Plug in solar in a rented or jointly owned flat in France
What a tenant may do without the landlord, when a flat owner needs the general assembly's vote under article 25 b of the 1965 law, and why the Enedis declaration applies in every case.
Last checked on 8 November 2026
Tenants: fitting out or transformation?
Article 7 f of the law of 6 July 1989 obliges a tenant not to transform the premises and equipment without the owner's written agreement. Without that agreement, the landlord can require the premises to be restored when the tenant leaves, or keep the changes without paying for them, and can demand immediate restoration at the tenant's expense if the changes endanger the equipment or the safety of the home. Service Public, checked on 28 May 2025, says a tenant may fit out the home freely, and gives knocking down a partition as an example of a transformation that needs written consent.
No official text we found names plug in solar kits. In our reading, a kit that stands on the balcony and plugs into an existing socket is closer to fitting out, while drilling into the railing or façade, adding an outdoor socket or changing the wiring is closer to a transformation. Service Public advises asking first whenever the line is unclear. Ask the landlord in writing and agree what happens to the kit and any fixings when you move out. In a dispute, the same page points first to a conciliateur de justice.
Flat owners: when the general assembly must vote
Under article 25 b of the law of 10 July 1965, the general assembly must authorise works that an owner carries out at their own expense and that affect the common parts or the exterior appearance of the building. The decision needs a majority of the votes of all owners, not only of those present. Service Public, checked on 18 February 2026, names air conditioning units and changes to windows as typical works affecting the exterior, and warns that works carried out without approval are irregular: the owners' association can demand that they stop and that what was built be removed, if necessary in court.
Article 9 lets each owner use their private parts freely, provided this harms neither the rights of the other owners nor the purpose of the building. So a kit fixed to a railing or façade that belongs to the common parts, or one that changes how the building looks from outside, needs the vote. A kit standing low on a private balcony and not visible from outside is a different case, but the building rules may still set conditions. Article 25 b speaks of an authorisation given to owners: a tenant in such a building asks the landlord, who takes the request to the general assembly.
Read the building rules, then write to the syndic
Article 8 says the règlement de copropriété sets the purpose of both the private and the common parts and the conditions for using them. Where the deeds say nothing, article 3 counts the structural shell of the buildings among the common parts. Read the règlement and the description of the lots to see whether your balcony, its railing and the façade are private or common, and whether the rules say anything about equipment visible from outside.
To put the question to the general assembly, send the syndic a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt before the notice of the meeting goes out; a late request usually moves to the following meeting. For works affecting the common parts or the exterior, Service Public says the request must include a document giving the location and details of the works. The syndic must put the question on the agenda and cannot judge whether it is worthwhile. Attach the data sheet, a photo or sketch of the position, and say how the kit is fixed.
The Enedis declaration applies to everyone
Whether you rent or own, Enedis states that declaring a self consumption installation is mandatory even without feeding into the grid, whatever its power. On the Enedis Connect portal you fill in the form, attach a Consuel certificate or a sworn statement, and accept the CACSI, which records your commitment not to feed into the grid. Enedis requires the Consuel for electrical work that changes the existing circuit or when a battery is added, with a possible exemption for preassembled plug and play equipment that complies with NF EN 50549 1 4.
Service Public, checked on 2 November 2026, also names the CACSI with Enedis for self consumption without sale of surplus. Neither page says whether the tenant or the owner signs it, so agree this with your landlord when you ask for consent.
Before you buy
The information site photovoltaique.info lists the legal setting, such as co ownership or renting, among the reasons a plug and play kit can suit a home where a standard rooftop system is not possible. It also warns not to overload a socket that may not have been designed for that power, and to make sure the wiring is correctly sized. We have found no official power limit for kits in France; the market uses 800 W. Read your home insurance conditions as well.
Sources
- Légifrance: loi n° 65-557 du 10 juillet 1965, article 25 (version in force since 18 June 2025)
- Légifrance: loi n° 65-557 du 10 juillet 1965, articles 3, 8 and 9
- Légifrance: loi n° 89-462 du 6 juillet 1989, article 7 (version in force since 15 June 2025)
- Service Public: Utilisation du logement et travaux par le locataire (checked 28 May 2025)
- Service Public: travaux d'un copropriétaire, parties communes et aspect extérieur (checked 18 February 2026)
- Service Public: convocation de l'assemblée générale, inscription d'une question (checked 18 February 2026)
- Enedis: autoconsommer la totalité de l'énergie produite (declaration, Consuel, CACSI)
- Service Public: Obtenir de l'électricité avec des panneaux solaires (checked 2 November 2026)
- photovoltaique.info: Les kits solaires Plug and Play (9 December 2024)