Celleneuve and Figuerolles districts: rental permits

To fight more effectively against situations of poor housing, the Metropole is setting up an authorization prior to renting (APML) otherwise known as a "permit to rent."

Le permis de louer is an administrative authorization required before a property can be rented out. Landlords are responsible for obtaining this authorization when a new property is put up for rent or when there is a change of tenant in the defined area.

This is done through:

• analysis of mandatory technical diagnostics,
• visiting the property by an authorized agent.

The aim is to ensure that rental properties are not likely to be detrimental to the health and safety of those living in them.

Pre-lease authorization must be attached to the rental contract when it is signed.

Le permis de louer has been in force in the Celleneuve district since April 1, 2021. Based on the results of this experiment, the Metropole of Montpellier has decided:

• to extend the permit to rent to a sector of the Faubourg de Figuerolles from October 1, 2023;
• to exclude housing built from January 1, 2005.

For these recent housing units located within the permit to rent perimeter, owners are exempt from applying for prior authorization to put them up for rent.

This exemption does not apply to dwellings renovated/rehabilitated after January 1, 2005, which remain subject to Permis de louer.

I own a dwelling in the area covered by the rental permit and for which a lease is to be signed:

1. I am applying for prior authorization to let

Technical diagnoses to be provided (must be appended to the rental contract):

• Diagnostic de performance énergétique (DPE),
• Constat de risque d'exposition au plomb (CREP) if my home was built before January 1, 1949
• Stat de l'installation intérieure de l'électricité if the installation is more than 15 years old (important: the dwelling must be supplied with electricity on the day of the diagnostician's visit)
• Status of the internal gas installation if the installation is existing and over 15 years old (important: the dwelling must be supplied with gas on the day of the diagnostician's visit)
• A statement of risks and pollution (natural, mining, technological, seismic, radon...) indicating whether the property is located in a risk zone.

You can also send your application for prior authorization to rent by registered mail with return receipt:

Mairie de Montpellier - Service Habitat Santé Environnement
1, place Georges Frêche 34267 MONTPELLIER cedex 2

2. Within 7 days of submitting my application, I receive:

• A registration certificate indicating the date of submission of the declaration and reproducing all the information mentioned therein (please note that this document does not constitute authorization). The administration's response must be made within one month of the date of dispatch of the letter indicating the completeness of the file.
• If my file is incomplete: an acknowledgement of receipt is issued, indicating that the file must be completed in order to be processed with the missing documents or information. This acknowledgement of receipt does not start the administration's one-month response period.

3. The inspection visit

• I am contacted by the City of Montpellier's Service Habitat Santé Environnement to arrange a visit to the dwelling.
• I must make myself or a representative available. The presence of only the outgoing tenant previously informed by you is accepted.

During the inspection visit, the Service Habitat Santé Environnement de la Ville de Montpellier will carry out a technical assessment of the decency of my dwelling.

4. The decision

With the support of the inspection report from the City of Montpellier's SHSE, Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole issues a decision and notifies it within a maximum of 1 month after the date of the attestation of registration of the request for authorization (silence kept, beyond one month, by the local authority constitutes tacit authorization).

3 possibilities:

• Authorization without reservation
• Authorization with reservation: the property can be rented out, but work must be carried out to bring it into compliance with the decency decree (decree n°2002-120 of January 30, 2020 relating to the characteristics of decent housing)
• Refusal to rent out: the property requires essential work before it can be rented out (eg. refusal: total absence of ventilation, presence of humidity/infiltration/mould, presence of class 3 lead, electricity: absence of high-sensitivity differential device ≤ 30mA ...)

In the event of rejection of my request for authorization, Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole will give reasons for its decision and specify the nature of the work and improvements in order to bring my dwelling into compliance.

If authorization is granted with reservations, I must carry out the work and can then rent out my property without having to take any further steps.