What guarantees can you ask a tenant for?

To rent out with peace of mind, an owner can ask a rental applicant for four types of guarantees: supporting documents proving solvency, a security deposit, a guarantor or the Visale guarantee (a free rent guarantee from Action Logement), and optionally insurance against unpaid rent. Choosing the right guarantees helps you avoid breaches of the lease terms, and it’s a basic reflex of long-term rental management.

Authorized supporting documents

To assess an applicant’s solvency, the law sets a closed list of documents you can ask for:

1. ID: national identity card, passport, or residence permit.
2. Proof of address: the last three rent receipts, for example.
3. Proof of employment: an employment or internship contract.
4. Proof of income: the last three pay slips or the latest tax notice.

These documents give you a good picture of the applicant’s finances without going beyond what Decree No. 2015-1437 allows.

The security deposit

The security deposit covers any breaches by the tenant (unpaid rent, damage) found when they leave. Its amount is capped by law: one month of rent excluding service charges for an unfurnished home, two months for a furnished home. It can’t be revised during the lease, even if the lease is renewed.

A guarantor or the Visale guarantee

On top of the security deposit, you can ask for a guarantor: someone close to the tenant who commits to paying the rent if the tenant defaults, with the same supporting documents as the tenant (employment contract, pay slips, tax notice).

If the tenant has no one to act as guarantor, the Visale guarantee is a free alternative: it covers unpaid rent during the first three years of the lease, in the private sector. It’s especially useful for students or young professionals. You can learn more about the Visale guarantee and other free solutions against unpaid rent.

Rent guarantee insurance (GLI)

Some owners prefer to take out unpaid-rent insurance (GLI) directly rather than rely on the tenant’s solvency. It’s a paid option, but it also covers damage and litigation costs. We explain everything you need to know about GLI in a dedicated article.

If none of these solutions fits, you can also point the applicant to an online service to find a guarantor, or to a tenant guarantee like Cautioneo.

Prohibited documents and penalties

You can only require documents from the official list. Prohibited items include a copy of the Vitale health card, a bank statement, an automatic direct debit authorization, a criminal record extract, or a medical certificate. For violations, Article 22-2 of the Law of July 6, 1989 (France’s residential tenancy law) provides an administrative fine of up to €3,000 for an individual and €15,000 for a legal entity.

Follow the anti-discrimination rules

Choosing a tenant also means following the anti-discrimination rules: you can’t reject an application because of the applicant’s origin, sex, family situation, or health. Article 225-2 of the French Criminal Code punishes this kind of discrimination with three years in prison and a €45,000 fine.