Updated October 2026. Assurance habitation is mandatory for tenants in France, who must hold at least a risques locatifs / responsabilité civile policy and show an attestation at the état des lieux. The standard product is multirisque habitation (MRH), bundling fire, water damage, theft, and third-party liability cover (responsabilité civile). Each claim carries an excess / deductible (franchise). Cover is strongly recommended for owners, and you can switch insurer freely after 12 months under the Hamon law (loi Hamon).
Key takeaways
- Tenants must be insured (at least risques locatifs / responsabilité civile), furnished or unfurnished; owners are strongly advised to be, and copropriété owners must carry responsabilité civile.
- Multirisque habitation (MRH) bundles fire, water damage (dégât des eaux), theft, and responsabilité civile.
- Published entry prices start at €2.17/month (Acheel), against a national average of €299 a year excl. tax (France Assureurs, 2024).
- The attestation d'assurance habitation is required at the état des lieux and can be requested again each year.
- Loi Hamon lets you cancel any time after 12 months; a premium rise alone gives no cancellation right.
Is home insurance mandatory in France?
For tenants (locataires), yes. Assurance habitation is legally mandatory for anyone renting a main home: unfurnished lets under article 7 g of loi 89-462 of 6 July 1989, and furnished lets under article 25-3, added by the ALUR law in 2014. The legal minimum is cover for risques locatifs, the damage you could cause to the rented property, paired with responsabilité civile. Your landlord can require proof at the état des lieux and again each year. Insurers offering this cover are supervised by the ACPR.
For owners (propriétaires), home insurance is strongly recommended but not universally compulsory. An owner in a copropriété (condominium) must hold at least responsabilité civile under article 9-1 of loi 65-557, and that duty also covers a landlord who lets the flat out, through a propriétaire non-occupant (PNO) policy. General rules are explained on service-public.fr.
| Who lives there | Mandatory by law? | Who asks for proof | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenant, unfurnished main home | Yes: rental risks | Landlord, at signing and yearly | Art. 7 g, loi 89-462 (6 July 1989) |
| Tenant, furnished (meublé) | Yes, since ALUR | Landlord, same attestation | Art. 25-3, loi 89-462 (ALUR 2014); décret 2015-1437 |
| Seasonal or tourist rental | No | Landlord may demand it in the contract | service-public.fr guidance |
| Owner-occupier, house | No | Mortgage lender may demand it | None |
| Owner-occupier in a copropriété | Yes: at least RC | Syndic may ask for the attestation | Art. 9-1, loi 65-557 (ALUR) |
| Landlord in a copropriété (PNO) | Yes: RC minimum; damage cover optional | Syndic attestation | Art. 9-1, loi 65-557 |
| Landlord, unpaid-rent cover (GLI) | No | Nobody | Optional |
Who must insure a home in France, by situation. Sources: loi 89-462 (articles 7 g, 7-1 and 25-3), loi 65-557 (article 9-1), décret 2016-383 and service-public.fr, checked October 2026.
A tenant who does not insure breaches the lease. After formal notice, the landlord may take out cover on the tenant's behalf (assurance pour compte, article 7-1 of loi 89-462) and recharge the premium plus a 10% penalty set by décret 2016-383, or ask a judge to terminate the lease. Small water or fire cross-claims between the tenant's and the landlord's insurers settle under the IRSI convention, which applies up to €5,000.
What does MRH cover?
The standard product is multirisque habitation (MRH), a bundled policy that goes well beyond the legal minimum. It packages fire (incendie), water damage (dégât des eaux), theft (vol), broken glass (bris de glace), and storm and natural-disaster (catastrophes naturelles) cover, together with responsabilité civile for harm you cause to others. Dégât des eaux is the single most common claim in French homes, which is why MRH is built around it.
Every guarantee carries a franchise, the amount you pay out of pocket before the insurer pays the rest. A higher franchise lowers your premium but raises your cost per claim. Optional garanties such as protection juridique and cover for valuables (objets de valeur) can be added, and contents are insured up to the capital mobilier you declare.
Tenants: don't under-declare your contents
What is the attestation and franchise?
