What: a file (paper or digital) that gathers the plans, materials, equipment and works of a French home. Since when: 1 January 2023 (loi Climat et Résilience, articles L. 126-35-2 and following of the French building code, the CCH). Who is covered: new homes (permit filed since 2023) and renovated homes where the works significantly affect energy performance. Who creates it: the owner, using the information the professionals must provide. When to hand it over: at the latest when the deed of sale is signed, for every transfer of ownership. Jump to the free template generator ↓
What is the carnet d'information du logement?
The carnet d'information du logement (CIL) was created by article 167 of the French Climate and Resilience law of 22 August 2021, and detailed by decree n° 2022-1674 and the order of 27 December 2022. It is codified in articles L. 126-35-2 to L. 126-35-11 of the French building code (CCH).
Its purpose: to gather the information useful for improving a home's energy performance and to pass it from owner to owner. In practice, it is the file that answers the questions every occupant ends up asking: where do the pipes and cables run? Which insulation was installed in the loft, and how thick is it? Which boiler, installed when, serviced how?
The CIL succeeds the earlier "carnet numérique du logement" imagined by French energy laws in 2015 and 2018, which never came into force. The 2023 version is simpler: the format is free, paper or digital, and no approved operator is imposed.
Which homes are covered?
The obligation applies since 1 January 2023 in two cases:
- New builds: any home (house or flat) whose building permit or prior declaration was filed from 1 January 2023. See our guide CIL and new builds.
- Significant renovation: any existing home undergoing works with a significant impact on energy performance: insulating walls, roofs or ground floors, replacing windows and doors, changing the heating or hot-water system, or installing ventilation when it is associated with a heating or cooling system. The precise list is set by decree: see which works trigger the CIL.
An older home with no energy works is not subject to the obligation. Nothing prevents you, and everything encourages you, to build one voluntarily: it is a documentary asset at resale.
What must the CIL contain?
The contents differ depending on whether the logbook is created at construction or on the occasion of works. The full detail is in our article CIL contents: the exact list; in short:
| Situation | Mandatory elements |
|---|---|
| New build | Surface plans and cross-sections with the networks (water, electricity, gas, ventilation); description of the thermal insulation materials (nature, characteristics, surfaces); operating, maintenance and servicing instructions for the heating, cooling, ventilation and hot-water systems. |
| Renovation works | For each batch of works with an energy impact: documents describing the nature of the works, the characteristics of the installed materials and equipment, and the associated instructions. |
| In all cases | Documents attesting the home's energy performance (DPE, energy audit where applicable) and allowing its evolution to be tracked, plus, where required, the attestation of compliance with thermal regulations and any energy performance labels or certifications. |
An official template is published by the French ministry for ecological transition; using it is not mandatory. Our free generator below follows the same structure.
Who creates and updates the logbook?
The owner creates the CIL and keeps it current. Not the notaire, not the estate agent, not the tradesperson. Professionals, however, are legally required to hand over the necessary elements at the latest at acceptance of the works (or at delivery of the home if you are not the project owner, as in a VEFA off-plan purchase): the builder for a new home, each company for renovation works. The detailed breakdown: who does what on the CIL.
In a copropriété, the CIL covers your private lot; it coexists with the building's carnet d'entretien kept by the syndic (our copropriété guide).
Note: the CIL is not required for renting out. A landlord's documentary obligations are of a different nature (CIL and rentals).
CIL and selling: the hand-over to the buyer
This is where the logbook becomes concrete. For any transfer of the home (sale, gift), the owner passes the CIL to the new owner at the latest on the date the deed of sale is signed. The logbook is handed over as it stands at the time of the transfer, and the buyer acknowledges receipt in the deed; the notaire will therefore ask for it.
Well prepared, the CIL works in the seller's favour: it documents the works, justifies a price, and reassures about maintenance. Our dedicated guide: CIL and selling French property.
What do you risk without a CIL?
Let us be precise: French law provides no fine and no specific administrative sanction. But the absence of a logbook is not neutral either:
- the deed of sale must record the hand-over: a missing CIL shows up at the notaire's office and can delay or complicate the signing;
- a failure to disclose elements known to the seller can feed a civil claim (failure to inform, or even fraudulent concealment);
- an incomplete file is a negotiation lever handed to the buyer.
Full analysis: no CIL: what are the real risks?
Free CIL template generator
Fill in the sections below and download your carnet d'information du logement as a PDF (via your browser's print dialog). No data is sent to any server: everything stays in your browser. The generated document is written in French, since it will be handed to French parties (notaire, buyer).
Import a quote or an invoice as a PDF: the Relai Confiance logbook reads the document, extracts the date, company, nature of the works and amount, and updates your CIL. One-click PDF export for the notaire.