New regulations that have entered into force in January 2025 imposes strict rules on the maintenance of land around homes. And your risk of strong fines if you do not perform a very important cleaning.
Whether you are the owner or tenant of a accommodation with a garden, you could soon face a fine of 1500 euros if you do not comply with certain maintenance obligations of your land. Coming into force on January 1, 2025, the new regulations require residents residing near wooded areas or exposed to the risk of fire browning their land. This measure, detailed in the decree of April 29, 2024, aims to prevent forest fires, which multiply with global warming and droughts more and more frequent.
This obligation, provided for in article L.134-6 of the forest code, concerns the owners, but also, in some cases, the tenants. If you live less than 200 meters in forests, moors, maquis or garrigues classified at risk, it is compulsory to brush an area of 50 meters around your home. This distance can be increased to 100 meters per decision of the town hall or the prefecture. Brushwood must include the elimination of the most flammable plants, such as dry herbs, dead branches and too dense shrubs, to create a fire protection area.
Failure to comply with these obligations may result in significant financial sanctions. The basic fine is 1,500 euros, but it can be followed by an administrative fine of 50 euros per square meter not cleared after a formal notice from the town hall. These measures are intended to strengthen security in particularly exposed regions, such as Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Occitania, Corsica and certain parts of New Aquitaine. In addition, in the event of a fire, insurance companies can increase the “fire” deductible up to 5,000 euros.
The consequences can be even more serious if a fire declares itself from an unprouted land and cause damages to neighboring properties. In this case, in accordance with article L.134-8 of the forest code, the owner risks a fine of up to 15,000 euros, as well as a prison sentence. For tenants, responsibility depends on the clauses of the lease. If the bond in brushcutting is expressly indicated, it is the responsibility of them. However, in the absence of a clear mention, it is the owner who remains legally responsible.
The best time to carry out this work is during the fall or winter, as advised by the Ministry responsible for Forests. The plants are then easier to cut, because they have lost their leaves, and that does not interfere with the reproduction cycles of fauna and flora, which take place in the spring. If you are not sure that your land is concerned by this legal deck of brushcutting, the georisques.gouv.fr site offers an interactive card to check the zoning of risks.