Wear and tear in France: what the tenant pays
Normal wear or damage, the optional French wear and tear grid, franchise, annual rate and residual share, with a worked example: the share of a repair a tenant pays.
Kivlo · Updated November 7, 2026 · Sources checked November 7, 2026 · 3 min read
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A French tenant pays for the damage they cause, never for wear and tear (vétusté), meaning wear from time or normal use: article 7 of the law of 6 July 1989 excludes it from the repairs a tenant owes. To put a figure on the share of a repair the tenant still pays, landlord and tenant can agree on a wear and tear grid (grille de vétusté): for each fitting it sets a lifetime, a franchise, an annual rate and a residual share.
The wear and tear calculator applies a grid to your case, with no sign-up.
Normal wear or damage
Decree no. 2016-382 of 30 March 2016 defines vétusté as wear or deterioration caused by time or the normal use of materials and fittings. According to Service-Public:
| Cause | Who pays |
|---|---|
| The tenant's negligence or lack of upkeep (and that of the people they house) | The tenant |
| Wear and tear, normal wear | The landlord, even for a tenant repair |
| Force majeure (a storm, for instance) | The landlord |
Paint faded after eight years is wear; a wall with a hole or burnt parquet is damage. Once the inventories establish the damage, the tenant is liable for it unless they prove it came from force majeure, the landlord's fault or a third party they did not let into the home. For holes and paint, see can a French tenant paint or drill the walls?. When the bill exceeds the deposit, the next steps are in Tenant damage beyond the deposit in France: recovering it.
The wear and tear grid
It is optional. Article 4 of the 2016 decree lets the parties agree to apply one when the lease is signed, chosen from the grids of a collective lease agreement, even if the home is outside the sector the agreement covers. The grid sets at least, for the main materials and fittings, a theoretical lifetime and flat annual deduction rates.
A grid may also set a franchise and a residual share. The calculator uses these four values per fitting:
| Value | What it says |
|---|---|
| Lifetime | Beyond it, the fitting counts as worn out |
| Franchise | The first years, the fitting counts as new: nothing is deducted |
| Annual rate | The share of the cost taken off each year after the franchise |
| Residual share | What the tenant always pays, even for an old fitting |
No grid in the lease, an estimate
A grid's values bind only when the lease provides one. Without it, wear is assessed case by case, and a judge decides if you disagree. A grid is then a reference, not a rule.
The calculation, step by step
- Count the full years between installation (or the last renovation) and the move-out inventory.
- During the franchise, the tenant owes the whole cost of the repair.
- After the franchise, take off the annual rate for each full year.
- The result never goes below the residual share, which alone remains due once the lifetime is reached.
Worked example. Paintwork redone on 1 June 2021, damaged at the move-out of 15 June 2026. The grid sets a 7-year lifetime, a 1-year franchise, 15% a year and a 10% residual share. Repainting costs €1,200.
| Step | Calculation |
|---|---|
| Age | 5 full years |
| Years after the franchise | 5 − 1 = 4 |
| Deduction | 4 × 15% = 60% |
| Tenant's share | 100% − 60% = 40%, above the 10% residual |
| Amount | 40% × €1,200 = €480; the wear, €720, stays with the landlord |
A year later the share would fall to 25%; at 7 years only the 10% residual share would remain.
Keeping it from the deposit
The tenant's share is kept from the security deposit, with evidence: move-in and move-out inventories, photos, an invoice or a quote. The deduction and the rest of the deposit are settled within one or two months of the keys being returned (see the security deposit guide).
Have your case checked
A disputed deduction often ends before a conciliator or a judge. Before a large deduction, have your calculation checked by your département's ADIL, which advises for free (in French), or by a lawyer.
Sources
- Decree no. 2016-382 of 30 March 2016, article 4 (Légifrance)
- Article 7 of law no. 89-462 of 6 July 1989 (Légifrance)
- Damage to a rented home: who pays?, Service-Public
- ANIL and the ADIL network, free housing advice
Last checked on 7 November 2026
A deposit to return?
Kivlo reminds you of the security deposit to return after the move-out inventory, with the lease and the payment history in one place.
Frequently asked questions
What is vétusté?
Wear or deterioration caused by time or the normal use of a home's materials and fittings, as decree no. 2016-382 of 30 March 2016 defines it. Repairs due to wear are the landlord's to pay.
Is a wear and tear grid compulsory?
No. Landlord and tenant may agree to apply one when signing the lease, chosen from the grids of a collective lease agreement. Without one, the tenant's share is assessed case by case.
How is the tenant's share worked out with a grid?
During the franchise the item counts as new and the tenant pays the whole repair. Then each full year takes off the annual rate, never going below the residual share the grid sets.
What must the landlord prove to keep money back?
That the harm is damage rather than wear, by comparing the move-in and move-out inventories, and the amount, with an invoice, a quote or photos. The tenant can, for their part, show they did not cause the damage.
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Kivlo
Kivlo editorial team
Updated November 7, 2026 · Sources checked November 7, 2026 · 3 min read