AC in a Paris apartment building: approval, noise, permits

In a Paris apartment building, fitting air conditioning with an outdoor unit on the facade, a balcony or the roof almost always needs a vote at the co-owners' general meeting, under the article 25 majority of the French law of 10 July 1965. In protected areas, a declaration to the town hall is also required. Noise and the building rules decide where the unit can go.

Planning air conditioning in your building? Call +33 1 89 70 15 36 (01 89 70 15 36 from a French phone), 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, or write to us from the contact page. We can visit the flat, suggest a location and prepare the technical part of the file. For the technical side of the project (types of unit, sizing, installation steps), see our complete guide to air conditioning installation in Paris.

Planning air conditioning? Installation, servicing and repair, building approval included: see our air conditioning service in Paris.

A few French terms first

• Copropriété: co-ownership. Most Paris apartment buildings are owned jointly by all the flat owners.
• Syndic: the managing agent who runs the building day to day and organises meetings.
• Assemblée générale (AG): the general meeting of co-owners, where decisions on shared parts are voted.
• Règlement de copropriété: the building's rulebook.
• Parties communes: shared parts of the building, including the facade, roof, courtyards and service shafts.

What needs a general meeting vote

The first question is legal, not technical: are you allowed to fix an outdoor unit to the building?

The principle: the facade is a shared part

In a co-owned building, the facade belongs to all the co-owners. Any change to its appearance (drilling, fixing equipment, running conduits) needs prior approval voted at the general meeting. Article 25 of the law of 10 July 1965 applies: you need a majority of the votes of all co-owners, whether present, represented or absent.

What is covered

• fitting an outdoor unit on the facade, on the roof, in a courtyard, or on a balcony when the balcony is a shared part reserved for your use;
• running refrigerant lines and cables on or through shared parts (service shafts, load-bearing walls, facade);
• connecting the condensate drain to a shared downpipe or drain.

What usually does not need a vote

Fitting an indoor unit (wall split, console) inside your flat falls within your private rights. But the connection to the outdoor unit almost always crosses shared parts, which brings you back to the vote. A unit on a genuinely private terrace that cannot be seen from outside may not need a vote: check the terrace's exact status in the building rules before relying on this.

Start with the building rules

Ask the syndic for the règlement de copropriété and read it before doing anything else. Some rules ban outdoor units visible from the street, impose a colour, size or casing, or ban night-time operation. These rules override your preferences and guide the choice of location.

The approval process

1. Prepare a complete file

A vague project is often refused. Include:

• a layout plan: where the outdoor unit will go, and the route of the refrigerant lines and condensate drain;
• the unit's data sheet: power, dimensions, noise level in dB(A);
• an installer's quote stating how the unit is fixed, what drilling is needed and any making good;
• a photo mock-up of the unit in place, which reassures co-owners about the visual impact.

2. Get the resolution on the agenda

Send your request to the syndic early enough for it to appear on the agenda of the next general meeting. Notice of the meeting must be sent at least 21 days in advance, so plan ahead. The resolution must be clear, for example: "Authorisation granted to Mr or Ms X to install an outdoor air conditioning unit at the location defined in the attached file, at their sole expense."

General meetings are often held only once or twice a year. Their date sets your project timetable, so start several months before summer.

3. After the vote

If the resolution is passed, keep the minutes of the meeting: they are your authorisation. If it is rejected, you cannot go ahead anyway. A co-owner who installs an outdoor unit without approval risks court action that can end with the unit being removed at their expense.

Noise and neighbours: the rules

Noise is the main source of disputes over air conditioning in apartment buildings. An outdoor unit gives off a continuous hum that can become unbearable for a neighbour whose bedroom faces the same wall or courtyard.

The rules that apply

• The French Public Health Code (articles R1336-5 onwards) governs neighbourhood noise. For equipment such as air conditioning, what is measured is the "emergence", the difference from background noise: it must not exceed 5 dB(A) during the day and 3 dB(A) at night (10 pm to 7 am).
• The building rules can be stricter than the law: no night-time operation, a maximum noise level, banned locations.

Keeping noise down

• Choose a quiet unit and compare the outdoor unit's noise level, especially in night mode.
• Use anti-vibration mounts so vibrations do not travel into the building's structure.
• Place the unit carefully: never facing a neighbour's bedroom window. A narrow courtyard echoes; a roof is often better.
• Consider an acoustic cover, as long as it does not block the unit's airflow.

If a neighbour's unit is the problem

Start with a friendly conversation: they may not realise. If the noise continues, write to the syndic by registered letter, citing the building rules and the Public Health Code. You can have an acoustic measurement taken by a professional. As a last resort, the court (tribunal judiciaire) can order the unit to be brought into line or removed. A unit installed without a general meeting vote gives you a strong argument.

Protected areas and the town hall declaration

Much of Paris is covered by heritage protections that add another layer of rules.

