to your family) who the landlord can call in case of lapse in rental payment. They then have to pay the rent/charges on your behalf.
Inventory of fixtures
You should do this on the day of entry into your accommodation as well as on the day of your departure.
It is a addition to the rental agreement, which allows the tenant to give his/her opinion on the state of the accommodation.
It is an established fact by the two parties : it must indicate all noted imperfections. Don’t hesitate to indicate the smallest stain or imperfection. It will limit risks of dispute during the inventory before your departure.
Why is this document necessary?
- You are supposed to have received accommodation in a good state, if a few days/weeks after your entry there are repairs to be made, you are responsible.
- The absence of the document or the fact that it was not properly completed would allow the landlord to assert your responsibility for any damage, and then he could « legally» keep the deposit.
Notice
The notice is a letter of intention of your departure that you must absolutely send:
- For the furnished flats 1 month before your departure.
- For the others 3 months before your departure.
Don’t hesitate to consult your rental contract agreement, all the methods of termination are written in this.
Be careful : For the student residences, the agreement is fixed for a certain period. You must pay the total rent and charges for the whole contract period noted in the agreement, even if you decide to leave the accommodation before.
Maintenance charges
They can be included in the rent, as provisional charges or not (cf. see your accommodation agreement).
In multi-flat residences/building (non-student accommodation)
Charges are normally included in the rent, and can vary according to services, which are offered. They often include cleaning services (lift, garbage, water and so on) and are normally obligatory
EDF/GDF (Electricity of France/Gas of France)
As noted previously, charges as electricity can be included in the rent (particularly for student residences). Nevertheless you may open an account (particularly for private accommodation.
For that you can :
- Contact EDF/GDF by phoning
- Go to an agency EDF/GDF
- Go to the “Corum” every year from September to October, where you will find Accommodation Show for students and where different services such as EDF/GDF are found.
EDF/GDF can be found at the address below:
Agence PONT DE LATTES :
17 Rue Pont de Lattes, CS 91146 34008 MONTPELLIER CEDEX 1
du lundi au vendredi de 8 h 30 à 17 h 00
particuliers.edf.fr
BE CAREFUL: don’t forget to provide a proof of address
Phone/ADSL
Montpellier is a town covered by ADSL. There are several Internet service providers in France, you can choose the best offer, which answers to your needs.
There will be a forum « student accommodation » opened from August to October at the “Corum” with people, who will explain how to open a phone line.
Even if you don’t choose France Telecom as Internet service provider, you must open a line with them. Don’t forget emphasize the fact you are student in order to reduce the costs of opening the line and the contract won’t have a minimum time.
