Rent due notice in France: is it required?
No article of the law of 6 July 1989 requires a landlord to send a rent due notice (avis d’échéance). The law mentions it three times: it cannot be charged to the tenant, and two specific sums have to appear on it when they exist.
Key points
Free — No fee for handling it can be charged to the tenant.
Two entries — Insurance taken out for the tenant, contribution to energy savings on charges.
Rent due notice or rent receipt?§
The rent due notice announces, before payment, the sum owed for a period. The rent receipt (quittance) confirms, after payment, that the sum was received.
The rent receipt is owed to a tenant who asks for it. No article says the same about the rent due notice.
Prepare this month’s rent due noticeThe three articles that mention it
Article 21: no fees
“No fees related to handling the rent due notice or the rent receipt” can be charged to the tenant. Article 21Article 7: insurance taken out for the tenant
If the tenant does not show proof of home insurance, the landlord can take out a policy on their behalf. The premium, recoverable in twelfths with each rent payment, is entered on the rent due notice and shown on the receipt. Article 7, gArticle 23-1: energy savings on charges
After certain energy-saving works, a contribution can be asked of the tenant, for fifteen years at most. It is entered on the rent due notice and shown on the receipt. Article 23-1
Without a rent due notice, when is rent due?§
On the dates agreed in the lease: that is what article 7 says, without mentioning any prior notice. It adds one rule: “monthly payment is a right when the tenant asks for it”.
The month is paid? That calls for a rent receipt
Rent and charges shown separately, a plain receipt if the payment is partial. Free, no sign-up.
General information on French law, up to date as of 28 October 2026. This is not legal advice: for a specific situation, a lawyer, a notary or the ADIL of your département (free consultation) can answer you.
Legal texts and sources (4)
- Loi n° 89-462 du 6 juillet 1989, article 7 (paiement aux termes convenus, paiement mensuel de droit, assurance pour compte du locataire)
- Loi n° 89-462 du 6 juillet 1989, article 21 (quittance, aucuns frais d’avis d’échéance ou de quittance)
- Loi n° 89-462 du 6 juillet 1989, article 23-1 (contribution au partage des économies de charges)
- Loi n° 89-462 du 6 juillet 1989, texte consolidé