The relationship between the spreadsheet and the actual evidence then has to be maintained manually.
As the number of properties, tenants and years increases, so do the risks of:
duplicates;
incorrect versions;
ambiguous filenames;
documents filed against the wrong property;
files that can no longer be located;
no link between a file and the event that produced it;
excessive retention of data that is no longer useful.
The value of a dedicated tool is therefore not simply that it can “store PDFs”.
Its real value is that it gives documents context.
2. What should a good document-management system tell you?
For each document, you should ideally be able to identify:
which property it belongs to;
which lease it relates to;
which tenant is concerned;
what type of document it is;
when it was created;
when it was signed;
which version is final;
which event generated it;
how long there is still a justified reason to retain it.
Example
Instead of merely storing:
move-out-inspection.pdf
the system should be able to understand:
Move-out property inspection
Property: 12 Rue X
Lease: Martin — 2024-2026
Date: 31 July 2026
Status: signed
Related event: key return
Photos: 24
Security deposit: linked closing file
This structure makes both everyday management and later disputes easier.
3. There is no single retention period for every rental document
A common question is:
“How long should rental documents be kept?”
and the temptation is to apply one answer to everything, such as:
three years.
The reality is more nuanced.
A document may be kept because it is needed:
to perform the lease;
to prove a payment;
to exercise or defend a legal right;
for tax purposes;
for accounting purposes;
to manage an insurance claim;
to rely on a warranty;
to establish the technical history of the property.
You therefore need to distinguish:
the duration of the lease
the limitation period for a possible claim
tax or accounting retention periods
the period for which personal data may still be processed
The relevant duration depends on the document.
4. The three-year rule matters, but it is not universal
Article 7-1 of the French Law of 6 July 1989 generally provides a three-year limitation period for actions arising from a residential lease.
The period runs from the day on which the holder of the right knew or should have known the facts allowing them to act.
This applies to many tenancy-related claims.
For rent and service charges, both landlord and tenant may in particular have three years for certain claims.
Example
March 2026 rent remains unpaid.
The landlord may in principle claim that debt for three years.
It therefore makes sense to retain evidence showing:
amount due;
due date;
payments received;
reminders;
outstanding balance.
5. The clock does not always start when the lease ends
It would be wrong to apply:
end of lease + three years
to every document.
Limitation periods depend on the right concerned and the date on which that right could be exercised.
Example
Rent due in January 2025 is not paid.
The lease ends in December 2026.
The limitation period for that debt does not necessarily begin in December 2026.
The analysis starts from the debt or event concerned.
A sound retention policy therefore needs to understand not only:
the document type
but also:
the event to which it relates.
6. Lease and amendments
The lease is the central document in the tenancy file.
Keep:
signed lease;
amendments;
contractual annexes;
final signed version;
where relevant, elements supporting proof of signature.
French official guidance states that a rental agreement may be retained throughout the tenancy and for three years after it ends.
Why?
Because it establishes matters such as:
rent;
service charges;
security deposit;
rent-review clause;
term;
any solidarity clause;
equipment;
agreed obligations.
Good practice
Never overwrite the original lease with an amendment.
Keep:
Initial lease
↓
Amendment no. 1
↓
Amendment no. 2
↓
Current contractual position
An amendment changes or supplements the contract. It should not erase the history.
7. Move-in and move-out property inspections
The move-in and move-out inspections should be retained together.
French official guidance recommends keeping them during the tenancy and for three years after the lease ends.
They help establish:
initial condition;
changes over time;
wear and tear;
possible damage;
security-deposit settlement.
Also retain, where relevant
linked photos;
comments;
inventory;
tenant observations;
any permitted move-in supplement;
a bailiff/commissaire de justice report where one exists.
A photo loses much of its usefulness when nobody can remember:
when it was taken;
in which room;
which item it shows;
which inspection it belongs to.
8. Photos: preserve context, not only the image file
Consider:
IMG_4582.jpg
IMG_4583.jpg
Three years later, those names are of little practical value.
A better structure is:
Living room → parquet → move-in inspection → 15/06/2024
The photo is then linked to a precise observation.
Also avoid
duplicate images;
useless screenshots;
unrelated files;
pictures containing unnecessary personal information.
The objective is not to keep the greatest possible quantity of data.
It is to preserve what helps explain and prove a fact.
9. Furniture inventory
For furnished rentals, the furniture inventory and detailed condition record are essential.
It is sensible to keep them with:
the lease;
the move-in inspection;
the move-out inspection.
