diff --git a/utils/check_repo.py b/utils/check_repo.py
index 99132ab02..b23eb1323 100644
--- a/utils/check_repo.py
+++ b/utils/check_repo.py
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ def get_model_doc_files():
 def find_tested_models(test_file):
     """ Parse the content of test_file to detect what's in all_model_classes"""
     # This is a bit hacky but I didn't find a way to import the test_file as a module and read inside the class
-    with open(os.path.join(PATH_TO_TESTS, test_file)) as f:
+    with open(os.path.join(PATH_TO_TESTS, test_file), "r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
         content = f.read()
     all_models = re.findall(r"all_model_classes\s+=\s+\(\s*\(([^\)]*)\)", content)
     # Check with one less parenthesis
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ def check_all_models_are_tested():
 
 def find_documented_classes(doc_file):
     """ Parse the content of doc_file to detect which classes it documents"""
-    with open(os.path.join(PATH_TO_DOC, doc_file)) as f:
+    with open(os.path.join(PATH_TO_DOC, doc_file), "r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
         content = f.read()
     return re.findall(r"autoclass:: transformers.(\S+)\s+", content)