Senior services residences law in France

A form of housing regulated by law

The senior services residence (in French, Residence Services Seniors or RSS) is a regulated form of housing, defined by the French Code de la construction et de l'habitation (the French construction and housing code). It combines private apartments, intended for independent older people, with a set of shared collective services used by all residents.

This status guarantees residents a secure setting while fully preserving their independence: each person lives at home, in their own apartment, and chooses the services they wish to use.

Mandatory shared services

Certain services, known as non-individualisable, are mandatory and shared by all residents. Their content is set out by French decree no.2016-1737 of 14 December 2016, adopted under the ASV law (loi relative a l'adaptation de la societe au vieillissement) — law no.2015-1776 of 28 December 2015 on adapting society to ageing.

These mandatory shared services include, in particular:

• A permanent, personalised welcome for residents and their visitors.
• Dedicated staff on site, supported by suitable safety arrangements.
• Free access to the residence's communal spaces.

The Residents' Council

To involve residents in the life of their residence, a Residents' Council (in French, Conseil de residents) meets regularly, in accordance with article L.631-14 of the Code de la construction et de l'habitation. It provides a forum for dialogue between residents and management.

A la carte individualisable services

On top of shared services, every resident may subscribe to individualisable services, freely chosen according to their needs and wishes. These include:

• Catering, offered 365 days a year.
• Laundry and linen care.
• Personal services such as home help and housekeeping.

The status of OBEO residences

OBEO residences fall under paragraph 6 of section I of article L312-1 of the Code de l'action sociale et des familles (the French social action and families code). Residency is formalised through an open-ended residency contract (in French, contrat de sejour a duree indeterminee), which secures the resident's stay over the long term.

In addition, our personal services activity is declared and authorised by the Conseil Departemental (the French departmental council), in accordance with French decree no.2016-502 of 22 April 2016. This authorisation guarantees the quality and compliance of the services offered to our residents.