The areas concerned

• sites patrimoniaux remarquables (remarkable heritage sites, formerly ZPPAUP and AVAP), which cover a large part of historic Paris: any change to a facade visible from the street needs the opinion of the Architecte des Bâtiments de France (ABF), the state heritage architect;
• the surroundings of listed monuments, within a 500-metre radius, where the ABF can object to a visible outdoor unit;
• the Paris local urban plan (PLU), which regulates the look of facades even outside protected areas.

The prior declaration of works

If the installation changes the building's appearance, especially with a unit visible from the street, a déclaration préalable de travaux (prior declaration of works) must be filed with the arrondissement town hall and accepted before work starts. Processing usually takes one month, extended to two months when the ABF's opinion is required. Add this to the time needed for the general meeting.

If the facade is refused: the options

Roof or inner courtyard

A roof terrace, where the building has one and the co-owners allow it, is often the least visible spot. A courtyard cannot be seen from the street, but watch out for noise in an enclosed space.

Air conditioning without an outdoor unit

When no outdoor unit is accepted, there are fixed monobloc units: the whole machine sits in an indoor console, often fitted low on a wall like a radiator. Two holes of about 16 cm in diameter go through the outside wall: one draws air in, the other expels warm air. From the street you only see two grilles, which can be painted to match the facade. Many models are reversible.

What to know before choosing this option:

• you need a wall facing outside, not onto a corridor or stairwell;
• the core drilling must be done by a professional, after checking the wall type (cut stone, brick, concrete) and that no pipes or cables run through the area;
• the console takes up wall space, like a large radiator;
• it is less efficient than a standard split system;
• the grilles still change the facade: you still need to ask the co-owners, and a town hall declaration may be required. The process is usually simpler, but not automatic.

The noise, on the other hand, stays inside your flat: no outdoor unit humming at the neighbours.

Avoid units cooled by tap water, which use a lot of drinking water.

What tenants can do

No works without the landlord's consent

A tenant cannot alter the property without the landlord's written consent. A fixed system (split, ducted, or monobloc with wall holes) counts as an alteration. So you need to:

1. get the landlord's written consent;
2. have the landlord then obtain approval from the co-owners, if the installation affects shared parts.

Options without works

Without any special permission, a tenant can use a portable air conditioner (on wheels, venting through a window) or a fan, as long as nothing is drilled or fixed. These are far less effective and noisier than a fixed split.

Costs and the end of the lease

If the landlord installs air conditioning, they may pass part of the cost on through the rent, by agreement or when the lease is renewed. Routine upkeep (cleaning the filters) is generally the tenant's job, major repairs the landlord's. A tenant who had a unit fitted may have to restore the flat to its original state at the end of the lease, unless agreed otherwise.

Steps for an air conditioning project in a co-owned building

1. Read the building rules and note the constraints.
2. Ask the syndic about the procedure and the date of the next general meeting.
3. Have an installer visit: location, line routing, condensate drain, noise level.
4. Put the file together (plan, data sheet, quote, mock-up) and get the resolution on the agenda.
5. Obtain the general meeting vote.
6. File the prior declaration at the town hall if the facade is changed.
7. Wait for all approvals before starting work.
8. Have the unit fitted and commissioned by a professional holding the refrigerant-handling certificate, then plan servicing (see our article on the signs an air conditioner needs maintenance).

Do not skip the paperwork: an unauthorised installation can force you to remove the unit and restore the facade at your own expense.

The budget mainly depends on the location chosen (roof access, a cherry picker for the facade, line length). For our prices, see our rates.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need the co-owners' approval to install air conditioning?

Yes, whenever the installation affects shared parts, which is almost always the case: an outdoor unit on the facade or roof, conduits through a load-bearing wall, a connection to a shared drain. The vote takes place at the general meeting under the article 25 majority of the law of 10 July 1965. Installing without approval exposes you to forced removal.

Do I need town hall permission for air conditioning in Paris?

Yes if the outdoor unit changes the building's appearance, in particular if it can be seen from the street: you need a prior declaration of works at the arrondissement town hall. In protected areas or near a listed monument, the state heritage architect gives an opinion and can refuse.

Can a tenant install air conditioning in France?

A portable unit, yes, without drilling or fixing anything. For a fixed installation you need the landlord's written consent, and the landlord then asks the co-owners for approval if shared parts are affected.

Does a unit without an outdoor part avoid the co-owners' approval?

Not necessarily. The two grilles drilled through the wall change the facade, which is a shared part. The process is often simpler than with an outdoor unit, but read the rules and ask the syndic.

How long should I allow?

Allow for the wait until the next general meeting (often one or two a year), plus at least 21 days' notice, plus town hall processing if a declaration is needed. Start in autumn or winter to be equipped before summer.

Your air conditioning project in a Paris building

Réseau Tubulure installs air conditioning in apartment buildings in Paris (75) and the inner suburbs (92, 93, 94). We visit the flat, suggest the most discreet and quietest location, and give you the technical documents to attach to the file for the syndic. Call +33 1 89 70 15 36, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, or write to us. For the rest of the project, read our guide to air conditioning installation in Paris, and if you are also thinking of replacing your heating, our article on heat pumps in a Paris apartment. Many of our plumbers speak English.