The attestation d'assurance habitation is the certificate proving your home is insured. Your landlord asks for it at the état des lieux when you move in, and can require an updated copy once a year. Without it, a landlord may take out a policy on your behalf and charge the premium back to you, or, after formal notice, move toward ending the lease, so most insurers issue the attestation instantly when you subscribe.
The franchise is the fixed amount that stays your responsibility on each claim. It interacts with your dépôt de garantie (security deposit): if an insured incident such as a dégât des eaux causes damage, your policy can pay for the repair rather than the cost being deducted from your deposit at the final état des lieux.
Which assurance habitation providers should you compare?
The French home market splits into mutual insurers, large groups, bank insurers and online brands. Member-owned mutuals (mutuelles) include MAIF, Macif and Matmut. Large groups include AXA, Allianz, Groupama, Pacifica (Crédit Agricole Assurances) and the Covéa group (MAAF, MMA, GMF). Online brands such as Luko by Allianz Direct, Lemonade, Acheel and Direct Assurance (owned 100% by AXA) compete on price, while Leocare is a broker app that places your contract with a carrier named on your information sheet. Bank-linked offers from Banque Postale and the major retail banks complete the market.
Only some insurers publish an entry price. Acheel starts from €2.17 a month, Matmut from €4.14, Luko from €5.26 and Direct Assurance from €7.80 for a small tenant flat. MAIF and HEYME, the student brand of the MGEL mutual, are quote-only, with comparator figures of about €7.86 and about €5 a month for a student studio. MACIF, Groupama and AXA publish no prices. L'olivier, the French brand of Admiral, is also quote-only and adds a non-refundable €36 to €72 dossier fee at subscription.
MAIF Assurance Habitation
MAIF is a mutual insurer with a long reputation for fair claims handling. Its multirisque habitation offers new-for-old (valeur à neuf) contents cover, household responsabilité civile and school cover for children. MAIF publishes no tariff: a comparator quote for a 20-year-old student in a 20 m² studio came to about €7.86 a month (Selectra, January 2026).
Why we recommend it: The claims-ethics benchmark among French mutuals, with valeur à neuf contents cover and household responsabilité civile, at about €7.86 a month for a student studio in a January 2026 comparator quote.
Pros
- +Strong reputation for fair claims handling
- +Valeur à neuf contents cover and school cover for children
- +Instant attestation d'assurance habitation
Cons
- −Claim-free renewal hikes of +6.5% to +21% reported on MAIF home and car contracts in 2025-2026 (MoneyVox, November 2024; Trustpilot, March 2026)
- −Quote-only: no published tariff
- −French-only contract documents and service
- Fire, water damage, theft, and responsabilité civile
- Student studio: about €7.86/month (comparator quote, January 2026)
- Supervised by the ACPR
Macif Assurance Habitation
Macif is a large mutual insurer whose multirisque habitation covers risques locatifs and responsabilité civile, with an instant attestation for lease signing and one contact for home, car and health. Macif publishes no tariff, so you need a quote. Reviewers praise its water-damage handling, while one 2024 testimony reports about five weeks for a payout.
Why we recommend it: A large mutual with mutualist pricing, one contact for home, car and health, and an instant attestation for lease files, suited to expats who want simple cover from a known brand.
Pros
- +Mutualist pricing historically below bank insurers
- +Risques locatifs and responsabilité civile included
- +Instant attestation for lease signing
Cons
- −Quote-only: no published tariff
- −Water-damage payouts of several weeks reported (2024)
- −French-only documents and service
- Multirisque habitation for tenants and owners
- Dégât des eaux and theft cover
- Supervised by the ACPR
AXA Assurance Habitation
AXA (AXA France IARD) is one of France's largest insurers, with a tied-agent network and broad MRH options, including protection juridique and assistance add-ons. AXA publishes no home tariff; one forum data point puts a 75 m² owner flat at €360 a year, against €259 at MAIF for the same flat (MoneyVox, November 2024). Some English material exists through AXA International channels.
Why we recommend it: A large insurer with a dense agent network, broad MRH options and add-ons, and some English material through AXA International, suited to owners who want an agent at claim time.
