Hello everyone: THEME FIRE AND SUSPENSION OF RENT by Ariadna NEBOLSINE, Attorney (Libourne Bar) 

Article 1722 of the Civil Code:

"If, during the term of the lease, the leased property is entirely destroyed by an act of God, the lease is terminated automatically; if it is only partially destroyed, the tenant may, depending on the circumstances, request a reduction in rent or termination of the lease. In either case, no compensation is owed to the tenant."

A tenant evacuated following a fire cannot, in light of the texts and rulings provided, unilaterally deduct the evacuation days from their rent on a pro rata basis. Two scenarios emerge: either the incident results in "loss of the leased property" within the meaning of Articles 1722 and 1741 of the Civil Code, in which case the lease is automatically terminated as of the date of the incident and no rent is owed thereafter (Article 1722 of the Civil Code; Article 1726 of the Civil Code; CA Riom, 5 July 2022, 21/00042; CA Metz, 28 May 2019, 16/04357); or occupancy is only temporarily impossible, in which case a reduction — potentially up to 100% — or a suspension of rent may be obtained, but only on the basis of an agreement or a court decision (Article 7 of the Law of 6 July 1989; CA Rouen, 6 March 2025, 24/01339).