In short
The property manager (syndic) runs the common areas (cellars, courtyards, bin stores, ducts) and must have pests treated there; each owner or occupant remains responsible for their own unit. France's departmental health regulations require building owners to prevent rodents getting in and to act without delay once they are found. Coordination is what works: treating common areas without the flats, or the other way round, often fails.
In a building, pests ignore property lines: rats come up through cellars, cockroaches travel along ducts, bed bugs move from one flat to the next. Knowing who has to act saves weeks.
Common areas: the property manager's role
The French law of 10 July 1965 makes the syndic responsible for administering, preserving and maintaining the building, and allows it, in an emergency, to have work necessary to safeguard the building carried out on its own initiative. Treating cellars, courtyards, bin stores and ducts falls within this remit.
The model departmental health regulations (article 119) add that building owners must take all measures to stop rodents getting in, regularly check cellars, courtyards and bin stores, and act without delay once rodents are found. Article numbers may vary by département, so check the text that applies.
Private units: owners and occupants
Inside the flats, it is up to the owner or occupant to act. The same model regulations (article 121) prohibit occupants from piling up waste that attracts insects and rodents, and from opposing general pest-control measures.
What works: a coordinated plan
For a building, the most effective approach combines:
- A survey of common areas and reported flats, with a map of entry points.
- Simultaneous treatment of common areas and affected units, announced by notice.
- Proofing of entry points: basement vent grilles, non-return valves, duct openings.
- A prevention contract with regular visits and reports for the owners' council.
Key points
- Common areas: the syndic arranges treatment, including in emergencies.
- Private units: owner or occupant.
- Departmental health regulations require prompt action against rodents.
- A coordinated, monitored plan prevents re-infestation.
General information, correct at the date of publication; it does not replace personal legal or medical advice.