Why?
They can establish:
whether an item was present;
quantity provided;
initial condition;
whether something is missing;
whether something was damaged.
Example
Without an inventory:
“There were four chairs when the tenant moved in.”
may be difficult to prove two years later.
With an inventory:
Table: 1
Chairs: 4
Condition: good
Linked photographs: 4
the position is much clearer.
10. Rent payments
You should be able to reconstruct the financial history of each rental period.
Keeping only the final receipt may therefore not always be enough.
Payment records explain how the account was settled.
11. Rent receipts and partial-payment receipts
A French rent receipt confirms full payment of rent and charges for the period concerned.
Where payment is partial, a receipt for the amount actually paid may be issued instead.
It is sensible to retain:
the receipt;
rental period;
rent amount;
charge amount;
issue date;
payments that settled the amount due.
Why preserve the history?
Because the document may later help the tenant as well as the landlord, for example to:
prove address;
demonstrate payment;
complete an administrative application.
12. Should bank statements be kept?
A bank statement can help prove payment.
But it also contains a large amount of information unrelated to the tenancy.
It is therefore not always appropriate to store the tenant file together with complete banking records.
Better approach
Preserve enough information to establish:
payment date;
amount;
payer;
payment reference;
rental period concerned.
If full bank statements are already retained for separate accounting or banking reasons, there is no need to create unnecessary duplicates in every tenancy file.
13. Rent review and IRL records
A landlord's action to apply an annual IRL rent review is subject to a specific one-year period after the scheduled review date.
That does not mean the calculation should be deleted after one year.
A rent review changes the rent payable for later periods.
It is therefore useful to preserve:
review clause;
reference quarter;
previous index;
new index;
formula used;
rent before review;
rent after review;
effective date;
information sent to the tenant.
Example
Three years later, a tenant asks:
“Why did my rent rise from €850 to €872?”
You should be able to reconstruct the calculation.
14. Service charges: distinguish six months from three years
This distinction is especially important.
After a service-charge reconciliation, the landlord must make the supporting documents available to the tenant for six months after sending the statement.
But:
six months of availability does not mean a maximum six-month retention period.
Rent and service-charge claims may still be subject to a three-year limitation period.
It may therefore be prudent to retain:
reconciliation statement;
allocation key;
invoices;
statements;
condominium calls;
consumption evidence;
calculation details.
Example
A reconciliation is sent in April 2026.
Supporting evidence must remain available for consultation for the following six months.
That does not necessarily mean it should all be destroyed in October 2026 while a dispute about the reconciliation may still arise.
15. Household waste collection tax
Where household waste collection tax is recovered from the tenant, it is useful to retain:
the relevant property-tax notice;
the TEOM amount;
calculation of the amount charged;
period concerned.
Avoid unnecessarily sharing or duplicating tax information unrelated to the amount claimed from the tenant.
16. Security deposit
The security-deposit file should make the closing process easy to understand:
Deposit received
↓
Move-out inspection
↓
Differences recorded
↓
Supporting evidence
↓
Deductions
↓
Amount returned
↓
Refund date
Keep together:
proof of original amount;
move-in inspection;
move-out inspection;
itemized statement;
relevant quotations or invoices;
charge evidence where relevant;
proof of refund;
correspondence about any dispute.
17. Works and repairs
Documents relating to works may serve several purposes.
A boiler invoice can help:
establish the age of equipment;
rely on a warranty;
prove a repair;
support a tax position;
preserve the technical history of the property.
It should not necessarily be deleted simply because one particular tenant has moved out.
Important distinction
Separate:
the property's technical history
from
the former tenant's personal data.
The first may remain useful for a long time.
The second should not be kept without a reason.
18. Incident reports
A message reporting:
leak
appliance failure
electrical problem
mould
heating failure
may become important months later.
It can establish:
first report date;
original description;
landlord response;
requested intervention;
development of the problem.
Example
A text message dated 4 March:
“There has been water coming in near the window since this morning.”
may be much more useful than a photo found six months later with no context.
Good practice
Preserve the useful information in a durable form:
date;
author;
relevant content;
attachments;
response or action taken.
There is no need to keep an entire personal conversation forever where only a few messages relate to the tenancy.
19. Notice and proof of receipt
When either landlord or tenant gives notice, keep:
the notice sent;
sending date;
delivery method;
date received;
proof of receipt;
where required, reason and supporting documents.
The receipt date may determine when the notice period starts.
A file called:
notice.pdf
is therefore not enough if the proof of receipt has disappeared.
