Rent guarantee insurance in France: claims and cover
French rent guarantee insurance (GLI): no guarantor on top, a claim deadline never under five working days, forfeiture limited by law, and the contract clauses to read.
Kivlo · Updated November 9, 2026 · Sources checked November 9, 2026 · 3 min read
Contents
Rent guarantee insurance (garantie des loyers impayés, or GLI) pays the landlord the rent the tenant does not pay, on the terms of its contract. The deadline to declare the arrears is the one the contract sets, but French law limits the insurer: that deadline cannot be shorter than five working days, and a late declaration only costs you the cover if the insurer proves the delay harmed it (article L113-2 of the Insurance code). In exchange, with a GLI you may not require a guarantor, except for a student or an apprentice.
This guide is part of our Unpaid rent in France: what to do, step by step series.
GLI or guarantor: you have to choose
Article 22-1 of the law of 6 July 1989, the French residential lease statute, is clear: a guarantee cannot be required, on pain of nullity, by a landlord who has taken out insurance, or any other form of guarantee, covering the tenant's obligations, unless the home is let to a student or an apprentice. ANIL, the national housing information agency, reminds private landlords of this.
In practice: if you have a GLI and also had an employed tenant's parent sign a guarantee deed, that deed is void. Only the insurance will pay. Conversely, if you rely on a guarantor, do not take out a GLI for that lease without checking the rule.
The claim deadline: what the law guarantees
The Insurance code requires the insured to notify the insurer of any claim as soon as they know of it, and at the latest within the deadline set by the contract. Three safeguards work in your favour:
| Rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| The contractual deadline cannot be shorter than five working days | As we read it, a shorter deadline in the contract cannot be held against you |
| Forfeiture for late declaration must be provided by a clause of the contract | No clause, no forfeiture |
| It applies only if the insurer shows the delay harmed it, and never in a case of unforeseeable event or force majeure | A delay that cost the insurer nothing should not cost you the cover |
These rules limit the risk; they do not remove it. The safest course is still to declare within the contract's deadline, with every document requested.
What a GLI covers: the clauses to read
No law sets what a GLI must cover: it all depends on the contract. Before the first missed rent, read the general and specific terms with this checklist:
| Clause | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| Definition of the claim | From when does late rent become declarable "unpaid rent"? |
| Claim deadline | How many days, counted from which date? |
| Steps required first | Reminder, formal notice by registered letter: within what time and in what form? |
| Tenant solvency criteria | Which documents did you have to check at move-in, and did you keep them? |
| Waiting period and excess | Are the first months of the lease or of the arrears excluded? |
| Ceiling and length of cover | Up to what amount and for how long? |
| Legal costs | Does the insurer pay the commissaire de justice and the lawyer? Who runs the procedure? |
| Damage | Is it covered, and on what terms? |
| Exclusions | Which cases are not covered? |
| Obligations after the claim | Must you update the tenant's account each month, report a departure? |
Keep the tenant's file as the contract requires from the day the lease is signed: that is often where the claim is won or lost.
Example: arrears declared in time
Rent of €700 plus €50 of charges, so €750 a month, lease covered by a GLI.
| Date | Step |
|---|---|
| 1 February 2027 | February rent unpaid |
| As soon as possible | Reminder to the tenant, in the form the contract requires |
| Within the deadline set by your contract | Claim to the insurer, with the lease, the statement and proof of the reminders |
| Then, every month | Update of the tenant's account if the contract requires it |
If the insurer pays and runs the procedure, it follows the legal steps: commandement de payer, the judge, then possibly eviction. The legal delays are the same with or without insurance: six weeks after the commandement de payer, two months after the order to vacate, and no eviction from 1 November to 31 March of the following year.
GLI or Visale?
Action Logement's Visale guarantee is a free guarantee available to certain tenants. It is a different kind of cover, with its own claim deadlines, detailed in our guide Visale: how to claim unpaid rent.
Have your own case checked
This is general information, not advice for your own case. If a claim is refused or a clause is unclear, have your contract checked by a French lawyer, or ask the local ADIL (Agence départementale d'information sur le logement), found through ANIL, which advises landlords for free. For the procedure against the tenant, a commissaire de justice will guide you.
Sources
- Article L113-2 of the Insurance code (Légifrance, in French)
- Article 22-1 of law no. 89-462 of 6 July 1989 (Légifrance, in French)
- Unpaid rent: guarantors, insurance and guarantees, ANIL (in French)
- Article 24 of law no. 89-462 of 6 July 1989 (Légifrance, in French)
Last checked on 9 November 2026
The date of the arrears, recorded for you
The claim deadline runs from the missed rent. Kivlo shows it, dated, in your follow-up, and reminds your tenant by e-mail, and by text message from the Pro plan. From the Pro+ plan, the reminder and then the formal notice go out by e-mail or registered e-mail: a dated record of your reminders.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly must unpaid rent be declared to a GLI insurer?
Within the deadline set by your contract. French law requires the insured to report any claim as soon as they know of it and at the latest within that deadline, which cannot be shorter than five working days.
Can the insurer refuse to pay because the claim was late?
Only if the contract provides for that forfeiture and the insurer shows the delay harmed it. It can never be applied when the delay is due to an unforeseeable event or force majeure.
Can a landlord have both rent guarantee insurance and a guarantor?
No, unless the home is let to a student or an apprentice. A landlord who has insurance covering the tenant's obligations cannot require a guarantor, on pain of the guarantee being void.
What does a GLI cover?
Whatever the contract says. Amounts, length of cover, waiting period, tenant income criteria, legal costs, damage: it is all contractual. Read the general and specific terms before the first missed rent, not after.
Contents
Kivlo
Kivlo editorial team
Updated November 9, 2026 · Sources checked November 9, 2026 · 3 min read