Tenant insurance in France: the policy your landlord will demand

France is one of the very few countries where a tenant is legally required to insure the home they rent. No attestation, no keys: your landlord or agency will ask for proof of insurance at key handover and can demand it again every year. This guide covers what the law requires, what a good renter’s policy actually contains, and the situations expats ask about most — furnished flats, flatshares and student rooms.

What the law requires — and what happens without it

The legal minimum is cover for « risques locatifs »: fire, explosion and water damage you cause to the rented dwelling itself. If you fail to insure, the landlord may either terminate the lease (most leases contain a clause for it) or — since the 2014 ALUR law — subscribe a policy on your behalf and add the premium to your rent, with a surcharge. In practice nobody buys the bare legal minimum: the standard product is the multirisque habitation (MRH), which adds your personal belongings, theft, glass breakage and — crucially — personal liability for damage caused to neighbours and third parties, the guarantee French daily life keeps asking for (universities and schools ask for it too — see our student insurance guide). How MRH works in general is covered in our home insurance guide and the home insurance hub; renting inside a copropriété adds a layer of its own, detailed in our apartment insurance guide.

The attestation, step by step

Subscribe online (most insurers issue the certificate instantly), give the exact address including floor and flat number, and download the « attestation d’assurance habitation » from the insurer’s app or email. It names you, the address and the period of cover — that PDF is what the agency wants. Renewal is tacit each year; your landlord can request a fresh attestation annually. If you move within France, the policy transfers to the new address — one call or click, and a new attestation.

Furnished, flatshare, student room

The tenant obligation applies to any dwelling rented as a residence: furnished flats included (a common misconception among newcomers — the landlord’s own policy on the furniture does not replace yours). In a flatshare, either one policy names every flatmate or each insures their own share — one unnamed flatmate is an uninsured flatmate. Students in residences or CROUS rooms need the same attestation; basic studio policies start under €5 per month, and banks and mutuelles sell them bundled. Very short stays (holiday lets, Airbnb) are the exception: the occupant obligation does not apply, cover is the host’s subject.

What it costs and what to check

Typical 2026 ranges: €8–30 per month for a flat, depending on city, surface, floor and contents value. Check four lines before price: the declared surface and number of rooms (mis-declaration reduces claims proportionally), the contents ceiling and any per-object limits for valuables, the theft conditions (some urban policies require specific locks), and the deductible. Liability claims between flats follow the French IRSI convention — your own insurer handles your water-damage claim even when the leak came from upstairs, which makes a responsive insurer worth a couple of euros more. For the legal and cultural background on liability, see the liability insurance guide; for the whole French system, the overview of insurance in France.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my home-country insurance policy?

Almost never in practice: the landlord expects a French-style attestation covering « risques locatifs » under French law, and foreign household policies rarely certify that. French policies are cheap and issued online in minutes — the pragmatic answer is a French MRH from day one.

My landlord never asked for insurance. Am I off the hook?

No: the obligation is legal, not contractual. Without cover, a fire or water leak you cause becomes your personal debt — potentially the whole building’s damage. The attestation protects you first, the landlord second.

More expat guides: Buying and insuring a car in France: the expat’s checklist · Motorhome and caravan insurance in France: the touring owner’s guide · Classic car insurance in France: collector status, agreed value · Driving a UK or foreign-plated car in France: insurance rules · all guides.