20. Tenant insurance certificate
The landlord may require evidence of insurance against tenant risks under the conditions laid down by law.
It is useful to retain certificates for the periods in which they remain relevant.
But an unlimited collection of historic certificates does not necessarily need to stay accessible forever.
21. Guarantor documentation
Where a guarantor secures the tenant's obligations, keep:
guarantee deed;
guarantor identity;
duration of commitment;
lease to which it relates;
useful notices;
information concerning debts potentially covered.
The document should not be destroyed while a covered obligation can still reasonably be claimed.
22. Applicant files: do not keep every rejected application “just in case”
This is where data-protection rules become particularly important.
Applicants often provide sensitive documents such as:
identity documents;
proof of income;
employment contracts;
tax notices;
proof of address.
These documents should not be kept indefinitely merely because they might one day be useful.
The French CNIL rental-management framework states in particular that three months in the active database is generally considered appropriate for data collected to assess applicants' solvency.
For the selected tenant, data needed to perform the tenancy may then be processed for rental-management purposes.
Key point
A rejected applicant's file is not a tenant file to be kept for years.
23. Active management and archiving are not the same thing
CNIL usefully distinguishes two stages.
Active database
Documents required for day-to-day tenancy management.
Examples:
current lease;
inspection reports;
tenant contact details;
rent due;
payments;
open incidents.
Intermediate archive
The lease has ended.
The documents are no longer needed for routine management, but may still have to be kept in order to:
exercise a right;
defend a dispute;
comply with a legal obligation.
Access can then be more restricted.
Example
Active lease
↓
Lease closed
↓
Intermediate archive
↓
Retention purposes expire
↓
Deletion or anonymisation
This is healthier than:
“Keep everything forever.”
24. Why “keep everything forever just in case” is a poor strategy
More retention does not automatically mean more safety.
More data also means:
more information to secure;
greater impact if there is a breach;
more obsolete documents;
more duplicates;
harder searches;
more personal information retained without need.
Data-protection principles instead require retention periods to be appropriate to the purpose.
25. Special case: professional landlords and companies
The limitation period for a tenancy dispute is not necessarily the same as an accounting or tax retention period.
A business may, for example, have to keep certain accounting records for ten years from the end of the financial year.
Tax documents can be subject to separate periods.
Example
An invoice for renovation works may no longer be required for a former tenancy dispute, but may still have to be retained:
for accounting;
for a tax audit;
for a warranty;
for the property's technical history.
The right question is therefore:
Why are we still keeping this document?
not merely:
Has the tenant left the property?
26. Paper or digital: should the original be kept?
The French Civil Code recognises that electronic writing can have the same evidential value as paper where:
the person from whom it originates can be identified;
its integrity is preserved in the required conditions.
That does not mean a scan of a paper original automatically becomes the original itself.
If the document originated on paper
Where a paper original was provided, it may be prudent to retain that original.
A scan is generally a copy.
If the document is digital by origin
The file should be preserved in conditions that maintain:
integrity;
origin;
context.
27. Electronic signature: the final PDF may not be the only useful evidence
Where a contract is electronically signed, the final signed file is of course essential.
But depending on the signature process, other material may contribute to the evidence:
signer identity;
timestamps;
signature events;
integrity-verification data;
an evidence file or certificate supplied by the provider.
A screenshot stating:
“Signature completed”
does not necessarily replace these elements.
Good practice
Keep together:
Final signed document
+
associated evidence
+
useful signature history
28. Never overwrite a signed document
Once a final document has been signed, it should be treated as fixed.
If a change is required:
create a new document
or
an amendment
rather than silently editing the existing signed file.
Version traceability is fundamental.
29. A useful folder structure
Even with a simple storage tool, organisation can be improved substantially.
Poor structure
Rental/
├── documents
├── other
├── important
├── new
└── old
Better structure
Property
└── Lease 2024-2026
├── 01 Contract
├── 02 Annexes
├── 03 Move-in inspection
├── 04 Rent and payments
├── 05 Service charges
├── 06 Rent reviews
├── 07 Incidents and works
├── 08 Important correspondence
├── 09 Notice
├── 10 Move-out inspection
└── 11 Security deposit
30. Why a rental-management tool becomes more effective
A dedicated system can go further than folders by linking documents to business objects.
A system used to centralise rental documents should ideally offer:
Organisation
classification by property;
classification by lease;
links to the relevant tenant;
document types.
Traceability
creation date;
status;
version;
useful history;
clearly identified final document.