Pros
- +Local agent to advocate for you at claim time
- +Wide range of optional garanties and protection juridique
- +Some English material via AXA International
Cons
- −Quote-only; priced above mutuals in forum comparisons (€360 vs €259 at MAIF, 2024)
- −Service quality varies by local agent
- Fire, water damage, theft, and responsabilité civile
- Protection juridique and assistance options
- Supervised by the ACPR
Luko by Allianz Direct
Allianz Direct took over the Luko home book in January 2024, and contracts are now carried by Allianz Direct Versicherungs-AG, French branch. You buy and manage cover online at fr.luko.eu, with a published entry price from €5.26 a month (October 2026) and an attestation for your rental file in about two minutes.
Why we recommend it: Published entry price from €5.26 a month, an instant attestation and a partly English interface, carried by Allianz Direct since January 2024, which suits newcomers who need cover this week.
Pros
- +Published entry price from €5.26/month (October 2026)
- +Attestation in minutes for the rental file
- +PNO and flat-share variants on one platform
Cons
- −The 2023-2024 ownership change caused service turbulence
- −Online-only claims channel
- −Contract in French; only parts of the interface in English
- Multirisque habitation for tenants and owners
- Carrier: Allianz Direct Versicherungs-AG, French branch
- Landlord PNO cover from €4.10/month (published reference profile)
Acheel Assurance Habitation
Acheel is a French insurer founded in 2020 with its own ACPR licence, selling only online. It publishes a call price from €2.17 a month for a minimal studio profile (October 2026), the lowest published entry price we found, with modular cover and an instant digital attestation.
Why we recommend it: The lowest published entry price in our sample, from €2.17 a month for a minimal studio, from an insurer that carries its own risk rather than fronting another carrier.
Pros
- +Published call price from €2.17/month (October 2026)
- +Own ACPR-licensed carrier, not a broker
- +Instant digital attestation
Cons
- −Call price applies to a minimal studio profile only
- −Founded in 2020: thin record on large catastrophe claims
- −French-only documents
- Multirisque habitation for tenants and owners
- Landlord PNO cover from about €4.30/month (comparator figure)
- Supervised by the ACPR
Published entry prices, annualised
| Insurer | Entry price / month | Per year (× 12) | Share of €299 average | Source and profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acheel | €2.17 | €26.04 | 9% | Published call price (acheel.com), minimal studio |
| Matmut | €4.14 | €49.68 | 17% | Published example (matmut.fr), 1-room tenant flat, Hautes-Alpes |
| HEYME (MGEL) | ≈€5 | ≈€60 | 20% | Comparator figure (mes-allocs.fr, 2026), student studio; HEYME is quote-only |
| Luko by Allianz Direct | €5.26 | €63.12 | 21% | Published call price (fr.luko.eu) |
| Direct Assurance (AXA) | €7.80 | €93.60 | 31% | Call price for a small tenant flat, derived from the official grid (conseils-assurance.fr, 2026) |
| MAIF | ≈€7.86 | ≈€94.32 | 32% | Comparator quote (Selectra, January 2026), 20-year-old student, 20 m² studio; MAIF is quote-only |
| L'olivier (Admiral) | Quote-only | Premium + €36 to €72 in year one | n/a | Non-refundable dossier fee at subscription (lolivier.fr FAQ) |
| National average, all profiles | ≈€24.92 | €299 excl. tax | 100% | France Assureurs, 2024, average MRH premium across 46.1 million contracts |
Our calculation: monthly entry price × 12, and that annual figure divided by the France Assureurs 2024 average. Entry prices are for minimal profiles, published by each insurer or captured by a comparator as stated, October 2026. They are not quotes for your home: real premiums depend on surface area, location, capital mobilier and options, and the national average is excluding tax and covers owners and houses too. Ratings on the cards reflect our June 2026 review.
The spread is wide even at entry level. The cheapest published price, Acheel at €26.04 a year, costs less than a third of the MAIF student quote, and every entry price sits at or below a third of the national average. Comparator sites only show their paying partners, so check a few insurers directly before you sign.
Which home insurer fits your situation?
