Recoverable co-ownership charges: the list

A landlord can only pass on to the tenant the charges that appear in the list in decree no. 87-713 of 26 August 1987: water, collective heating, the lift, electricity and cleaning of the common areas, green spaces, part of the caretaker, the household waste tax. This list is exhaustive. Everything else in the syndic's (building manager's) call for funds, fees, building insurance, works fund, major works, stays with the owner.

This guide goes through the list heading by heading, with what each one excludes, for a home let as the tenant's main residence. Rules in force on 9 November 2026.

The principle#

On top of the rent, the tenant pays charges récupérables (recoverable service charges) "on proof", in return for (article 23 of the law of 6 July 1989):

1. services provided linked to the use of the various parts of the home;
2. routine upkeep and minor repairs of the parts in common use;
3. taxes that pay for services the tenant benefits from directly.

The list of these charges is set by decree. Service-public.gouv.fr presents it as an exhaustive list: what is not on it cannot be charged to the tenant, whatever the syndic's label.

The list, heading by heading#

The annex to the decree has eight headings.

I. Lifts and goods lifts#

• electricity;
• operation: periodic inspection, cleaning and greasing, six-monthly cable check, annual check of the safety gear, call-outs without parts;
• upkeep supplies and the car's light bulbs;
• minor repairs: buttons, contacts and door closers of the car and landings, fuses, motor brushes.

II. Cold water, hot water and collective heating#

• the occupants' water and the water used to clean the common parts and outdoor areas, with its taxes and the sewerage charge;
• fuel or energy for heating, electricity, water treatment products;
• operation and routine upkeep of the boiler room, pumps and regulators, boiler sweeping;
• hire, upkeep and reading of meters;
• minor repairs: leaks on fittings and seals, replacement of seals and valves.

III. Individual installations#

Heating, hot water and water supply inside the home: adjustments, checks, call-outs and minor repairs of water heaters, taps and toilet flushes.

IV. Indoor common areas#

Electricity, cleaning products and small equipment, upkeep of the light timer, laying and upkeep of mats, and cleaning, including the staff who do it.

V. Outdoor areas#

Electricity, fuel, routine upkeep supplies (bulbs, fertiliser, replacement plants), mowing, weeding, cleaning and watering of paths, car parks, green spaces and play areas, minor repairs of benches and fences. Redoing flower beds, borders or hedges is excluded.

VI. Hygiene#

Waste bags, pest control and disinfection, upkeep and emptying of cesspits, waste disposal, including the staff.

VII. Miscellaneous equipment#

Energy and upkeep of mechanical ventilation, sweeping of ventilation ducts, upkeep of automatic or code-operated doors and intercoms, the subscription for telephones made available to tenants. Mandatory safety inspections are excluded.

VIII. Taxes and fees#

The droit de bail (lease duty), the taxe ou redevance d'enlèvement des ordures ménagères (TEOM, household waste collection tax or fee) and the street-sweeping tax (taxe de balayage). The household waste tax appears on your taxe foncière (property tax) notice: see Household waste tax: charging it to the tenant.

The caretaker and cleaning staff#

The recoverable staff costs are pay and the related social and tax charges (article 2 of the decree):

Situation	Recoverable share
Caretaker (gardien or concierge) who cleans the common areas and handles waste disposal	75%
Caretaker who does only one of the two tasks	40%
Building employee (employé d'immeuble) who does the cleaning or the waste disposal	100%

In every case, the following are excluded: benefits in kind, profit-sharing and employee participation, retirement and redundancy payments, employer-paid health insurance contributions, the contribution to the construction effort and occupational health. When the service is contracted out to a company, the contract must separate recoverable expenses from the others.

What is never recoverable#

Not on the list, these items stay with the owner:

• the syndic's fees;
• the building insurance;
• the contribution to the fonds de travaux (works fund) (see Co-ownership works fund: can you charge it to the tenant?);
• major works and replacements: facade renovation, roof, collective boiler, lift (see Works voted at the general meeting: who pays?);
• the five-yearly technical inspection of the lift (service-public.gouv.fr);
• electricity for the home itself, which the tenant pays directly to their supplier.

Replacing a piece of equipment only counts as a minor repair, and so as recoverable, if it costs no more than the repair itself (article 2 of the decree).

Example: sorting a syndic statement#

A unit's annual statement shows €1,740 of expenses. Sorted line by line:

Statement item	Amount	Recoverable
Cold and hot water	€420	€420
Collective heating (fuel and upkeep)	€380	€380
Electricity and cleaning of common areas	€190	€190
Lift: electricity and maintenance contract	€120	€120
Green spaces	€60	€60
Caretaker (cleaning and waste)	€200	75% = €150
Syndic's fees	€210	€0
Building insurance	€110	€0
Small roof repairs	€50	€0
Total	€1,740	€1,320

The tenant bears €1,320, to compare with their advances at the yearly regularisation (see Co-ownership charge regularisation). The remaining €420 is yours to bear; under the régime réel (actual-expenses regime), it is deductible from your rental income through the co-ownership advances mechanism, detailed in Deductible co-ownership charges: the 2044 lines.

Common mistakes#

• Taking the syndic's "recoverable" column without checking it. That is the syndic's classification; the list that counts is the decree's.
• Charging 100% of the caretaker. Unless it is a building employee, it is 75% or 40%.
• Charging the works fund or the fees. They are not on the list.
• Claiming without proof. Charges are owed "on proof": keep the statement and invoices available to the tenant for six months after sending the breakdown.

For the overview, from the call for funds to the tax return, see our guide Landlord in a French co-ownership: charges and tax.

Sources#

• Annex to decree no. 87-713 of 26 August 1987 (list of recoverable charges), Légifrance
• Article 2 of decree no. 87-713 (caretaker, staff, replacements), Légifrance
• Article 23 of law no. 89-462 of 6 July 1989, Légifrance
• Rental charges, service-public.gouv.fr (in French)

Last checked on 9 November 2026