Search
The ability to retrieve quickly:
all rent receipts for one tenant
or:
the move-in inspection for an old lease.
Security
authentication;
access control;
backups;
data protection.
Portability
The owner should be able to recover their documents.
A management platform should not become a place where records cannot be exported when the owner wants to leave.
Retention management
Ideally distinguish:
active documents;
archives;
information that can be deleted;
information that must be retained for another legal purpose.
32. Practical table of key rental documents
Document
During tenancy
After tenancy
Practical reference
Signed lease
Yes
Yes
tenancy term + prudent three-year retention
Amendments
Yes
Yes
with the lease
Move-in inspection
Yes
Yes
up to three years after lease ends
Move-out inspection
—
Yes
up to three years after lease ends
Furniture inventory
Yes
Yes
with lease/inspection records
Inspection photos
Yes
Yes
while linked evidence remains useful
Rent history
Yes
Yes
generally three-year tenancy limitation period
Rent receipts
Yes
Yes
aligned with payment-history needs
Partial-payment receipts
Yes
Yes
proof of payments
IRL calculations
Yes
Yes
preserve rent history
Service-charge evidence
Yes
Yes
six-month availability; potential longer evidential value
Service-charge statements
Yes
Yes
linked to possible challenges
Security-deposit records
Yes
Yes
until related claims have expired
Notice
Where applicable
Yes
document + proof of receipt
Guarantee deed
Yes
Yes if obligations remain
according to guarantee and covered debts
Incident reports
Yes
Depending on need
preserve for chronology/evidence where justified
Works invoices
Yes
Often yes
may have tax/accounting/warranty value
Diagnostics supplied
Yes
Yes with lease file
proves the version delivered
Insurance certificates
Yes
As needed
avoid unjustified indefinite storage
Rejected applicant files
Temporarily
Not indefinitely
limited under data-protection principles
33. The same document can have several retention reasons
Take an invoice for a new boiler.
It may be:
proof of work;
evidence of the boiler's age;
an accounting record;
a tax document;
a warranty record.
It would therefore be wrong to delete it simply because:
“The tenant left three years ago.”
By contrast, a rejected applicant's solvency file does not automatically benefit from all those reasons for retention.
34. How to decide whether a document can be deleted
Before deletion, ask five questions.
1. Is the lease still active?
If yes, the document may still be required for day-to-day management.
2. Can a right or dispute still be pursued?
Check the relevant limitation period.
3. Is there another legal purpose?
For example:
tax;
accounting;
insurance;
warranty.
4. Is the document part of the property's technical history?
A roofing invoice and a former applicant's passport copy serve completely different purposes.
5. Does it contain personal data that is no longer needed?
If so, consider:
deletion;
anonymisation;
restricted archiving where continued retention remains justified.
35. Full example: tenant moves out
The tenant leaves on 31 July 2026.
The file includes:
lease;
move-in inspection;
inspections and photos;
rent receipts;
payment history;
messages about a leak;
move-out inspection;
quotations;
security-deposit statement.
On 31 July 2026
These documents are used to close the tenancy.
A few months later
They may still be needed for:
security deposit;
service charges;
damage;
rent;
disputes.
Several years later
Part of the file may no longer have a tenancy-related purpose.
But some records may still be required for:
accounting;
taxation;
insurance;
the technical history of the property.
The right strategy is therefore not:
delete the entire file on one single date.
It is:
review the different purposes for retention.
36. What if a dispute is already underway?
Where a dispute, legal procedure or insurance claim is ongoing, it would clearly be unwise to delete documents needed to defend a position merely because a standard retention period has expired.
Relevant evidence should be preserved until the matter is resolved and in accordance with the periods applying to that procedure.
37. Common mistakes
Keeping only the latest file
The contractual history disappears.
Overwriting a signed PDF
The version actually accepted becomes uncertain.
Keeping photos without context
Nobody knows what they prove.
Keeping only rent receipts
Detailed payment history may be missing.
Deleting service-charge evidence after six months
The six months concern access following the statement, not necessarily the end of all legal relevance.
Keeping every applicant file indefinitely
This creates data-minimisation and retention risks.
Using an email inbox as the entire archive
Search becomes dependent on email subjects, accounts and attachments.
Keeping everything “just in case”
This creates unnecessary data with no defined purpose.
38. A simple model: active → archive → delete
For each lease:
Phase 1 — Active
The document is needed for daily management.
Phase 2 — Archive
It is no longer routinely used but is retained for a specific legal or operational reason.
