The radiator stops working on a cold evening. Water appears under the sink. You know enough French to say bonjour, but the moment you need to explain what happened, your useful words disappear.
To talk to landlord in French about a repair, you do not need a perfect housing vocabulary lesson. You need a short call structure: identify the flat, name the problem, say what is happening now, give your availability, then repeat the arrangement back. This article gives you the phrases and the speaking reps to do that calmly.
This is the second guide in Spokira's Say This in France series: real French for jobs you need to complete, not a list to admire. If you are still looking for a place, start with French for renting an apartment in France. Here, the focus starts after you have moved in.
Quick answer: what should you say when you call?
Start with this four-part message:
- Who and where: Bonjour, je suis [name], locataire au [address / apartment number].
- What is wrong: Je vous appelle parce qu'il y a un problème avec [the heating / a leak / the electricity].
- How urgent it feels: Il n'y a plus de chauffage or l'eau coule encore.
- What you need next: Est-ce que quelqu'un peut passer? Je suis disponible mardi après-midi.
Keep the first call factual. A landlord, agency, or building manager needs enough information to identify the problem and arrange an intervention. French housing guidance distinguishes routine tenant maintenance from larger, age-related, or structural repairs, but that distinction depends on the facts and your agreement. ANIL's current repair guide explains the general framework. This is a language guide, not tenant-rights or legal advice: for responsibility, formal notices, insurance, or a dispute, check your lease and get advice from an ADIL or another qualified local source.
Your job on the first call
Do not diagnose the plumbing. Describe what you can see, hear, smell, or use: where it is, when it began, whether it is still happening, and whether you can access heat, water, or electricity.
Before you talk to landlord in French, make a 30-second note
The call becomes much easier when you are not inventing details while listening. Write five prompts on paper before you dial. French phone calls move quickly, especially when the other person is checking an address or appointment diary.
| Write this down | French you can say | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Your identity | Je suis… | Je suis Maya Patel, locataire. |
| The exact place | J'habite au… / appartement… | J'habite au 18 rue Victor-Hugo, appartement 24. |
| The issue | Il y a un problème avec… | Il y a un problème avec le radiateur du salon. |
| What is happening | … ne marche plus / il y a une fuite | Le chauffage ne marche plus depuis ce matin. |
| Your availability | Je suis disponible… | Je suis disponible après 18 heures. |
If you call an agency, you may hear cabinet, agence, gestionnaire, or régie. You can still use the same opening. Say Bonjour, je vous appelle au sujet d'un problème dans mon logement. If they ask C'est pour quel appartement?, they want the address or apartment number, not a long explanation.
Numbers are worth rehearsing separately. Say your building number, floor, apartment number, phone number, and two appointment times aloud. French phone numbers are commonly said in pairs: 06 12 34 56 78 becomes zéro six, douze, trente-quatre, cinquante-six, soixante-dix-huit. Pause between pairs. You are allowed to be slow.
For a broader set of recovery lines, keep phrases for when you do not know the exact French word nearby. A repair call is a good place to use them.
How to talk to landlord in French about the repair
The most useful pattern is simple:
Il y a un problème avec [thing]. [What is happening]. Ça a commencé [when].
For example: Il y a un problème avec le chauffe-eau. Il ne marche plus depuis hier soir. You do not need the technical name for every part. A plain description gets the conversation moving.
Core French apartment repair vocabulary
| French | Meaning | A natural short sentence |
|---|---|---|
| une fuite | a leak | Il y a une fuite sous l'évier. |
| l'eau coule | water is running/leaking | L'eau coule encore, même quand le robinet est fermé. |
| le robinet | tap/faucet | Le robinet de la cuisine fuit. |
| l'évier | sink | L'eau ne s'évacue plus dans l'évier. |
| le radiateur | radiator | Le radiateur reste froid. |
| le chauffage | heating | Il n'y a plus de chauffage. |
| le chauffe-eau | water heater | Le chauffe-eau ne fonctionne plus. |
| une prise | electrical outlet | Cette prise ne marche pas. |
| le disjoncteur | circuit breaker | Le disjoncteur saute quand j'allume le four. |
| une panne | breakdown/fault | Il y a une panne dans l'appartement. |
| bouché(e) | blocked/clogged | L'évier est bouché. |
| humide | damp | Le mur est humide près de la fenêtre. |
Choose one verb and stay with it. Ne marche pas, ne fonctionne plus, and est en panne all work. If you know the issue started recently, depuis ce matin, depuis hier soir, and depuis samedi make your report more useful.
Say what makes it urgent
Urgency is about the present effect, not drama. Use concrete facts:
- L'eau coule encore et je n'arrive pas à l'arrêter., The water is still running and I cannot stop it.
- Il y a de l'eau par terre dans la cuisine., There is water on the kitchen floor.
- Il n'y a plus d'eau chaude., There is no hot water anymore.
