Why does it take so long to get air conditioning approved for a flat in France?
Unit installation requires wider approval from co-owners
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Reader Question: Do we need approval to install air conditioning at our flat in France? Does it take a long time? We’re hoping to install it before next year to beat the heatwave
With the increasing frequency of heatwaves in France, more people are installing air conditioning (AC) units as a solution for cooling their homes.
However, this is not always a straightforward process.
Blocks of flats are often co-owned, meaning that certain decisions concerning a building’s façade or communal areas require extra validation.
AC units are often installed on a building’s exterior or on a balcony, requiring them to go through these additional processes.
Approval from co-owners required
Such modifications require a formal request to be submitted to the building’s management agency for the item to be added to the agenda of the co-ownership’s annual general meeting, as detailed in law 65-557 of July 10, 1965.
“When the proposal is presented at a general meeting, it is best to provide the co-owners with as much information as possible,” the Association des Copropriétaires et des Colotis du Sud-Ouest (ACC Sud-Ouest), told The Connexion.
Article 25 of the above law stipulates that owners must obtain an absolute majority of votes for the project, as it requires changes to the building’s exterior.
Owners must put together a dossier including a quote for the AC unit’s installation, and should highlight the risk of noise pollution for neighbours.
If you have already missed the annual general meeting, you must wait until the next one.
It is also often necessary to consult the mairie’s town planning or architectural department before modifying a building’s façade to ensure the installation complies with local town planning rules.
This can apply to both apartment buildings and houses.
“If an air-conditioning unit is installed without authorisation or in breach of co-ownership regulations, the co-owner concerned may be required, with a penalty payment, to remove it,” said ACC Sud-Ouest.
Can tenants request AC?
Landlords are also not obliged to install AC if requested by a tenant.
Unlike heating devices, cooling equipment is not a legal requirement under the decree 2002-120 of January 30, 2002, concerning the “characteristics of decent housing.”
If a landlord does agree to install an AC unit, and the decision is approved by the relevant committees, the landlord should cover the purchase and installation costs.
However, some landlords may offer to split the costs with the tenant, or demand the tenant to pay for everything.
Tenants should then have the unit serviced every two years, and landlords are required to pay for any repairs - unless the breakdown results from the tenant's own lack of maintenance.
Alternative devices popular
As an alternative to this long process, some people choose to purchase and install their own fans or portable AC units.
These do not require prior permission as they can be kept inside the building and therefore do not affect the façade.
For residents in Lyon, an announcement made on July 15 means that a property’s interior temperature must now be taken into consideration when assessing whether a home is fit for living in.
If deemed unsuitable, tenants can take the matter up with the local council who will set a deadline for the landlord to carry out improvement works.
“Not having shutters when it’s 37C outside is like having the heating on full blast at home all day long,” said the city’s mayor Grégory Doucet in a video published on his Facebook account.
“We are working on an adaptation fund to finance blinds and ceiling fans,” he added.
Furthermore, on June 17, the French government announced the first steps of an ‘endurance’ plan to better-equip homes against heatwaves.
The scheme includes simplifying co-ownership renovation rules and funding installation projects (blinds, shutters, ceiling fans, etc) through collective eco-loans.
A new housing bill including a number of propositions to alleviate climate-related and heatwave issue and classifying summer comfort (confort d’été) to be taken into account for certain project assessments was recently approved by the Senate.
