How can you simplify the administrative steps before renting out your home?

In recent years, a growing number of people have been drawn to renting out their property as a vacation rental. This type of short- to medium-term rental makes real estate investment much more accessible without sacrificing profitability. If you are moving out of your home to turn it into a vacation rental, there are a few steps to take before you get started. Don't panic; just follow these handy tips to make the process easier.

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What about your energy provider?

When moving—whether or not you are putting your home up for rent—it is often time to look at your electricity contract. To maximize your rental yield, it is best to choose an energy plan that suits your needs.

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Offers and reviews for Total Direct Énergie, Engie, ekWateur, and more.

If you plan to rent out your home, it is a good idea to choose an electricity contract specifically for that property. For example, consider a time-of-use plan, which is ideal for vacation rentals. You could also choose a smart plan to monitor your rental property's consumption in real time. Since the quality of electricity does not vary between providers, you should visit specialized forums like those of UFC Que Choisir or 60 Millions de Consommateurs to read customer reviews for Total Direct Énergie, EDF, and others. By doing this, you will get a clear idea of the quality of service offered by the various providers.

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Changing the name on your EDF, Eni, or Enercoop contract

When a home you are putting up for rent was previously occupied by several people, it is common to change the name on the electricity contract. For a rental property, it is best to have the electricity contract in the name of the person receiving the rental income. In the case of a vacation rental, there is no change of tenant. Instead, it is up to the owner to change the name on the bill. This might be done to centralize the property's income and expenses into a single account, or during a change of contract holder following a separation, for example.

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Don't forget to change your address

Before renting out your home, you must ensure that your personal mail will be forwarded to you. Although people move frequently (about 4 times in their lifetime, excluding their student years), changing one's address is still a daunting task. However, it is a quick and simple process that can be done from home.

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Setting up mail forwarding

To ensure that all your mail is delivered to your new home rather than to your rental property, you can pay for mail forwarding services at the post office. For a fee, you can take advantage of mail redirection for a set period of time:

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Update your address in one click

To speed up the process of renting out your former home, you can notify several organizations (private companies, local authorities, etc.) of your change of address at the same time, free of charge. This allows you to notify:

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• The National Tax Center
• The SIV for vehicle registration
• The Employment Office

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Find the complete list of organizations you can contact through this service by following this link. Once these steps are completed, renting out your home on a short- or medium-term basis becomes extremely simple and fast. It’s time to get started.