#274 Checking Initial Costs for a Rental Contract｜French Daily Life Phrases

When renting a property, it is important to confirm not only the monthly rent, but also the initial costs involved.

In some cases, additional expenses such as a security deposit, agency fees, or maintenance charges may apply. If these details are not clarified before signing the contract, you may end up facing unexpected costs later.

In this article, I will explain useful French expressions that can help you confirm the initial costs of a rental agreement, together with important grammatical points.

Dialogue

A

Pourriez-vous m’expliquer les frais initiaux de ce logement ?
（Could you explain the initial costs of this property to me?）

B

Oui. Il faut payer le premier mois de loyer, le dépôt de garantie et les frais d’agence.
（Yes. You need to pay the first month’s rent, the security deposit, and the agency fees.）

A

Est-ce qu’il y a des frais supplémentaires ?
（Are there any additional fees?）

B

Non, tout est inclus dans ce montant.
（No, everything is included in this amount.）

A

D’accord. Merci pour vos explications.
（I see. Thank you for the explanation.）

1. Asking About Initial Costs

Before signing a rental contract, I recommend confirming the initial costs using an expression such as the following:

The word “pourriez” comes from the verb “pouvoir” (can / to be able to) in the present conditional form. The structure “Pourriez-vous ～ ?” means “Would it be possible for you to ～?” and is commonly used to make polite requests.

You may also notice the form “m’expliquer,” which is a shortened version of “me expliquer” through elision. Here, “me” means “to me”, while “expliquer” means “to explain.” Together, “m’expliquer les frais initiaux” means “to explain the initial costs to me.”

The noun “frais” means “fees” or “costs” and is normally used in the plural form. The adjective “initial” (initial) changes to “initiaux” to agree with the masculine plural noun “frais.”

Finally, “de ce logement” means “of this property.” The word “logement” refers broadly to housing or accommodation and can include apartments, rooms, or residential properties in general.

2. Confirming the Breakdown of the Costs

In addition to checking the total amount, I recommend understanding the breakdown of the costs as well. Doing so can help you avoid misunderstandings or unexpected issues later.

The structure “Il faut + infinitive” means “it is necessary to ～” or “you need to ～.” In this expression, “il ” does not refer to a specific person but functions as a formal subject.

French speakers often use this pattern when explaining rules, procedures, or conditions rather than personal preferences. In this example, the speaker is explaining what is required as part of the rental agreement.

Another useful point to notice is that French allows several nouns to follow the same verb. In this sentence, the three payment items are all direct objects of “payer” (to pay).

As you can see, French often lists multiple required payment items after a single verb to explain expenses clearly and efficiently.

3. Checking for Additional Fees

When renting a property, costs such as cleaning fees or maintenance charges may sometimes apply in addition to rent and deposits.

For this reason, I recommend confirming whether there are any extra charges beyond the quoted amount.

The expression “il y a ～” means “there is / there are” and is commonly used to ask whether something exists.

By adding “Est-ce que” at the beginning, the sentence becomes a question meaning “Are there ～?”

The noun “frais” (fees / charges) is almost always used in the plural form, which is why the plural article “des” is used here.

The adjective “supplémentaire” means “additional.” Since French adjectives must agree with the noun in number and gender, it becomes “supplémentaires” to match the plural noun “frais.”

Summary