Expense claims and furnished accommodation: what your company can cover

The trip is approved, the assignment starts on Monday, and the question comes up: "Can I take an apartment rather than a hotel, and how do I put it on my expense claim?" The answer comes down to a few simple rules. This article describes general practice; your company's policy and the advice of your accounts department take precedence.

The principle

Accommodation costs incurred on a business trip are covered by the employer, either at actual cost against a receipt or as a flat-rate allowance. Nothing requires the accommodation to be a hotel: a furnished rental invoiced properly is a valid receipt, just like a hotel invoice.

What the invoice must show

For an accommodation invoice to go through without back-and-forth with accounts, it must include:

• the landlord's name and address (in our case: SAS Boost Loc Pro, with its RCS company registration number);
• the company name and, if possible, the name of the employee on assignment;
• the arrival and departure dates, and the property concerned;
• the amount of the stay, with the tourist tax shown separately;
• the VAT mention applicable to the landlord.

That is exactly the format of the invoices we issue for business stays.

Actual cost or flat rate

There are two cases, depending on your company:

1. Reimbursement at actual cost: you pay upfront or the company pays directly, the invoice is attached to the expense claim, and the amount is refunded in full within the limits of the internal policy.
2. Flat-rate allowance: a daily amount is paid whatever the accommodation. In that case, an apartment by the week or the month, especially shared between two, often leaves a margin compared with the allowance.

Direct invoicing to the company

For long assignments, the simplest option is direct invoicing: the company places the order, receives a quote, then an invoice to be paid by bank transfer. The employee pays nothing upfront. We do this regularly for assignments in Bagnols-sur-Cèze and Nîmes; the form on the business page asks for the company name and the budget precisely so we can prepare this document.

Time-saving tips

• Ask for a pro forma invoice before arrival if your purchasing department needs to set up a new supplier.
• Let us know if the stay is extended: we issue an amendment rather than a second invoice.
• One property, one invoice: if two colleagues share a two-bedroom apartment, we can invoice the company in one go or each person separately, according to the internal rule.

For an assignment in the Gard, Le Patio de la Cèze in Bagnols, and Le Saint Julien and La Loggia d'Uzès in Uzès, are designed for these stays.