[GeneveFrontalier]

Hello,

I was recently surprised to find, after my boiler stopped working, that the agency managing the flat I rent has sent me the bill and not the landlord. They state this comes under "utilities" which I am responsible to pay.

I looked around on google and it seems a very grey area in France - many articles say the tenant pays for small repairs, others claim the tenant has to pay nearly everything. Certainly coming from the UK I find this bill outrageous, because its always the landlords responsobility to pay for repairs and maintenance.

So I wondered what others opinons are on whether I am supposed to pay this or the landlord/agency is trying it on, perhaps hoping I don't understand enough to anything but pay it?

Thanks,

Paul

 

[koppazee]

We rent a house which we took directly from the owner. The lease stipulates that we must have both the furnace and fire place looked at annually for any problems but outside of the costs to have it looked at (150€ for the furnace and 70€ for the fire place) any repairs are her responsibility, not ours. I suspect that if we needed a chimney sweep, that is on our dime not hers but if parts need to be replaced and labor is associated with it (which it always is), she is responsible. I would look at your rental agreement from the agency to see what it says. Warm regards!

 

[Bevdeforges]

I wouldn't be so sure of your interpretation about the chimney sweep. It's normally required that you have your chimney cleaned at least once a year and you have to have the certificate to show that you had it done. "Having the chimney looked at" usually means having it cleaned. If you should have a fire, you would be determined to be at fault (and your insurance would not pay - and that includes your "civil responsibility" insurance) if you can't produce the certificate saying that you have had the chimney swept within the last year.

I know here in the Paris area, our local AVF kind of warns the newly arrived foreigners about this. It doesn't seem to be the landlord's responsibility.
Cheers,
Bev

 

[koppazee]

I wouldn't be so sure of your interpretation about the chimney sweep. It's normally required that you have your chimney cleaned at least once a year and you have to have the certificate to show that you had it done. "Having the chimney looked at" usually means having it cleaned. If you should have a fire, you would be determined to be at fault (and your insurance would not pay - and that includes your "civil responsibility" insurance) if you can't produce the certificate saying that you have had the chimney swept within the last year.

I know here in the Paris area, our local AVF kind of warns the newly arrived foreigners about this. It doesn't seem to be the landlord's responsibility.
Cheers,
Bev

Thanks Bev, but I did say a chimney sweep is on our dime. The insurance does demand proof of an inspection of both the furnace and the chimney. Warm regards!