# Attestation d'Hebergement



## saffron_gin

Guys,

Quick question...I have moved to new place whose owner lives in the UK...It has been like drawing tooth to get the attestation d'hebergement, but I think I finally have it. Unless the prev owner who also was a british citizen, but had her Cd'I this one has sent me her British ID (maybe a passport pic? not sure)...Will this be accepted for the address proof, along with the signed statement and EDF in her name?

Thanks,


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## saffron_gin

*Unlike the prev..


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## EuroTrash

What specific purpose do you need the attestation for?
Is the accommodation provided to you free of charge, do you not have a rental contract?


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## saffron_gin

EuroTrash said:


> What specific purpose do you need the attestation for?
> Is the accommodation provided to you free of charge, do you not have a rental contract?


For everything it seems...as I am renting furnished for the year and the bills will not be on my name, I will need the AdH for just about everything that asks for address proof....


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## EuroTrash

If you're renting, surely you should be providing a copy of the rental contract.
I believe an attestation d'hebergement is only appropriate if you are being accommodated for free by a friend or relative or other kind-hearted person.
Your rental contract is the standard document that you are expected to provide if you're renting. Otherwise it may cause confusion further down the line.
Hopefully this is a proper legit rental with a lease agreement and everything.... (not that I'm suggesting a Brit would do anything dodgy, oh dear no).


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## BackinFrance

saffron_gin said:


> For everything it seems...as I am renting furnished for the year and the bills will not be on my name, I will need the AdH for just about everything that asks for address proof....


I don't think anyone can tell you that it would work for everything, ideally if you want it to work for 'everything', you would have at least a utility bill in your name, more so given Brits are no longer EU citizens, you yourself are not an EU citizen and there may be an arrangement here that does not comply with the usual rental contracts in France.


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## saffron_gin

Ad'H was the route recommended to me upon arrival and renting of a furnished place with no bills to my name. It worked thus far for the validation of LSV, opening of bank account, and car buying...in the absence of EDF/gas bills to my name, I don't see what other option I could possibly have...The contract will not be accepted without a service bill in my name. Hence this process.


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## EuroTrash

As I understand it, an attestation d'hebergement means that the person is accommodating you in their own home, ie you share their address, you sleep in their spare room or whatever..
I don't see how this would be legally valid if the owner lives at a different address.
Normally, utilities are in the tenant's name except for tourist accommodation..
Does your rent include electricity etc? Is this technically tourist accommodation?


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## saffron_gin

BackinFrance said:


> I don't think anyone can tell you that it would work for everything, ideally if you want it to work for 'everything', you would have at least a utility bill in your name, more so given Brits are no longer EU citizens, you yourself are not an EU citizen and there may be an arrangement here that does not comply with the usual rental contracts in France.


No there is no such arrangement. It is year-1 day rental contract of furnished place...I am pretty sure owner isn't dodgy...


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## EuroTrash

Here is a model attestation Attestation d'hébergement : modèle gratuit PDF / WORD
which specifically states 
_Je soussigné [nom et prénom de l'hébergeant], né à [lieu de naissance], le [date de naissance] et demeurant au [adresse de l'hébergeant], *déclare sur l'honneur héberger à mon domicile* depuis le [date à laquelle l'hébergement a commencé], [nom, prénom de l'hébergé], né le [date de naissance] à [lieu de naissance] ._

Also this site Attestation d’hébergement : les 6 choses à savoir absolument ! | justifit.fr that clearly states:
_L’obtention d’une attestation d’hébergement repose sur quelques conditions, dont voici la liste :
*● Un logement à titre gratuit*
Une personne hébergée ne peut demander une attestation d’hébergement que si elle jouit du domicile *à titre gratuit*_*.*
Etc.

I really don't think it's the correct document to be using.


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## BackinFrance

saffron_gin said:


> Ad'H was the route recommended to me upon arrival and renting of a furnished place with no bills to my name. It worked thus far for the validation of LSV, opening of bank account, and car buying...in the absence of EDF/gas bills to my name, I don't see what other option I could possibly have...The contract will not be accepted without a service bill in my name. Hence this process.


I think, though I can't say for sure, that you would be better off using an app art-hôtel which at least falls within legal requirements in terms of having a legal French contract.


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## Bevdeforges

saffron_gin said:


> Ad'H was the route recommended to me upon arrival and renting of a furnished place with no bills to my name.


Who recommended this to you? Because there are standard rental contracts for both furnished and unfurnished leases. You may want to take a look at the Service Public section on Logement - Logement
Especially the section on Location Immobilière.


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## bhamham

When I rented in Paris no bank would accept my furnished rental contract where I had no bills to pay. I had my landlord issue me an AdH. All banks and French officialdom want to see an EDF bill or similar.


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## bhamham

I'm not sure of this but I believe most standard furnished rental contracts for a year require the tenant to provide utilities (EDF, etc). It's when bills are paid by the landlord where it gets sticky.


