How Much Does a Real Estate Agency Charge for a Rental in France?

March 5, 2025
Jean-Marc Le Prado

Only 35% of rental property owners choose to entrust a real estate agency with the management of their property.* While this option relieves landlords of all aspects related to renting and maintaining their property, this peace of mind comes at a cost.
Management fees, often high, can also vary significantly from one agency to another.

Real Estate Agency Management Fees in France

Before signing a contract with an agency, it is advisable to request multiple quotes to compare property management costs and facilitate negotiation.

Real estate agencies set their fees freely. While some offer a fixed rate, most adjust their fees based on factors such as:

The type of property
The number of rooms
The surface area
The location
The number of properties managed
The rental price and charges

Legal Obligations Regarding Fees

In real estate offices, management fees must be displayed in a clear, visible, and readable manner for clients.
Online, pricing information must be easily accessible within two clicks.

Average Cost of Property Management

On average, management fees amount to 4.5% excluding VAT. However, most agencies list their prices excluding VAT, meaning an additional 20% VAT must be added—a detail many landlords overlook as they usually cannot reclaim VAT.

⚠️ For a full-service property management contract, covering almost all management aspects, expect to pay around 9% including VAT.

The more properties you own and the higher the rent, the better your chances of negotiating lower fees.

Types of Real Estate Agency Contracts (Mandates)

A rental mandate is a contract that binds the property owner to a real estate professional. It defines the terms for finding tenants and managing the rental process.

There are two main types of mandates:

1. Full Property Management Mandate
- The real estate agency takes care of all aspects of rental management, including:
  - Finding solvent tenants
  - Drafting and signing leases
  - Carrying out move-in and move-out inspections
  - Collecting rent and issuing receipts
  - Handling late payments
  - Adjusting rent
  - Managing maintenance and repairs
2. Simple Rental Mandate
- The real estate agency only handles tenant search and initial rental setup.
- The landlord is responsible for day-to-day property management once the tenant moves in.

💡 Important Note: The tax declaration of rental income is not included in standard property management contracts and is often billed as an additional service.

How Much Are Real Estate Agency Fees?

The compensation for real estate agencies is outlined in the property management contract.

ALUR Law Fee Caps

To protect tenants and landlords from excessive fees, the ALUR Law has imposed caps on real estate agency fees:

€3 per m² for property condition reports (move-in/move-out inspections)
€12 per m² in high-demand rental areas (very tight zones)
€10 per m² in moderately tight rental zones
€8 per m² in other areas

Additionally, fees can be shared between the landlord and the tenant, but the tenant’s share cannot exceed that of the landlord.

Qlower's Advice

Whether your property is managed by an agency or you handle it yourself, Qlower is here to assist you at every step of the rental process.

Tenant application validation
Lease drafting
Rent estimation
Payment tracking

💡 Facing issues like unpaid rent or property damage? Our expert teams are always ready to help.

👉 If you are reconsidering your management strategy, use the Qlower savings simulator to compare the costs of agency management and accounting!

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