Phase 3 — End of retention
No legal obligation or legitimate purpose remains.
The document is then:
deleted;
or anonymised where only statistical or technical information still matters.
A structured system can automate this logic far more easily than hundreds of independent folders.
39. Should landlords stop using spreadsheets and folders?
Not necessarily.
For a landlord with one property and disciplined organisation, a clear folder structure with proper backups can work perfectly well.
But as the portfolio and number of events grow, the limitations become more visible:
A spreadsheet tracks a row.
A folder stores a file.
A rental-management tool should know why that file exists and what it relates to.
That distinction becomes important when several years of history need to be managed.
40. The seven-question method
For each document, ask:
Which property does it concern?
Which lease does it belong to?
Which event does it document?
Is this the final version?
What does it prove?
How long is that evidence still needed?
Is there another obligation that justifies longer retention?
If all seven answers are known, archiving becomes much easier.
Key takeaways
There is no single retention period for the entire tenancy file.
The lease and property inspections are generally kept during the tenancy and for three years after it ends.
Actions arising from the lease are generally subject to a three-year limitation period.
Annual rent review is subject to a specific one-year action period.
Service-charge evidence must remain available for six months after the statement, but that does not necessarily mean it should then be destroyed.
One document may have several reasons for retention.
Technical property records and former tenants' personal data should not be treated in the same way.
Rejected applicant files should not be retained indefinitely.
Final versions of contracts and property inspections should be preserved.
Photos need context.
Digital records should be preserved in conditions that protect integrity.
Good document management distinguishes active use, intermediate archive and deletion.
A rental-management tool adds most value when it links each document to the property, lease and event concerned.
Conclusion
The real difficulty in document retention is not having enough disk space.
It is being able, sometimes years later, to answer:
Which document is the right one?
What does it relate to?
Who signed it?
Which payment does it support?
Which decision was based on it?
Does it still need to be kept?
A spreadsheet and folder tree can do the job while the volume remains small and maintenance is disciplined.
But structured rental management gradually replaces manual filing with a more useful logic:
the document is no longer merely stored; it forms part of the history of the property and lease.
That continuity saves time, improves evidence, reduces disputes and avoids retaining personal data that no longer has a valid purpose.
French Law no. 89-462 of 6 July 1989, in particular Article 7-1.
French Civil Code, in particular Article 1366 on electronic writing.
Service-Public.fr guidance on retention of everyday documents.
Service-Public.fr guidance on documents supplied during a tenancy.
Service-Public.fr guidance on limitation periods for rent and service-charge debts.
CNIL framework for personal-data processing in rental management.
Entreprendre.Service-Public.fr guidance on business-record retention.
General information only. Applicable retention periods may depend on the nature of the landlord, the document, tax regime, an ongoing dispute or another specific legal obligation.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a lease be kept?
French official guidance recommends keeping it throughout the tenancy and for three years after the lease ends.
How long should a property inspection be kept?
It may also be retained for up to three years after the end of the lease.
Can service-charge supporting documents be deleted after six months?
Do not confuse the six-month period during which supporting documents must be made available after the statement with the longer period during which a service-charge claim or dispute may still exist.
How long can a landlord claim unpaid rent?
In principle, three years.
Can a landlord apply a missed IRL review three years later?
No. The landlord's action to apply the annual review is subject to a specific one-year period after the scheduled review date.
Should all rent receipts be retained?
It is useful to preserve the receipt and payment history while it may still be needed to establish what was paid or due.
Does a rent receipt replace detailed payment history?
Not necessarily. A receipt confirms full settlement of the period, while the payment history explains how that amount was settled.
Can a rejected applicant's file be kept indefinitely?
No. Data-protection principles require a period appropriate to the purpose. CNIL considers three months in the active database generally appropriate for solvency-assessment data.
Can a paper original be destroyed once scanned?
Not automatically. Where a document was originally provided on paper, the scan is a copy. It may be prudent to retain the original where it is important.
Must an electronically signed document be printed?
Electronic writing can have the same evidential value as paper where legal conditions on identification and integrity are satisfied. Printing is not what gives it evidential value.
What should be kept from an electronic-signature process?
The final signed document and, where available, the evidence associated with the signature process.
Should every WhatsApp or text-message conversation be retained?
No. Preserve significant rental-management or evidential exchanges with their date and context rather than indiscriminately archiving all conversations.
Does a company landlord only need to follow the three-year rule?
No. Accounting and tax obligations can require much longer retention for some records.
