No home insurance certificate from the tenant?
A French tenant without a home insurance certificate: formal notice, then either ending the lease or insuring on their behalf, recharged in twelfths with 10% at most.
Kivlo · Updated November 9, 2026 · Sources checked November 9, 2026 · 2 min read
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Ask for the certificate in writing, then, without a reply, send a formal notice by registered letter. If the tenant still does not insure, you have two routes, and only one of them: invoke the lease's termination clause one month after a bailiff's demand, or take out insurance on the tenant's behalf one month after the formal notice and recharge the premium in twelfths, increased by 10% at most. The rule is article 7 g of the law of 6 July 1989.
The tenant's duty
The tenant must insure against tenant risks (risques locatifs) and prove it when the keys are handed over, then every year on the landlord's request. According to Service-Public, only the tenant-risks cover is mandatory: damage to the home from fire, explosion or water. The duty also applies to a bail mobilité. No date is set for the yearly request: the lease anniversary is a practical choice.
No certificate: two routes
| Route | Steps | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| End the lease | Commandement served by a commissaire de justice, if the lease has a termination clause | The clause takes effect one month after an unheeded demand; the judge records termination |
| Insure for the tenant | Formal notice by registered letter announcing it, then one month | You insure, and recover the premium in twelfths with the rent |
Without a termination clause, Service-Public says termination goes through a summons before the judge.
The routes do not combine
The formal notice announcing insurance on the tenant's behalf waives the termination clause for lack of insurance (article 7 g). Pick your route before you write.
Insuring for the tenant. Send the formal notice announcing it; after one month without a certificate, take out a tenant-risks policy; give the tenant a copy at signing and at each renewal; recover the yearly premium plus 10% at most in twelfths with each rent, shown on the rent call and the quittance. If the tenant later sends their own certificate, or leaves, cancel the policy promptly; they repay the premium up to cancellation.
Example
The lease began on 1 March 2026. On 1 March 2027 the landlord asks for the certificate; no answer. On 15 March a formal notice goes out, received on 18 March. On 19 April, still nothing: the landlord takes out a €200-a-year tenant-risks policy and recharges €200 + 10% = €220, or €18.33 a month with the rent. If the tenant sends a certificate in September, the landlord cancels and recharges only the premium accrued.
Common mistakes
- Asking only at move-in: the tenant's policy may have lapsed since.
- Invoking the termination clause after announcing insurance on their behalf: you waived it.
- Recharging more than 10%, or the whole premium at once.
- Keeping the policy after the tenant has insured.
See also tenant repairs in France and boiler servicing: tenant or landlord?.
Have your own case checked
Before a formal notice or a bailiff's demand, have your steps checked by the local ADIL, which gives free housing advice, or by a commissaire de justice.
Sources
- Article 7 of law no. 89-462 of 6 July 1989, tenant's insurance (Légifrance, in French)
- Tenant's duty: home insurance covering tenant risks, Service-Public (in French)
- Residential lease: tenant's obligations, Service-Public (in French)
Last checked on 9 November 2026
Tenant documents in one place
Kivlo files each tenant's documents, such as their insurance certificate, with the lease and the payment history, so you find them the day you need them.
Frequently asked questions
Is home insurance mandatory for a French tenant?
Yes, for tenant risks (risques locatifs), meaning damage to the rented home from fire, explosion or water. Liability to neighbours and cover for the tenant's belongings are optional.
When must the tenant provide the certificate?
When the keys are handed over, then every year on the landlord's request.
Can the landlord take out insurance for the tenant?
Yes, one month after an unheeded formal notice announcing it. The premium, increased by 10% at most, is recovered in twelfths with the rent. That choice waives the termination clause for lack of insurance.
Can lack of insurance end the lease?
Yes, if the lease has a termination clause. It takes effect one month after a bailiff's demand that goes unheeded.
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Kivlo
Kivlo editorial team
Updated November 9, 2026 · Sources checked November 9, 2026 · 2 min read