Landlord won't return your deposit in France: the deadline, the 10% penalty and the letter

By the PromptLeadz editorial team. Last reviewed 20 September 2026. General information, not legal advice.

You handed back the keys, the flat was fine, and weeks later the deposit (the dépôt de garantie) still hasn't arrived. In France the law gives landlords a hard deadline, and a penalty when they miss it. Here's how it works and what to send.

The deadline

The clock starts the day you hand back the keys.

Your check-out inspection	Landlord must return the deposit within
Matches the check-in inspection (état des lieux de sortie conforme)	1 month
Shows differences	2 months, minus justified deductions

One exception: in a building with shared charges (copropriété), the landlord can hold back up to 20% until the building's annual accounts are settled. The rest still has to come back on time.

The penalty for paying late

If the landlord misses the deadline, you're owed 10% of the monthly rent (excluding charges) for each month started late, on top of the deposit. This comes from the 1989 rental law as changed by the loi ALUR in 2014.

Example: rent EUR 900 excluding charges, deposit EUR 900, check-out matched check-in, keys returned 1 March. By 1 April the deposit is due. If it's still missing on 20 April, one month has started late: you're owed EUR 900 plus EUR 90. If it's still missing on 2 May, two months have started: EUR 900 plus EUR 180.

What they can and can't deduct

• Can: unpaid rent or charges, and real damage shown by comparing the check-in and check-out inspections, backed by quotes, invoices or photos.
• Can't: normal wear and tear (vétusté): faded paint after years, worn carpet in walkways, small marks. Many leases include a wear grid (grille de vétusté); if yours does, it decides how much of an old item's value you owe.
• Can't: a lump sum "for cleaning" or "for repainting" with no evidence, or to upgrade the place.

No check-in inspection at all? Be careful: in France the law presumes you received the flat in good condition, so the landlord can claim for damage unless you can show it was already there. The exception is when the landlord refused or blocked the inspection. Old photos, emails and messages from move-in day help here.

The steps

1. A dated message first. Email or text the landlord or agency asking for the deposit, with the key-return date. Sometimes that's enough.
2. The formal demand (mise en demeure). Send by registered letter with receipt (lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception). Template below.
3. The free conciliation route. Apply to the commission départementale de conciliation in your département. It costs nothing, and many landlords pay once it's involved.
4. Court if needed. The juge des contentieux de la protection at the tribunal judiciaire handles rental disputes. For a clear unpaid amount, an injonction de payer is a simple written procedure. No lawyer needed for these amounts.

Free advice at every step: the ADIL in your département, run by housing law specialists.

Letter template (in French, ready to send)

Objet : Mise en demeure de restituer le dépôt de garantie

Madame, Monsieur,

J'ai quitté le logement situé [adresse] et restitué les clés le [date]. L'état des lieux de sortie est conforme à l'état des lieux d'entrée.

Conformément à l'article 22 de la loi n° 89-462 du 6 juillet 1989, le dépôt de garantie de [montant] euros devait m'être restitué dans un délai d'un mois, soit au plus tard le [date]. À ce jour, je ne l'ai pas reçu.

Ce même article prévoit une majoration de 10 % du loyer mensuel hors charges pour chaque période mensuelle commencée en retard, soit [montant] euros à ce jour.

Je vous mets en demeure de me verser la somme de [total] euros sous 8 jours à compter de la réception de ce courrier, par virement sur le compte [IBAN]. À défaut, je saisirai la commission départementale de conciliation puis, si nécessaire, le tribunal judiciaire.

Veuillez agréer, Madame, Monsieur, mes salutations distinguées.

[Nom, adresse, signature]

If the check-out showed differences, change the second paragraph to the 2-month deadline and ask for the invoices behind each deduction.

Questions people ask

Does the penalty apply to agencies too? Yes, the agency acts for the landlord; the deadline is the same.

Furnished flat? The same deadlines and penalty apply to main-residence furnished rentals.

The landlord says the heating bill isn't settled. That's the 20% hold-back for copropriété only, and only until the annual accounts. The other 80% is still due on time.

I'm in the UK or US. Different rules: UK deposits must sit in a government scheme with a free dispute service; US deadlines are set state by state.

Sources and further reading

• Service-Public.fr : dépôt de garantie
• ANIL : agence nationale pour l’information sur le logement
• Légifrance : loi du 6 juillet 1989