Can I ask French police to check on my home when away in winter?

Reader Question: We are going to the UK over Christmas for several weeks to see family. I know that police officers can check on homes when you are away in summer but is this is extended to winter as well?

French police and gendarmes can check on your home while you are away, although there are some variations in the policy depending on the property type and officers carrying out the task.

Under the umbrella of operation tranquillité vacances, officers can check on empty houses at the request of owners. The service is free for all property owners.

They carry out inspections from the outside, checking for any signs of forced entry, property damage, burglary, etc.

If any suspicious activity is recorded, officers will contact you through the information provided. They will not give regular updates and will only send a message in case of abnormalities.

Requests to sign up for the service are made in one of two ways: 

• A visit to your nearest police station or gendarmerie

• Through the online portal

For the latter, you will need to log in using FranceConnect, an online login system used for many official public services.

Requests can be made between 45 and three days before leaving in the case of local police or the day before in the case of gendarmerie.

You need to provide proof of identity and address to make the request, and let the authorities know the dates you will be away.

You will be provided with a récépissé confirming you have made the request. 

If your plans change before leaving – for example, your holiday dates change – you need to cancel your old demand and make a new request. You will need to do this in person at the station.

The checks are intended as an extra layer of protection, and police still recommend conducting safety measures to minimise the risk of your property being burgled.

This includes ensuring all windows, doors, gates, etc are fully locked and closed, asking neighbours to collect your post for you, and keeping valuables out of plain sight.

There have previously been reports of scams related to the service, with fraudsters knocking on doors and asking homeowners if they want to sign up. 

Police will not come to your door to do this, and anyone doing so is likely to be looking to see when you are away to make it easier for them to break-in. 

Can requests be made in winter?

While the service tends to be publicised more in summer, there is in most areas no limit on when you can make a request for the system, as homeowners of course go on holiday all year round.

However, the rules vary depending on whether your area is covered by the 'police nationale' or the gendarmerie (the latter being common in rural areas). 

Officers under the umbrella of the national police can carry out the service for a period of three months, and will only check on main homes. They often also work in partnership with the municipal police on this. 

However, gendarmes can conduct house-watching operations for up to a year, for not only main homes but also secondary residences, allowing those away for much of the year to benefit. 

You must make the request to your closest station, meaning that it may not always be possible to ensure a second home is checked.