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## EuroTrash

I cannot get my head round all these landlords that have their own name on the utilities bills. What if the tenant does a midnight flit and leaves them saddled with the bill? What if the tenant stops paying rent, then they have bills to pay and no rent to cover them? Specially the cost of electricity at present. It seems mad to me, renting is risky enough without adding to the risk.
Obviously they do but I don't see what the advantage is for either tenant or landlord.
To get back to the original question - In theory I don't see how Saffron Gin's landlady who does not even have a CdS to live in France, can attest that she is providing SG with accommodation "chez elle", staying with the landlady in her (the landlady's) own home. But either I have misunderstood what these attestations are, although all the information I have seen seems entirely consistent and very clear, or they are widely abused and nobody checks. In which case, why worry.


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## bhamham

Before I sold my house in the US, I would rent it furnished all utility bills reimbursed where I would send the tenants copies of the monthly bills and receive an additional payment to the monthly rent. It's a PITA to reestablish utilities where deposits are asked and the gas guy comes to inspect. My guess is Brit landlords may think they're going to return at some point.


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## Bevdeforges

bhamham said:


> Before I sold my house in the US, I would rent it furnished all utility bills reimbursed where I would send the tenants copies of the monthly bills and receive an additional payment to the monthly rent. It's a PITA to reestablish utilities where deposits are asked and the gas guy comes to inspect. My guess is Brit landlords may think they're going to return at some point.


The issue with that is that French laws on rental of residential property are quite a bit different from those in the US or UK and may require specific terms in the applicable lease agreement. Fortunately (I guess) for those who have used the attestation d'hebergement as "proof of residence" there are plenty of laws that seem to be rather "passively enforced" like this. No specific penalties or sanctions for "violations" - just massive inconvenience for the person that doesn't follow the rules. To a certain extent, French society seems to be built around these sorts of rules (we are currently navigating this terrain in a very different matter) but as we've seen here, it's pretty much up to the "perp" to navigate their own way around the specifics.


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## EuroTrash

I don't remember any hassle at all in setting up water/edf contracts. As I recall all you need is ID, proof of address (which would be your rental contract) and of course a bank account but you would presumably need that in order to get the rental in the first place. No visits, no checks. I guess it is easy because it is routine for them to change the name on the contract each time the tenant changes. As Bev says, that is how it is supposed to work.


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## bhamham

Well, I just entered into a new rental last month. EDF sent a gas guy to inspect and after 4 wks still waiting on my contract from the water company. Not a big hassle but not as easy as just adding an extra bit to the rent if I were a landlord. Regardless of 'how it is supposed to work' it's France and when banks and the govt tell you we don't recognize you b/c you don't have a proper EDF bill you take steps like getting an AdH. 

I guess we renters who are in a very tight market to find anything at all are suppose to tell these landlords 'oh, hang on, you're breaking the law and you need to do it this way' - yea, right. 

I wasn't comparing US rental laws to FR laws, just merely trying to convey why a landlord may want to have 'all bills paid' in their rental agreement.

You guys go on beating your dead horse.


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## Poloss

saffron_gin said:


> I have moved to new place whose owner lives in the UK...It has been like drawing tooth to get the attestation d'hebergement, but I think I finally have it. Unless the prev owner who also was a british citizen, but had her Cd'I this one has sent me her British ID (maybe a passport pic? not sure)...Will this be accepted for the address proof, along with the signed statement and EDF in her name?


Hi, I've done a fair number of A d'H mostly for my teens.
The hebergeur doesn't have to host the guest in their home residence - it can be their secondary residence.
Standard proof required (as mentioned above) is host's ID & utility bill together with guest's ID.

This is a recurrent problem for French nationals as well.
I remember going to the Mairie to ask for an attestation de domicile to prove my address.
Once, to subscribe for a telecom contract, they accepted my "carte grise".

My daughter rents a farmhouse but the water & elec are altogether with the landlord's farm buildings.
There's no telephone landline either. She has absolutely nothing which qualifies to prove her address.
The only way she could open a new mobile phone contract was to add it on to my internet contract.


EuroTrash said:


> As I understand it, an attestation d'hebergement means that the person is accommodating you in their own home, ie you share their address, you sleep in their spare room or whatever..
> I don't see how this would be legally valid if the owner lives at a different address.


Another document readily accepted to prove your address is the "avis d'imposition".


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## saffron_gin

Poloss said:


> My daughter rents a farmhouse but the water & elec are altogether with the landlord's farm buildings.
> There's no telephone landline either. She has absolutely nothing which qualifies to prove her address.
> The only way she could open a new mobile phone contract was to add it on to my internet contract.


Similar situation here. Thanks Poloss, for context and for a moment it wasn't very helpful here.