- Il n'y a plus de chauffage dans l'appartement., There is no heating in the apartment.
- Il y a une odeur de brûlé près de la prise., There is a burning smell near the outlet.
- Le problème s'aggrave., The problem is getting worse.
Use c'est urgent when it is urgent, then add one fact: C'est urgent parce que l'eau coule encore. That sounds clearer than repeating urgent three times.
If there is immediate danger, a fire, serious injury, or another emergency, do not wait for a landlord call. France's public-service directory lists 15 for medical emergencies, 18 for fire and rescue, and 112 as the European emergency number (Service-Public). For a housing problem that needs reporting but is not an immediate emergency, the phrases in this guide help you make the call and record the next step.
The phone call: listen, respond, and keep the conversation moving
Most calls follow a predictable rhythm. The person may sound brisk; that does not mean you have failed. Their questions are often just a checklist.
A realistic landlord repair dialogue
You: Bonjour, je suis Daniel Lee, locataire au 12 rue des Fleurs, appartement 6. Je vous appelle parce qu'il y a un problème avec le chauffe-eau.
Agency: Qu'est-ce qui se passe exactement?
You: Il ne fonctionne plus depuis hier soir. Je n'ai plus d'eau chaude.
Agency: D'accord. Est-ce qu'il y a une fuite?
You: Non, je ne vois pas de fuite. Mais le voyant est éteint.
Agency: Vous êtes disponible demain matin pour le passage d'un technicien?
You: Oui, entre neuf heures et midi. Est-ce que vous pouvez me confirmer l'heure par SMS ou par e-mail?
Agency: Oui. Le technicien vous appellera avant de passer.
You: Très bien, merci. Je vous laisse mon numéro: zéro six, vingt-et-un, quarante-huit, soixante-trois, quatre-vingt-dix.
Agency: Merci, bonne journée.
You: Merci, au revoir.
The important move is not a fancy sentence. It is your response to the surprise question: Est-ce qu'il y a une fuite? If you do not know, say Je ne sais pas, je vais vérifier. If you do know, give the short fact. That keeps you in the conversation.
Questions you are likely to hear
| What you may hear | What it means | A useful reply |
|---|---|---|
| Depuis quand? | Since when? | Depuis ce matin / depuis hier soir. |
| C'est dans quelle pièce? | Which room is it in? | Dans la salle de bains / dans la cuisine. |
| Est-ce que vous pouvez couper l'eau? | Can you turn off the water? | Je vais essayer. Je vous rappelle si je n'y arrive pas. |
| Vous avez pris des photos? | Did you take photos? | Oui, je peux vous les envoyer tout de suite. |
| Quelqu'un peut passer demain? | Can someone come tomorrow? | Oui, je serai là entre 14 heures et 18 heures. |
| Le technicien va vous appeler. | The technician will call you. | D'accord. Est-ce que vous avez son nom ou son numéro? |
When the person gives a date, treat it as a speaking cue. Repeat it immediately: Donc, le technicien passe jeudi 14 à 15 heures, c'est bien ça? That one habit catches misunderstandings before you hang up.
Access, scheduling, spelling, and clarification phrases
This is the part many phrase lists skip. You may be able to report the leak, then lose the thread when the conversation turns to access. Train these lines until they come out without translation.
Offer access to the apartment
- Je serai chez moi demain matin., I will be home tomorrow morning.
- Je suis disponible entre 8 heures et 10 heures., I am available between 8 and 10.
- Je peux laisser les clés à la gardienne., I can leave the keys with the concierge.
- Est-ce que le technicien doit m'appeler avant de passer?, Does the technician need to call me before coming?
- Je préfère être présent(e) pendant l'intervention., I prefer to be present during the visit.
- L'interphone ne marche pas. Je descendrai vous ouvrir., The intercom does not work. I will come down to let you in.
Ask for repetition or a slower explanation
- Pardon, vous pouvez répéter, s'il vous plaît?
- Vous pouvez parler un peu moins vite, s'il vous plaît?
- Je n'ai pas bien compris le jour. C'est mardi ou mercredi?
- Vous pouvez me confirmer l'heure par écrit?
- Si j'ai bien compris, quelqu'un passe demain après-midi?
These are normal repair tools, not apologies for your French. For help making your sounds clearer when you use them, practice the short cues in French pronunciation for English speakers. On the phone, a clean rhythm and one clear detail beat a long, hesitant explanation.
Give numbers and spell your name
For numbers, group information before you say it: building, apartment, time, phone. Use à for a time: à quinze heures. For an apartment, say appartement six rather than trying to make the number ornate.
If someone needs your surname, use: Mon nom s'écrit L-E-E, comme Léon, Émile, Émile. The NATO alphabet is not the usual French reference system. You can simply say letters, then add a familiar first name for each if the line is noisy. Ask the other person to spell a surname or street too: Vous pouvez épeler le nom de l'entreprise, s'il vous plaît?