Six common reader situations lead to six different picks in the table below. Attestation speed, English onboarding, cover depth and the annual-contract rule weigh as much as price. Each row names our pick, a runner-up and the deciding reason, using the October 2026 prices above; comparator figures are marked as such.
| Situation | Pick | Runner-up | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student, first studio lease, attestation needed today | HEYME student home cover, ≈€5/month (comparator) | Acheel from €2.17/month, or MAIF ≈€7.86/month (comparator) | Same-day attestation, English-facing onboarding, bundles with student health cover |
| Newcomer, no French bank account yet, needs cover this week | Luko by Allianz Direct from €5.26/month | Direct Assurance | Digital onboarding that tolerates a thin French footprint, SEPA debit, partly English interface, instant attestation |
| Family in a 75 m² owner flat, wants new-for-old | MAIF MRH | MACIF or Direct Assurance | Valeur à neuf, household RC and school cover; forum data point: €259 at MAIF vs €406 at MAAF and €360 at AXA (2024) |
| Landlord of a copropriété flat (PNO) | Luko PNO Minimum Légal €4.10/month or Couverture Étendue €4.70/month | Acheel PNO from €4.30/month (comparator) | Meets the article 9-1 RC duty in minutes; Minimum Légal is RC only, with no building damage cover |
| Short stay, 3 months in a language-school flat | Landlord's furnished-rental cover plus travel insurance; if the lease demands an attestation, HEYME | Acheel, about €26 for the year | Contracts are annual and Hamon gives no exit before 12 months, so the lowest annual premium wins |
| Tenant hit with +20% at renewal, contract 3 years old | Switch via loi Hamon, for example to Acheel or Direct Assurance | Negotiate, then switch | The rise gives no special right, but after year 1 Hamon lets you leave any time with 1-month effect |
Picks are editorial, not computed. Luko PNO prices are the published reference profile on fr.luko.eu (T2, 32 m², Strasbourg, capital mobilier €1,000, franchise €75), October 2026.
Two warnings apply across the table. Every French home contract runs for a full year, so a three-month stay pays the whole annual premium of whatever you pick, and contracts with dossier fees, such as L'olivier at €36 to €72, make a short stay dearer still. Lovys advertises a low entry price, but December 2025 reviews report renewal rises of 50% to 100% and obstruction when customers tried to cancel. Check any intermediary on orias.fr before you pay.
What matters more than the brand?
Two home policies with the same logo on the front can differ sharply on the terms that decide your payout. Compare the franchise(deductible) per claim, the dégât des eaux (water-damage) limits, and how the insurer handles a catastrophe naturelle, which is triggered only after an arrêté interministériel declares the state of natural disaster. These clauses, not the brand, set what you actually receive.
The valuation basis matters most. Valeur à neuf replaces contents at as-new value, while vétusté déduite reduces the payout for wear and age. For a house, look for reconstruction à neuf, which rebuilds without a depreciation deduction. Check the theft (vol) conditions too, since many contracts require approved locks or limit cover for objets de valeur.
Your profile changes the right cover. A renter needs risques locatifs and responsabilité civile plus contents; an owner-occupier needs building cover and reconstruction à neuf; an apartment in a copropriété shifts some structural risk to the building policy, while a house puts it all on you. The mandatory-cover rules are set out on service-public.fr.
How do you switch with loi Hamon?
Loi Hamon (article L113-15-2 of the Code des assurances, in force since 1 January 2015) lets you cancel home insurance at any time after the first 12 months, free and without a reason. Your new insurer sends the cancellation to the old one, the old contract ends one month after that notification, and the unused premium is refunded pro rata. Loi Chatel adds a renewal reminder: if it arrives late or never, you can cancel free after the renewal date; otherwise you give 2 months' notice before renewal.
