Author: Agnès Lambert
The owners are looking for a tenant who will take care of their property and pay their rent on time. This is a check of applicants’ ability to pay based on a certain number of documents. “Fake files are legion.” This ranges from adjusting the start date of the employment contract to false identity documents,” notes Arnaud Hacquart, president of Imodirect, whose study estimates that 20% of files are forged in Ile-de-France and 10%% in the provinces.
The tax declaration verification service allows you to ensure the authenticity of this document based on the tax number. “We can also identify a fake proof of address using a 2D-doc barcode, which allows us to check the compliance of an electricity or telecommunications invoice with the information of its holder,” explains Laurent Dubois, founder of MonSuperLocataire.
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Beware of danger! “Many disputes between tenants and landlords have their source in a poorly drafted tenancy agreement,” notes Patrice Petit, Head of Property Management at Orpi.
Author: Agnès Lambert
1. Find the ideal tenant
The owners are looking for a tenant who will take care of their property and pay their rent on time. This is a check of applicants’ ability to pay based on a certain number of documents. “Fake files are legion.” This ranges from adjusting the start date of the employment contract to false identity documents,” notes Arnaud Hacquart, president of Imodirect, whose study estimates that 20% of files are forged in Ile-de-France and 10%% in the provinces.
The tax declaration verification service allows you to ensure the authenticity of this document based on the tax number. “We can also identify a fake proof of address using a 2D-doc barcode, which allows us to check the compliance of an electricity or telecommunications invoice with the information of its holder,” explains Laurent Dubois, founder of MonSuperLocataire.
Read alsoReal estate crisis: rent with option to buy, tip for buying your first home
2. Carefully draft the rental agreement
Beware of danger! “Many disputes between tenants and landlords have their source in a poorly drafted tenancy agreement,” notes Patrice Petit, Head of Property Management at Orpi. Models available online are not always suitable. “Section 4 of the Tenancies Act 1989 lists unlawful clauses that a tenant could challenge if they appeared in a tenancy agreement,” he adds.
To ensure the legality of the rental, it is better to be accompanied by a professional. Notaries can also take care of this, for a price of 300 to 400 euros.
3. Determine the amount of rent
The rent must be set as close as possible to the market reality with regard to its supervision in the cities where it exists (Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Lille, etc.). Its amount is then revised annually on the anniversary date of the lease – if this option is possible – according to the IRL index. However, the increase is limited by law to 3.5% in mainland France until March 31, 2024, to preserve tenants’ purchasing power.
“It is now prohibited to revise the rent upwards for properties with a low DPE value (F or G),” also warns Raphaël Di Meglio, co-founder of Matera. The owner pays the fees (water, heating, elevator, taxes for sweeping and household waste collection, etc.), which he can partially recover from the tenant in addition to the rent.
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4. Avoid outstanding debts
It is possible to take out a guarantee for unpaid rent, which compensates the owner in case of non-payment by the tenant. Its price (around 2.5% of the rent) automatically reduces the return on investment. Calculation based on your personal situation: the owner of many studios can do without it, because their risk is spread over several properties.
On the other hand, the lessor of a plot of land, who depends on the rent received to repay a large part of his property loan, can be reassured by this guarantee. “In case of non-payment of rent, it is essential to respect the procedure specified in the rental agreement. Otherwise, the landlord cannot use the insurance,” emphasizes Laurent Dubois of MonSuperLocataire. This is, for example, tracking certain dates with the tenant (D + 1, D + 5, etc.).
5. Take out suitable home insurance
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Housing located in co-ownership must be covered by civil liability insurance. In practice this is included in ‘non-occupant’ home insurance, which also covers fire, water damage, theft, etc. It protects the landlord in the event of a disaster, even when the property is empty, such as between two tenancies. “It only costs a few tens of euros a year,” explains Raphaël Di Meglio from Matera.
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