Recoverable service charges in France: the 1987 decree list

• I. Lifts and goods lifts

  Electricity, periodic inspection, call-outs without parts, lamps in the car.

• II. Shared water and heating

  Cold and hot water, fuel, boiler flue sweeping, meter readings.

• III. Fittings in the home

  Adjusting the water heater, seals on taps and toilet flushes, when the landlord takes care of it instead of the tenant.

• IV. Indoor common areas

  Electricity, cleaning products, light timer, cleaning.

• V. Outdoor areas

  Mowing and weeding, fertiliser, replacement plants, sand for sandpits.

• VI. Hygiene

  Rubbish bags, pest control, emptying septic tanks, waste disposal (staff).

• VII. Miscellaneous equipment

  Mechanical ventilation, intercom and keypad door, sweeping ventilation ducts.

• VIII. Taxes and fees

  Household waste collection tax (TEOM), street sweeping tax, lease duty.

Each heading is broken down item by item in the annex: electricity, supplies, routine maintenance, minor repairs, staff costs.

Not on the list: property tax (taxe foncière), building insurance, the fees of the managing agent (syndic) or a letting agency.

No. A court of appeal had charged a tenant for unblocking the drains, as a form of waste disposal. The Cour de cassation overturned the ruling on 3 April 2007: the annex “sets out exhaustively the list of recoverable charges” and this unblocking is not on it.

Same logic for the lift: its maintenance is on the list, but the mandatory technical inspection every five years is not recoverable. Fiche F947

The percentage applies to the salary plus social and tax contributions. Among the items not included: benefits in kind, retirement bonuses, severance pay, health cover paid by the employer or the works council.

A caretaker replaced during holidays or sick leave keeps the same percentage. When cleaning is contracted out to a company, its cost is recoverable in the same way; the decree asks the landlord to check that the contract separates recoverable expenses from the others.

Only minor repairs and routine maintenance are on the list. Replacing a piece of equipment counts as a minor repair only if it costs no more than the repair itself.

When they are paid through provisions, these are reconciled once a year on the basis of actual expenses.