Download a French inventory of fixtures

The inventory of fixtures also known as the "état des lieux" in French. What is the meaning of "état des lieux" ? This document is very important in the process of renting real estate in France. Some components are mandatory, and it is therefore very important not to overlook its redaction. To help you in this process, we provide you a free version of inventory of fixtures that you can download in this page.

Download a free sample of a French inventory of fixtures

The inventory of fixtures is not a mandatory document but it strongly advised to fill one. Here is a template of inventory of fixtures in PDF.

Download it for free here:

French inventory of fixtures PDF

Are you fluent in French? If so, read our article état des lieux en anglais.

What is a French inventory of fixtures?

Definition and meaning of an inventory of fixtures

The inventory of fixtures is an official document that is meant to simplify the relations between the landlord and the tenant of an estate. In France, its composition is planned by law. The Loi ALUR of 2014 and more specifically the decree n° 2016-382 of march 30, 2016 indicates what needs to appear in an inventory of fixtures. 

The état des lieux is a document that indicates the state of a housing. The idea is to keep track of how was the accommodation before the tenant moved in. Once he moves out, the landlord and the tenant can evaluate the damages made by the tenant.

The price of the reparations can be deduced from the deposit. In France, the deposit might be of one month if the rental is unfurnished and of two months if the rental is furnished. If the tenant did not damaged the housing, all of the deposit must be returned, the landlord has two months to give it back to the tenant.

Is an inventory of fixtures mandatory ?

The French law frames the inventory of fixtures but it does not bound the tenant and the landlord to perfome one. The parties can decide to do an état des lieux or not.

If no inventory is made at the tenant’s arrival, the place is considered to be in good condition which implies that the tenant has to leave it in good condition when he moves out. It is therefore highly advised to write one at the tenant’s entry in the apartment.

Note that if the landlord has not planned an état des lieux, the tenant can demand to made one. In that case, if the landlord persists in refusing, he is then considered fully responsible for the condition of the place and can not ask the tenant to pay for any redoing.

The realisation of a French inventory of fixtures

How should an inventory of fixtures be done?

A French inventory of fixtures must be done in the presence of both the landlord and the tenant (or their agent).

• The full name and address of both partis

• The number of main rooms

• The types of equipment in the residence (e.g. furnace, water heater, electricity meter, gas meter, etc)

• Relevant meter readings

• Any additional private property at the tenant’s disposition (e.g. cellar, parking space, balcony, terrace)

• Number of keys, their description and their destination

• Detailed description of all fixtures in the rooms (walls, doors, windows, lighting, closet space, etc)

• Any additional comments about the state of the residence

• Both signatures

As starters, the landlord and the tenant should agree on a meeting in order to have enough time to write the inventory of fixtures. They should have a model of an état des lieux that follows the legal standards.

The best way to make sure that you are not being fooled is to enter as many details as possible when doing the inventory.

When should an inventory of fixtures be done?

The état des lieux or inventory of fixtures must be performed two times. The first one must be done before the tenant moves in. The second état des lieux has to be performed when the tenant lives the accomodation (apartment, house, studio...).

To do two different inventory of fixtures is very important, indeed, the comparison of both of them will reveal the changes that occurred in the accommodation.

Can a third party do the inventory of fixtures?

The inventory of fixtures can be done by the tenant and the landlord together or it can be done by a third party. Usually, the third party is a hussier or a real-estate agent.

Asking for the services of a third party implies some extra fees. For the first état des lieux, these fees can be split in two. However, the landlord has to pay all the fees for the exit état des lieux.