A premium increase on its own gives you no right to cancel, unless your contract says so. After year 1 that does not matter, because Hamon already lets you leave. Take a tenant whose premium rises 20% at renewal on a 3-year-old contract: the fix is a Hamon switch, and the order matters. Sign the new contract first, give the new insurer your old policy number, and let it cancel the old one, so you never have a day without cover.
| Route | Legal basis | When you can use it | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loi Hamon | L113-15-2 Code des assurances | Any time after 12 months | Ends 1 month after the new insurer notifies; pro-rata refund |
| Loi Chatel | L215-1 Code de la consommation, L113-15-1 | Renewal reminder late or missing | Cancel free after renewal; otherwise 2 months' notice before renewal |
| Change of situation | L113-16 Code des assurances | Moving house, marriage or divorce, retirement: within 3 months of the event, with proof | Ends 1 month after notice |
| Insurer cancels after a claim | L113-10 Code des assurances | Insurer gives 1 month's notice | You may cancel your other contracts with that insurer within 1 month |
| Online cancellation | Loi 2022-1158 | Since 1 June 2023, contracts subscribed online | Insurer must offer free electronic cancellation |
Cancellation routes for home insurance, checked October 2026. The post-claim rule is explained on service-public.fr.
Short stays are the trap. Every French home contract is annual, and Hamon gives no exit before month 12, so a three-month stay pays for a full year. Pick the lowest annual premium, not the brand that looks most flexible. Moving house within France is different: it counts as a change of situation, so you can end the old contract within 3 months of the move, even in year 1.
- Step 1: Compare quotes for the same cover (risques locatifs and responsabilité civile, or full multirisque habitation).
- Step 2: Declare your surface area, number of rooms, and capital mobilier accurately.
- Step 3: Sign the new contract first and let the new insurer file the loi Hamon cancellation.
- Step 4: Confirm your start date: the old contract ends one month after notification, so there is no gap.
- Step 5: Save your new attestation d'assurance habitation for your landlord.
What do you do after a claim?
A claim (sinistre) must be declared to your insurer quickly, generally within five working days, and within two working days for a theft. For a dégât des eaux shared with a neighbour, a joint accident report for water damage (constat amiable dégât des eaux) records the circumstances so insurers can assign costs; claims up to €5,000 settle between insurers under the IRSI convention. Keep photos, receipts, and any police report (dépôt de plainte) for theft. Your franchise applies before the insurer pays.
La Médiation de l'Assurance handles disputes for free, but only after a written complaint. Write first to your insurer's complaints service, ideally by registered letter, and allow it 2 months to answer. Then refer the case online or by post (TSA 50110, 75441 Paris Cedex 09) within 1 year of your complaint. The opinion is due within 90 days of admissibility, though the real average was about 7 months in 2024. It is not binding, but insurers follow it in practice, and the referral suspends the 2-year limitation period (article L114-1).
In 2024 the Médiation received 36,540 referrals. Policyholders won fully or partly in about 55% of the cases it examined, yet about 55% of referrals were inadmissible, mostly because the prior written complaint was skipped. The ACPR supervises insurers and brokers but does not arbitrate individual disputes. No official insurance comparator exists either: LeLynx, LesFurets, Assurland and Selectra are commercial, and ad-free information comes from ABE Info Service, run by the Banque de France, the ACPR and the AMF.
Part of every home premium funds natural-disaster cover. The cat-nat surcharge on home contracts rose from 12% to 20% on 1 January 2025 (arrêté of 22 December 2023), one reason renewals jumped across the market. Readers report claim-free home increases of 6.5% to 14% at MAIF and MAAF for 2025-2026, which is why the switching rules above matter.
Sources: service-public.fr (assurance habitation obligatoire pour les locataires), ACPR, France Assureurs (2024 averages), La Médiation de l'Assurance (2024 annual report), ABE Info Service, and the arrêté of 22 December 2023, October 2026. Verify current rules and cover with your chosen insurer.
What people in France report
- + MAIF home price benchmark: An owner of a 75 m² four-room flat paid €259 a year for MAIF home cover, against quotes of €406 at MAAF and €360 at AXA for the same flat, in a reader comparison of 2025 renewals. (MoneyVox forum, November 2024)
- − MAIF water-damage claim: A forum member comparing successive water-damage claims at two insurers reported that one MAIF claim took about three years before any repair work started. (forum.hardware.fr, July 2020)
- − MAIF renewal shock: A MAIF member of 50 years saw the base car premium rise 21% and home cover 11% at a single renewal, and a written complaint drew a form letter citing climate change and repair costs. (Trustpilot, March 2026)
- + Eurofil water-damage claim: The same forum member said Eurofil settled a comparable water-damage claim, where they were not at fault, smoothly within a few weeks, the opposite of the earlier MAIF file. (forum.hardware.fr, July 2020)
- − MAAF 2025 increases: MoneyVox readers reported MAAF raising car premiums by 12% and home premiums by 14% for 2025 with no claims and no room to negotiate, while a MAIF member saw home cover rise 6.5%, confirmed by the agency. (MoneyVox forum, November 2024)
Paraphrased from public posts, each dated and linked. A small sample, not a representative survey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is home insurance mandatory in France?
