#42 Expressing Thanks in Emails｜French Business Phrases
Izumi Curious French
#178 Asking About Maintenance Fees｜French Daily Life Phrases
Izumi
When renting an apartment in France, you are required to pay not only rent but also maintenance fees (service charges). In French, these fees are referred to as “charges.”
Maintenance fees are often listed separately from the rent, and if you sign a contract without fully understanding what they include, you may later face unexpected expenses.
In this section, I will explain useful French expressions for asking about maintenance fees, following the natural flow of an actual conversation.
Contents
Dialogue
J’aimerais vous poser une question concernant les charges de l’appartement.
（I would like to ask a question regarding the maintenance fees for the apartment.）
Bien sûr. Qu’aimeriez-vous savoir ?
（Of course. What would you like to know?）
Est-ce que les charges sont incluses dans le loyer, ou est-ce un montant séparé ?
（Are the maintenance fees included in the rent, or are they charged separately?）
Elles ne sont pas incluses. Elles s’élèvent à environ 80 euros par mois.
（They are not included. They amount to approximately 80 euros per month.）
Et qu’est-ce que ces charges couvrent exactement ?
（And what exactly do these fees cover?）
Elles comprennent l’entretien des parties communes et l’eau froide.
（They include the maintenance of common areas and cold water.）
Y a-t-il des frais supplémentaires à prévoir ?
（Are there any additional fees to be expected?）
Non, en principe, tout est inclus dans ces charges.
（No, in principle, everything is included in these charges.）
D’accord. Merci pour ces précisions.
（I see. Thank you for the clarification.）
1. Asking About Maintenance Fees
When renting a property in France, it is important to confirm the maintenance fees in advance, not just the rent.
If you have questions about these fees, you can ask as follows:
Example
- J’aimerais vous poser une question concernant les charges.
（I would like to ask a question regarding the maintenance fees.）
Here, the topic of the question is introduced using “concernant” (regarding). This is a formal expression frequently used in business or administrative contexts.
Related Expressions
- concernant le contrat
（regarding the contract） - concernant le paiement
（regarding the payment）
The word “charges” is a real estate term in French that refers to maintenance or service fees. The specific contents vary depending on the property, so I strongly recommend confirming the details.
2. Asking Whether They Are Included in the Rent
The first thing to clarify about maintenance fees is whether they are included in the rent or charged separately.
Example
- Est-ce que les charges sont incluses dans le loyer, ou est-ce un montant séparé ?
（Are the maintenance fees included in the rent, or are they a separate charge?）
The expression “être inclus dans ~” means “to be included in,” and is essential when checking fees or pricing.
Related Expressions
- Le petit-déjeuner est inclus dans le prix.
（Breakfast is included in the price.） - Les frais sont inclus dans le tarif.
（The fees are included in the rate.）
By adding “ou ~”(or ~), you clearly present two options, which makes it easier for the other person to answer.
3. Confirming the Amount of the Maintenance Fees
If the fees are not included, the next step is to confirm the amount.
Example
- Elles s’élèvent à environ 80 euros par mois.
（They amount to approximately 80 euros per month.）
The expression “s’élever à ~” means “to amount to” and is commonly used when explaining prices, fees, or totals.
Related Expressions
- Le coût s’élève à 300 euros.
（The cost amounts to 300 euros.） - Le total s’élève à 1,200 euros.
（The total amounts to 1,200 euros.）
4. Asking What the Fees Include
It is not enough to know the amount; understanding what is actually included in the maintenance fees is equally important.
Since the contents vary by property, overlooking this point may result in actual expenses exceeding your budget.
Example
- Qu’est-ce que ces charges couvrent exactement ?
（What exactly do these fees cover?）
The verb “couvrir ”means “to cover” and is particularly useful when asking about the scope of fees or services.
Typically, maintenance fees may include the following items, though this differs by property:
Common Items
- l’entretien des parties communes
（Maintenance of common areas） - l’eau froide / l’eau chaude
（Water <cold / hot>） - le chauffage
（Heating）
In some cases, elevator maintenance or garbage collection may also be included.
5. Asking About Additional Fees
Finally, I recommend asking whether there are any other costs that may arise besides the maintenance fees.
Example
- Y a-t-il des frais supplémentaires à prévoir ?
（Are there any additional fees to be expected?）
The phrase “à prévoir” means “to anticipate” or “to expect,” and is useful when discussing future expenses.
Related Expressions
- Y a-t-il des dépenses à prévoir ?
（Are there any expenses I should anticipate?） - Des coûts supplémentaires sont-ils à prévoir ?
（Are there any additional costs to be expected?）
Summary
Key French Phrases
- J’aimerais vous poser une question concernant les charges.
→ A formal way to introduce the topic of maintenance fees. - Est-ce que les charges sont incluses dans le loyer ?
→ Used to check whether the fees are included in the rent. - À combien s’élèvent les charges ?
→ Used to ask about the amount of the fees. - Qu’est-ce que ces charges couvrent exactement ?
→ A key phrase for confirming what is included. - Y a-t-il des frais supplémentaires à prévoir ?
→ Used to check for any additional costs.
¥1,320 （2026/01/29 13:27時点 | Amazon調べ）
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¥1,320 （2026/01/29 13:27時点 | Amazon調べ）
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