SETTLING IN - CultureShock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette - page 102

UNFURNISHED APARTMENTS
Unfurnished long-term apartments are usually offered in
three-year leases ( bail de location or bail de trois ans ) if
the landlord is a private individual, and for six years if the
landlord is a professional or a corporation. Leases are renewed
automatically if no notice is issued by the tenant. When giving
up the apartment, three months' notice is required (less if the
tenant is being transferred abroad), and the letter sent to the
landlord must be sent en recommandée avec accusé de réception
(registered mail with notice of receipt). A tenant, however,
may be given notice six months prior to the anniversary
date of the lease, and reasons for terminating the lease must
be specified: non-payment of rent, impending sale of the
apartment, if the owner intends to occupy the apartment, or
if it needs to undergo major renovation. A tenant may not be
evicted between October and April for any reason.
Annual rent increases are regulated by law and calculated
annually. The landlord will require the caution of up to a year's
rent, which stays blocked for the entire length of the lease.
The landlord pays interest on the entire sum on deposit. You
can pay your rent by cheque or have it deducted from your
bank account. Whichever way you decide to pay, request
from the landlord a monthly quittance de loyer (receipt) to
keep for your records.
All residents of a building pay charges (miscellaneous
expenses), which cover garbage pickup, maintenance
of the common areas and lift, landscaping, etc. Housing
law states quite clearly which charges may be passed
on to the tenant and in which proportion, so if your
prospective landlord is an individual and not an established
corporation, ask about the charges , what they cover and
how they are assessed. These charges , along with the rent,
are generally adjusted once a year. Also pay attention to
the taxe d'habitation (habitation tax) paid by all residents
on 1 January. This tax is assessed according to the value
of the property, so the more expensive apartments and
arrondissements have higher taxes.
Before the actual move, the tenant and the landlord
conduct the état des lieux (inspection of the state of the