Follow up after the call, without turning it into a legal argument
After a useful call, send a short written recap if the agency asks for photos, a technician is expected, or you want a record of the appointment. Keep it neutral and specific.
Bonjour, suite à notre appel de ce matin, je vous confirme qu'il n'y a plus de chauffage dans l'appartement 6 au 12 rue des Fleurs depuis hier soir. Je suis disponible demain entre 9 h et 12 h pour le passage d'un technicien. Merci de me confirmer le créneau. Cordialement, Daniel Lee.
That message does three jobs: it names the issue, gives a time window, and asks for confirmation. It does not accuse anyone or decide who pays. If the problem continues or you need formal guidance, the ANIL information on degraded housing says to keep evidence of your steps and explains that a phone call can be used in an urgent situation alongside the appropriate formal process. Ask an ADIL or a qualified adviser for case-specific guidance.
For the next pair of scenarios in this series, save French phrases for a doctor appointment and French pharmacy vocabulary for a real conversation. The point is the same: hear the next question, answer the job in front of you, and repair a misunderstanding early.
Practice the call before you need it
Use native-speaker shadowing and record-and-repeat feedback to make repair phrases easier to retrieve on a real phone call.
A 7-minute listen, respond, record drill for repair calls
Read the drill once, then put the page away for the response rounds. The goal is not to recite a perfect dialogue. It is to answer a changing prompt with one clear sentence.
Minute 1: listen for the situation
Read these prompts aloud as if they were voicemail messages. Pause after each one and say, in English first if needed, what detail you heard.
- Bonjour, c'est l'agence. Quel est le problème dans l'appartement?
- Depuis quand est-ce que le radiateur est froid?
- Est-ce qu'il y a de l'eau par terre?
- Le technicien peut passer mardi entre 14 heures et 16 heures. Ça vous convient?
Minutes 2 and 3: respond in one sentence
Say one answer per prompt. Do not add an essay.
- Il y a une fuite sous l'évier depuis ce matin.
- Le radiateur est froid depuis hier soir.
- Oui, il y a de l'eau par terre dans la cuisine.
- Oui, mardi entre 14 heures et 16 heures, ça me convient.
Now change one detail each time: the room, the day, the appliance, or the time. This is the moment your French stops being a memorized paragraph and becomes usable speech.
Minutes 4 and 5: record the full report
Record a 20-second version of this frame:
Bonjour, je suis [name], locataire au [address]. Je vous appelle parce qu'il y a un problème avec [thing] dans [room]. [What is happening] depuis [time]. C'est urgent parce que [fact]. Je suis disponible [time window]. Est-ce que quelqu'un peut passer?
Listen back once. Check only four things: Did you give the address? Did you name the problem? Did you say when it started? Did you offer a time? Fix one weak point and record again. That is enough.
Minutes 6 and 7: clarification and follow-up round
Pretend the other person speaks too quickly. Answer with one repair phrase, then confirm the appointment.
- Pardon, vous pouvez répéter l'heure, s'il vous plaît?
- Donc, c'est jeudi à 15 heures, c'est bien ça?
- Vous pouvez me confirmer le rendez-vous par SMS?
- Je vous envoie les photos tout de suite.
Do this drill three times across a week. On the second run, make the issue a blocked sink. On the third, make it a heating failure. If you want a method for hearing and copying the rhythm before you must retrieve the sentence, read why French shadowing works, then use a short Spokira speaking session to record and compare your own version.
Common mistakes when you call a landlord in French
Trying to translate a long complaint
Long sentences create more places to freeze. Start with Il y a un problème avec… and one observable fact. You can add details when asked.
Saying only “it is broken”
C'est cassé is understandable, but it gives little useful information. Say what no longer works: Le chauffage ne marche plus or l'eau coule sous l'évier.
Forgetting the appointment repeat-back
Dates, times, names, and access instructions are the fragile part of a phone call. Repeat them back before saying goodbye. If the person says mercredi, do not guess that you heard mardi.
Treating this phrase guide as legal advice
The language of a repair report is useful whatever happens next. The legal or insurance question can be separate and fact-specific. Keep a record, consult the appropriate official or local adviser, and use the French here to make your immediate report clear.
You do not need perfect French to make the repair call
When you need to talk to landlord in French, the win is simple: the other person understands what is wrong, knows how to reach the apartment, and you both agree on the next step. A short, clear report does that. Think of the call as a small handover: problem, urgency, access, confirmation.
Build one repair script, then change the details. Practice the timing words, your phone number, and the one line you will use when you do not understand. Five focused minutes now is much more useful than searching for vocabulary while water is on the floor.
Real French is full of interruptions, follow-up questions, and imperfect sentences. Train your mouth, not your streak. With a few recorded reps, this call can become one of the everyday conversations you handle in French instead of avoiding.
