France tenant agency fees calculator
What the agency can make you pay for the file, the viewing, the lease and the move-in inspection, with the 2026 caps per m².
Tenant’s share
€478.60
out of €1,050.00 billed: the landlord pays €571.40
- High-demand zone
- Cap €10.09 per m²
- Move-in inspection: €3.03 per m²
For 40 m² in a high-demand zone, the tenant pays for the file, the viewing and the lease the lower of two limits: half of the fees or €10.09 per m². For the move-in inspection done with the agent, half of the fees or €3.03 per m². Your share: €478.60.
All the other costs of putting the home on the market (writing and posting the advert, rental management) are the landlord’s.
- If you do the move-in inspection alone with the landlord, there are no fees to pay.
Who pays the fees
- Tenant€47946%
- Landlord€57154%
I’m not an accountant or a financial advisor. This is an estimate, for information only. Check with a professional before you decide.
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| File, viewing and lease billed | €900.00 | |
|---|---|---|
| Half of the fees | €450.00 | |
| Cap: 40 m² × €10.09 | €403.60 | |
| = | Tenant’s share: file, viewing and leasethe cap is lower than half | €403.60 |
| Move-in inspection billed | €150.00 | |
| Half of the fees | €75.00 | |
| Cap: 40 m² × €3.03 | €121.20 | |
| = | Tenant’s share: move-in inspectionhalf is lower than the cap | €75.00 |
| = | Total to be paid by the tenant | €478.60 |
How it works
- When a residential property is put on the market for rent, the amount that the estate agency bills for the tenant’s file, the viewing of the home and the drafting of the lease is shared between the tenant and the landlord. The tenant’s share cannot exceed both half of the fees billed and a maximum amount worked out from a price including VAT per m² of living area, which depends on the zone (very high-demand, high-demand or low-demand).
- For the move-in inspection (état des lieux) done by the tenant and the estate agent, the rule is the same, with a cap of €3.03 including VAT per m². If an amicable inspection is not possible, a court bailiff (commissaire de justice) is needed, and the fees are shared in half.
- All the other agency fees for putting the home on the market are the landlord’s. The calculator takes the lower of the two amounts: half of the fees or the cap multiplied by the area.
Worked example
40 m² home in a high-demand zone, €900 billed for the file, the viewing and the lease: half is €450, the cap is 40 × €10.09 = €403.60; the tenant pays the lower of the two, €403.60, and the landlord €496.40. For a move-in inspection billed at €150: half is €75, the cap is 40 × €3.03 = €121.20; the tenant pays €75.
Sources
- Service-Public: estate agency fees when renting out a home: sharing of the fees and 2026 caps (in French)
- Service-Public: move-in inspection in a residential lease: fees to share (in French)
Text checked on October 6, 2026
Good to know
- The caps are those of 2026, set by the order of 17 July 2025: they are revalued every year with the IRL.
- The zone depends on the municipality. The very high-demand zone is the one in the order of 1 August 2014 (annex 1, table A bis); the high-demand zone is that of the municipalities subject to the vacant housing tax.
- The calculation is for agency fees when the home is put on the market. When a lease is renewed, if the agency drafts a new lease, the price billed is also shared in the same way.
- Rental management fees are the landlord’s, who signs a management mandate with the agency for that.
Frequently asked questions
How much agency fee does the tenant pay?
For the file, the viewing and the lease: at most half of the fees billed and at most €12.10 (very high-demand zone), €10.09 (high-demand zone) or €8.07 (low-demand zone) per m² of living area in 2026. For the move-in inspection: half and at most €3.03 per m².
Who pays for writing the advert?
The landlord, in full: all the costs other than the file, the viewing, the lease and the move-in inspection are theirs.
Do I have to pay for the move-in inspection?
Not if you do it alone with the landlord. Done with an estate agent, the tenant pays part of the fees, capped.
Can I be asked for money to reserve the home?
No: the landlord or the agency cannot ask for any sum of money to reserve the home, nor before the lease is signed.