“He owes me 15,900 euros”: with the end of the winter break, the cheated owners are relieved

Jean-Luc Boujon (in Lyon) / Photo credits: XOSE BOUZAS / HANS LUCAS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP 9:18 a.m., April 2, 2024

It is April 2, a date often awaited by landlords who can, in theory, from today, proceed with the eviction of their unscrupulous or bad-paying tenants since the end of the winter break, which protects tenants has been in effect since March 31. In practice, it is sometimes a little more complicated.

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“For me, the owner is mistreated”

Jean-Claude owns a 150 m² house in Montceau-les-Mines, in Saône-et-Loire. For 2 years, his tenant has no longer paid the rent of 800 euros despite Jean-Claude's repeated requests. The tenant, who uses the excuse of unfinished work, turns a deaf ear. "He owes me 15,900 euros and dust. In any case, the tenant is in charge: once he is at home, he is at home! And for me, the owner is mistreated! For me, everything what I am asking is to recover my unpaid rent and for him to go away,” he says.

The end of the winter break, a relief for cheated owners

The court hearings requested by Jean-Claude were all postponed, often due to the absence of the unscrupulous tenant. The end of the winter break therefore represents hope for cheated owners, explains Maxence Gacon, who runs a rental management firm in Saône-et-Loire. “They often feel relieved because, when the end of the winter break arrives, for many who have been in eviction proceedings with their tenants for two or three years – this is the average duration in our department – ​​well, they say to themselves, 'I will finally be able to have my tenant evicted even though everything was blocked until now'", he slips. Sometimes, the end of the winter break even acts as a scarecrow for tenants and owners suddenly find, by a miracle, the keys to their accommodation in their mailbox a few days before March 31.