Housing documents and how long to keep them
| Document | Minimum period | Starting from |
|---|---|---|
| Lease, check-in and check-out report (état des lieux), rent receipts, inventory of a furnished home | Length of the tenancy + 3 years | Date the tenancy ended |
| Letter revising the rent | Length of the tenancy + 3 years | Date the tenancy ended |
| Proof of housing benefit payments (APL) | Until your entitlement ends + 5 years | Date your entitlement ended |
| Electricity and gas bills | 5 years | Date of the document |
| Water bills | 5 years | Date of the document |
| Phone and internet bills | 5 years | Date of the document |
| Condo charges (proof of payment), letters from the building manager (syndic), general meeting minutes | 5 years | Date of the document |
| Invoices for minor works (windows…) | 5 years | Date of the document |
| Invoices for major works | 10 years for structural work | — |
| Chimney sweeping certificate, boiler servicing certificate | 2 years | Date of the document |
| Energy performance certificate (DPE) | 10 years for a DPE carried out since July 1, 2021 | — |
| Removal contract | 1 year | Date of the document |
| Deed of sale (title deed) | Permanent | Keep for good |
| Home or car insurance policy | 2 years after the policy ends | Date the policy ended |
Source: Service Public. These are minimum periods: nothing stops you from keeping a document longer, and anything related to an ongoing dispute should be kept.
Tenants: the whole tenancy, then 3 years
The lease (bail), the check-in and check-out reports (états des lieux), the rent receipts (quittances de loyer) and the letters revising the rent are kept for the whole tenancy, then 3 years after it ends. The rule applies to a home rented as a main residence, furnished or not; for a furnished home, the inventory of the furniture follows the same period.
The period starts from the end of the tenancy, not from the date of each receipt. As long as you live in the home, nothing gets thrown away. After you leave, file the whole folder under the year of the move: it can go 3 years later. A landlord who didn’t revise the rent on the date set in the lease has 1 year to do it.
Electricity, gas, water, internet: 5 years
Electricity, gas, water, phone and internet bills are kept for 5 years. That’s longer than the time the supplier has to claim a payment from you: 2 years for energy and for water from a private supplier, 4 years for water from a public one.
Also keep proof that you returned the internet box at the end of a contract, for 5 years: a receipt, an acknowledgment of receipt or the confirmation email.
Owners: deed of sale, works, condominium
- The deed of sale, or title deed, is kept for good. If you lose it, the notaire can give you a copy.
- Invoices for major works are kept for 10 years for structural work. For a construction, an extension or an improvement, like a bathroom, keep them as long as you own the home: they count toward the capital gains calculation when you sell, unless you’re exempt.
- Invoices for minor works, like windows, are kept for 5 years. The equipment installed is under warranty for 2 years from the acceptance of the works.
- In a condominium (copropriété), proof of payment of the charges, letters from the building manager (syndic) and the minutes of general meetings are kept for 5 years. A general meeting decision can be challenged within 2 months of being notified of the minutes, and the syndic must give online access to the minutes of the last 3 annual meetings that reviewed the accounts.
Servicing, surveys, insurance
Chimney sweeping (ramonage) and annual boiler servicing certificates are kept for 2 years. Service Public considers it useful to keep them for at least 5 years, and for the life of the boiler for its servicing, because they serve as proof after a claim: check what your home insurance policy requires.
An energy performance certificate (DPE) carried out since July 1, 2021 is kept for 10 years. The other property surveys, such as asbestos, gas or electricity, are valid for varying periods.
The home insurance policy is kept 2 years after it ends, as are the premium notices, the receipts and the cancellation letter, from their date.
Housing benefit and moving
Proof of housing benefit payments (APL, aide personnalisée au logement) is kept until your entitlement ends, then 5 years. A removal company’s contract is kept for 1 year: that’s the time you have to take action against it when the contract includes transport.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I keep rent receipts in France?
For the whole tenancy, then 3 years after it ends, for a home rented as a main residence, furnished or not. After a move, the rent receipts (quittances de loyer) for your old home can go 3 years after you leave.
How long should I keep a check-out report?
3 years after the tenancy ends, like the lease and the check-in report (état des lieux). Keep them together, in the folder for that home.
How long should I keep an electricity bill?
5 years, whether the supplier is EDF or another company, and the same goes for gas. Yet the supplier only has 2 years to claim a payment from you.
How long should I keep invoices for work on my home?
5 years for minor works, such as windows. For construction, extension or improvement work, keep the invoices for as long as you own the home: they count toward the capital gains calculation when you sell, unless you’re exempt.
Should I keep the deed of sale for my home?
Yes, for good. If you lose it, the notaire who holds the original can give you a copy.
Sources
Checked on October 24, 2026.