Landlord Repairs: Seven Costs Tenants Should Not Pay

The radiator that stays ice-cold on the first morning of November, the black stain spreading above the bed, the toilet cistern that leaks relentlessly: we all know the moment when a home seems to demand money at exactly the wrong time. Many tenants pay for work that is not their responsibility, either through exhaustion or fear of conflict. Yet a landlord may be required to cover costly repairs, even when the issue initially appears minor. The boundary between routine upkeep, wear and tear, and everyday minor repairs can sometimes be unclear. It should not be quite so blurred. After all, a bill for several hundred euros can affect the mood of an entire month. And a few key habits can make all the difference.

When a home ages, the bill does not always fall to the tenant

In an older flat, problems rarely arrive on their own: a window no longer closes properly, a wall becomes damp, and the heating starts to show signs of weakness. However, under Article 6 of the French Law of 6 July 1989, the landlord must provide decent accommodation and keep its equipment in working order. This includes major failures caused by wear and tear, building defects or an installation that has become unsafe. The tenant, meanwhile, is responsible for routine maintenance and minor repairs. Straightforward in theory, far less so in real life.

A common first example concerns the roof, exterior walls and concealed pipework. If water ingress is caused by a crack in the façade, a displaced roof tile or a faulty drainage stack, the landlord is responsible for the repair. The same applies to mould resulting from inadequate insulation or defective communal ventilation. Léa, a tenant in Lille, believed for a long time that the black marks in her bedroom were caused by her own habits. An expert appointed by the insurer eventually found a leak in the building’s roof. The repairs, costing almost €2,000, did not come out of her bank account.

Heating is another frequent source of confusion. Where the tenancy agreement requires it, the tenant must arrange servicing for an individual boiler and replace small items such as a seal or a thermostat battery. On the other hand, a boiler that has failed because of its age, a faulty radiator or a communal heating system that no longer provides heat are the landlord’s responsibility. Living with a temperature of 15°C in the sitting room is not merely a comfort issue. If the equipment no longer provides normal heating, the landlord must take action, unless the breakdown clearly stems from misuse or insufficient maintenance for which the tenant is responsible.

The seven repairs to identify before taking out your bank card

The first step is highly practical: notify the landlord in writing as soon as the problem appears. A dated message with photographs will often prompt a more serious discussion than a quick phone call made in passing. Request an assessment if there is any uncertainty about the cause of the fault. The seven repairs most commonly encountered involve the structure and water ingress, major pipework, outdated heating, unsafe electrics, windows damaged through wear and tear, worn sanitary equipment, and pest infestations caused by the condition of the property. Keep every exchange. It prevents selective recollections.

Electrical problems require immediate attention. An old consumer unit that repeatedly trips, sockets that become hot, exposed wiring or a lack of earthing are not simply inconveniences: the landlord must make the installation safe. The same is true of a bath cracked through wear and tear, a hot-water cylinder at the end of its life, or shutters jammed because their mechanism has worn out. Let us be honest: nobody really reads the decree on tenant repairs line by line every day. Yet accepting a quotation too quickly can cost several hundred euros.

If a landlord is slow to respond, do not stop paying rent on your own initiative: that mistake can be used against you. Instead, send a recorded-delivery letter with acknowledgement of receipt, then contact the departmental conciliation commission or your local ADIL housing advice service if the matter remains unresolved.

“The tenant must carry out the routine maintenance of the home, while the landlord is responsible for repairs made necessary by wear and tear, a construction defect or force majeure.”

The situations that require particularly close attention are:

• water ingress from the roof, façades or communal areas;
• leaks from concealed pipework or an ageing installation;
• replacement of a worn boiler, radiator or water heater;
• making an unsafe electrical installation safe;
• windows, shutters or doors deteriorated through wear and tear;
• sanitary fittings that have become unusable through no fault of the tenant;
• insect treatment or rat control required because of a building defect.

Enforcing your rights without turning daily life into a battle

The challenge is not only about the rules; it is also about the discomfort of having to make a claim. People worry about appearing demanding, damaging their relationship with the letting agency or receiving a frosty response. Yet reporting a leak, a smell of gas or persistent mould is not asking for special treatment. It is asking for a home that remains safe and habitable. A detailed check-in inventory, dated photographs and maintenance invoices provide quiet but valuable protection. Wear and tear is not the tenant’s fault.

Before arranging any emergency repair, try to contact the landlord and keep evidence of the steps you have taken. If a genuine danger requires urgent work, it may sometimes be necessary to call a plumber without waiting, but supporting documents will be essential when seeking reimbursement. The key question is simple: is this routine day-to-day maintenance, or is the equipment deteriorating because it has reached the end of its useful life? That distinction changes everything. Sharing your experience with other tenants, seeking advice from ADIL or rereading your tenancy agreement can also help overcome a very common feeling: being alone with an expensive breakdown.

Key point	Detail	Benefit for the reader
Wear and tear	Equipment that has reached the end of its life is generally the landlord’s responsibility.	Avoids paying for an expensive replacement without checking first.
Evidence	Dated photographs, emails and a recorded-delivery letter document the situation.	Strengthens a request for repairs or reimbursement.
Response	ADIL and the conciliation commission can support the tenant.	Makes it possible to act without withholding rent or worsening the dispute.