Yes for tenants. Anyone renting a main home must insure at least the rental risks (risques locatifs): unfurnished lets under article 7 g of loi 89-462 of 6 July 1989, furnished lets under article 25-3, added by the ALUR law in 2014. The tenant shows an attestation d'assurance habitation at the état des lieux, then on request each year. A seasonal rental carries no legal duty, though the landlord may demand cover in the contract. An owner-occupier of a house has no legal duty, while any owner in a copropriété must hold at least responsabilité civile (article 9-1, loi 65-557).
What does multirisque habitation (MRH) cover?
Multirisque habitation is the standard bundled home policy. It packages fire (incendie), water damage (dégât des eaux), theft (vol), broken glass (bris de glace), and storm and natural-disaster cover, together with responsabilité civile for harm you cause to others. Cover applies to the building where relevant and to your contents, subject to a franchise per claim.
What is the attestation d'assurance habitation for?
The attestation is the certificate proving your home is insured. Your landlord asks for it at move-in during the état des lieux and can require an updated copy once a year. Without it, a landlord may, after formal notice, take out a policy on your behalf (assurance pour compte) and charge you the premium plus a 10% penalty, or ask a judge to end the lease.
How do you switch home insurance with loi Hamon?
Under loi Hamon (article L113-15-2 of the Code des assurances), after the first 12 months you can cancel your assurance habitation at any time, free and without giving a reason. Your new insurer sends the cancellation to the old one, the old contract ends one month after that notification, and the unused premium is refunded pro rata. Loi Chatel separately requires a renewal reminder; if it arrives late or not at all, you can cancel free after the renewal date.
Does home insurance relate to my dépôt de garantie?
Indirectly. The dépôt de garantie (security deposit) is held by the landlord against unpaid rent or damage, while home insurance covers sudden accidental events such as a dégât des eaux. If an insured incident causes damage, your policy can pay for repairs rather than the cost being deducted from your deposit at the final état des lieux.
Should renters and owners buy different home insurance in France?
Yes. A renter's legal minimum is risques locatifs plus responsabilité civile, and most renters add contents cover through a multirisque habitation. An owner-occupier needs cover for the building itself, ideally with reconstruction à neuf, and a copropriété owner must legally hold at least responsabilité civile. A landlord letting a flat in a copropriété must also hold at least responsabilité civile, usually through a propriétaire non-occupant (PNO) policy. Apartment versus house also changes the right formule.
What is 'reconstruction à neuf'?
Reconstruction à neuf is a guarantee that rebuilds or repairs your property to its as-new value, without the insurer deducting for wear and age (vétusté). It contrasts with valeur à neuf on contents and with vétusté déduite, where the payout is reduced for depreciation. For houses it is one of the most important clauses to check, since rebuilding costs can far exceed a depreciated valuation.
What happens if a tenant has no home insurance?
The tenant breaches article 7 g of loi 89-462. After formal notice, the landlord may take out cover on the tenant's behalf (assurance pour compte, article 7-1) and recharge the premium plus a 10% penalty set by décret 2016-383, or ask a judge to terminate the lease.
Is there an official French insurance comparison site?
No. France has no official insurance comparator. LeLynx, LesFurets, Assurland, Meilleurtaux, Hyperassur, Selectra and Goodassur are commercial sites paid through placement or lead fees: useful to discover insurers, never authoritative on price. Ad-free information comes from ABE Info Service (abe-infoservice.fr), run by the Banque de France, the ACPR and the AMF, and from service-public.fr.
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Entity References
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