Also, it was the BANK's recommendation...when told none of the utilities were in my name. Same with the insurance people. Also thanks Bhambham. Seemingly jumping to conclusions and on people in this thread for a bit here.


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## EuroTrash

I take it I'm the one being called unhelpful, jumping to conclusions and on people.
Apologies for thinking it might be helpful to know a few more facts. There was a fair bit of discussion about these attestations in the context of WA CdS applications and the final consensus was that these attestations should not be used in a situation where rent is being paid. It seems there can be confusion if you tell the tax office you are being "hébergé" rather than renting because in that case there will be no taxe d'hab bill issued in your name as you are not officially the proprietor or tenant. And telling different authorities different things has always struck me as unwise. 
Why it's "jumping to conclusions" to flag up websites where the facts are stated, I don't quite know, nor do I know what conclusions I am supposed to have jumped to about people. It is no skin off my nose what other posters do but I thought forums were about sharing information. I was simply reading the facts as stated in the thread, it set off a bit of a red alert in my head due to this subject having been delved into in some depth this time last year, so it seemed correctt to share the information that was dug up. Clearly you don't find this of interest, so I am sorry I spoke.


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## ARPC

In re to the question of an AdH from a non-French person, I had some trouble with this when I was staying at the French vacation home of a Norwegian national. I think it is worth getting their ownership documents in addition to the EDF and a really clear passport copy or national ID. They may not need it all but I got a cockeyed look when presenting my AdH papers from a foreign owner à few years ago.

incidentally, now I rent (furnished), and our landlords pays our utilities, and I always submit an AdH from our landlord when asked for justification of domicile. Without EDF or a cable subscription, my rental contract alone is not accepted as JdD at the bank, prefecture, CPAM, etc..It is weird, but this situation is one of those that is common but not well addressed in the administrative rules.


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## saffron_gin

ARPC said:


> In re to the question of an AdH from a non-French person, I had some trouble with this when I was staying at the French vacation home of a Norwegian national. I think it is worth getting their ownership documents in addition to the EDF and a really clear passport copy or national ID. They may not need it all but I got a cockeyed look when presenting my AdH papers from a foreign owner à few years ago.
> 
> incidentally, now I rent (furnished), and our landlords pays our utilities, and I always submit an AdH from our landlord when asked for justification of domicile. Without EDF or a cable subscription, my rental contract alone is not accepted as JdD at the bank, prefecture, CPAM, etc..It is weird, but this situation is one of those that is common but not well addressed in the administrative rules.


Thanks! This is exactly what I needed to know...


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## BackinFrance

ARPC said:


> In re to the question of an AdH from a non-French person, I had some trouble with this when I was staying at the French vacation home of a Norwegian national. I think it is worth getting their ownership documents in addition to the EDF and a really clear passport copy or national ID. They may not need it all but I got a cockeyed look when presenting my AdH papers from a foreign owner à few years ago.
> 
> incidentally, now I rent (furnished), and our landlords pays our utilities, and I always submit an AdH from our landlord when asked for justification of domicile. Without EDF or a cable subscription, my rental contract alone is not accepted as JdD at the bank, prefecture, CPAM, etc..It is weird, but this situation is one of those that is common but not well addressed in the administrative rules.


I think this may be because they are concerned about illegal sublets.


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## BackinFrance

Ilegal sublets are common in France irrespective of whether you are a French citizen or longtime resident, it is not necessarily to do with being an expat, but expats get caught up in the issue.


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## ARPC

It is entirely possible that I live in an illegal sublet. 😹


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## BackinFrance

ARPC said:


> It is entirely possible that I live in an illegal sublet. 😹


But that is why they can get difficult when it comes to the accompanying paperwor. I was certainly not implying that you live in an illegal sublet.


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## Kelda

Poloss said:


> Hi, I've done a fair number of A d'H mostly for my teens.
> The hebergeur doesn't have to host the guest in their home residence - it can be their secondary residence.
> Standard proof required (as mentioned above) is host's ID & utility bill together with guest's ID.
> 
> This is a recurrent problem for French nationals as well.
> I remember going to the Mairie to ask for an attestation de domicile to prove my address.
> Once, to subscribe for a telecom contract, they accepted my "carte grise".
> 
> My daughter rents a farmhouse but the water & elec are altogether with the landlord's farm buildings.
> There's no telephone landline either. She has absolutely nothing which qualifies to prove her address.
> The only way she could open a new mobile phone contract was to add it on to my internet contract.
> 
> Another document readily accepted to prove your address is the "avis d'imposition".


Hi, do you have to have the herbergeur validated at the town hall?


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## Poloss

Kelda said:


> Hi, do you have to have the herbergeur validated at the town hall?


Hi Kelda,
no, not at all.
The hebergeur's credentials - that's the certificat d'hébergement, ID & proof of residence - are sufficient.
No need for further validation


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## Kelda

Brilliant, thanks, that’s reassuring!


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