The increase in the cost of energy and in particular of electricity continues to cause ink to flow and to fuel the theme of energy saving. Since heating represents on average around 50% of household consumption, the question arises in Airbnb rentals: can I bill my tenant for electricity? Between financial interest and accountability of tenants, the question is legitimate.
What is the impact of electricity on your vacation rental?
Before passing on the cost of electricity to your tenants, it may be worth considering its real impact. Depending on the characteristics of your accommodation (heating system, insulation, electrical equipment, etc.), the electricity bill for your seasonal rental can be of varying importance. In some cases, this bill to represent a significant percentage of your charges and require special attention.
In this sense, we recommend carrying out regular readings over a year to better understand the consumption of tenants. At the time of Linky meters, readings are easier and you can better estimate the amount of this expense item and perceive the consumption habits of tenants over the year. This will give you a better overview of the situation and what you would have to gain and lose by billing electricity to your tenants / travelers. Be careful before doing anything. It is welcome to inform yourself as well as possible before undertaking any change whatsoever in your pricing: the legal framework is constantly evolving, as are the habits of tenants. Advise Joël from our concierge service in Le Castellet.
It is not legal to charge for electricity in tourist rentals:
Bad news, it seems that the law does not allow the tenant to be billed for electricity:
the retrocession by a lessor of electrical energy sold by electricity producers or suppliers is prohibited in that it deprives the final consumer of the option of having direct access to the supply of energy at a freely negotiated rate with electricity producers or suppliers. Interpretation of article L. 331-1 of the energy code
However, a contradictory statement can be found on the service-public.fr site, concerning the rental of furnished tourist accommodation:
The amount of the security deposit may be reduced by the sums covering the tenant's water, heating and electricity consumption, if the rental contract so provides. Extract from the site service-public.fr
Different bell sounds for the same theme. It therefore seems that electricity billing as such is not possible. However, in the form of a provision from the owner, provided that he is able to demonstrate the consistency of the rate requested in provision with the tenant's consumption.
Good practices generally accepted on this point:
Despite this legal vagueness, many landlords choose to bill their tenants for electricity. This is to limit the impact of this financial burden on their rental but also to make tenants responsible: no more open windows with the radiators on and the abusive use of electricity during their stay. In this case, we see that the owners play on transparency: the consumption of the stay is taken into account for the establishment of the final price and over-consumption may be passed on to the tenant.
As this practice is not very widespread, it can be perceived very negatively by some potential tenants who will then move on. It is therefore important to properly measure the impact of the electricity bill on the management of its rentals to consider whether or not to pass on this charge to the final tenant of the accommodation.
