In France, it is more common than in many other countries to rent rather than to buy your home.
Around 43% of homes are rented, with 25% of them being private and 18% under the umbrella of social housing, according to the latest figures from the ministry of housing.
We look at some key questions to guide new and existing tenants through the process of renting private accommodation in France.
Do estate agents offer rental properties? Are there high fees?
Going to an estate agent should be one of your first ports of call when looking for a rental property.
It is common for agents to rent properties as well as sell them, and if they do not have a rental section, they will point you to a local agency that does, with many local and national agencies working in cooperation with each other.
Estate agent fees in France are relatively high but since September 2014 have been limited by laws surrounding them.
These fees cover the services involved in visiting the property, compiling the rental file, drafting the lease and moving in.
They apply to both furnished and unfurnished lettings.
The breakdown of agency fees paid by tenants across France are as follows:
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Area in very high demand: €12/m² for Paris and 68 surrounding areas
Area in demand: €10/m² for 1,149 towns in 28 urban conglomerations (Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse, etc.)
Area not in demand: €8/m² for the rest of the country
Any further fees must be paid for by the landlord.
What other ways can you find properties for rental in France?
Rental websites are an alternative solution, for example: SeLoger, LeBonCoin, ParuVendu, Logic-Immo, Bien’Ici, Ouest France Immo.
On these sites, as well as finding agency properties, you can also come across particuliers (private landlords) who are renting independently.
This is usually a cheaper option, however you should be aware of scammers.
Never transfer money before visiting a property in person.
Laws to limit the number of properties used for holiday rentals have aimed to increase the amount of long-term housing available, particularly in popular urban areas.
You will be required to provide a dossier de location (renters file) that landlords will assess to select their tenant. Documents can include:
A pièce d'identité (photo ID), such as a passport, ID card, driving licence, French visa or residency card
A justificatif de domicile (proof of address) in the form of three recent quittances de loyer (proof of rental payment). If this is your first time renting in France, you can also provide an attestation sur l'honneur (sworn statement) that you live at your current address
A justificatif de situation professionnelle (proof of employment), such as a work contract, a letter from your employer, a student card or school certificate
At least one justificatif de ressources (proof of earnings), such as three recent pay slips (this makes up one justificatif), retirement or pension payments, or an income tax statement
You must also provide the same details as above for a garant (guarantor).
This is someone who vows to make rent payments or pay for damages if the tenant is unable to do so.
Guarantors are generally expected to earn three times the amount of monthly rent charges. They can be parents, partners, friends, banks or housing organisations such as Action logement.
From personal experience, landlords usually prefer guarantors to be based in France.
In some situations, such as for young renters under the age of 30 or some non-French people who move to France for work, schemes such as the government’s ‘Visale’ programme can be used in lieu of a traditional guarantor.
It is a good idea to prepare these physical documents before visiting a property so they can be handed over directly if you are interested in renting.
What are the differences between a furnished and unfurnished rental?
Contracts are broadly divided into loué vide/non-meublé (unfurnished rental) or meublé (furnished).
A furnished property must offer at least:
Bed and mattress with duvet or blanket
Shutters or curtains in bedrooms
Hotplates or hobs
Oven or microwave
Fridge
Freezer or fridge freezer compartment with a maximum temperature of -6°C
Sufficient crockery for occupants to eat their meals
Kitchen utensils
Table
Seating
Storage shelves
Lighting
Household cleaning equipment (hoover for carpets, broom and mop for tiled floors, etc.).
In general, most people look for loué vide rentals, as loué meublé contracts are usually designed for short-term rentals and can be more expensive.
Long-term home contracts are typically based on a rental for three years at a fixed price, however shorter-term contracts that renew annually (or even shorter) can be found.
These long-term contracts help to protect tenants from eviction, however tenants can end a lease before its term as long as the notice period is respected.
Rules about what the contract should contain change frequently – rented housing is one area where French governments often intervene.
How much rent should you expect to pay?
French people dedicate almost half, if not more, of their monthly budget to housing, according to a report published by Statista in July 2024.
Rent prices differ depending on where in France you are looking for accommodation and if this area is in high demand.
Renting a flat in Paris costs on average twice as much as in Rennes.
The French government partnered with SeLoger and LeBonCoin to create an interactive carte des loyers (rent map) project in 2022.
It is a transparent method of calculating average rent prices across the country. You can judge whether you are paying a fair price for your rental house or apartment.
This table indicates the average 2024 rent prices per m² charges comprises (including additional rental charges to be paid by tenants, such as: energy costs, household waste collection tax, repairing communal facilities), in the following major urban areas:
Landlords can ask tenants to refund certain rental taxes, excluding any additional management costs, for the following:
Household waste collection tax (TEOM)
Sanitation charge for the collection, evacuation and treatment of wastewater or sewage
Sweeping tax to cover the costs of cleaning surrounding roads and pavements
In this case, the owner should send a detailed account of the rental taxes and the breakdown between all other tenants if living in an apartment building or en colocation (with housemates).
Landlords can also include monthly payments for the following reasons:
If your accommodation has an elevator
To pay for water usage and collective heating
For the upkeep of communal areas
For the upkeep of outside spaces
These charges are usually paid at the same time as rent is, however there are different systems depending on your rental contract and type of accommodation. Find more information here.
Additional independent charges such as electricity, internet connection or TV are usually set-up and paid for by the tenant.
What is included in a rental contract in France?
Rental agreements in France span multiple pages and contain wreathes of information – the latest rules for renting an unfurnished home were set in 2023.
As well as the name and address of the owner, or their agents, the tenant’s details and the length of the rental period, the contract must contain:
Details of what the housing can be used for, e.g. domestic purposes only (bail d’habitation), or domestic and professional purposes (bail mixte). Note that general ‘home working’ i.e on a laptop for an officer worker typically poses no issue; it would be more likely to come up where you were receiving clients at home, stocking merchandise, or using machinery, etc
A description of the housing and its equipment, both private and communal if it is a flat or, in some cases, a house on an estate. Many flats, for example, have collective central heating
A description of work done, if any, since it was last rented out or a contract was renewed
Information on the habitable surface of the home. This is needed to protect the owner from claims for a lower rent
The contract must also contain details of the rent.
These vary depending on location – certain cities such as Paris, Lille, Lyon, Montpellier and Bordeaux need added details because of rent controls.
All contracts must state:
The amount to be paid, how often (usually monthly), and the rules for rent revisions, if any, during the contract
The rent paid by the last tenant, if they left within the past 18 months
Who will pay for utilities such as electricity, water, telecoms and other charges – in flats, there are often charges related to common areas
The amount of the dépot de garantie (deposit). Deposits for unfurnished flats usually amount to one month of rent. Deposits for furnished accommodation cannot be more than two months of rent
An estimate of the annual cost to heat the home, and details of the year used to estimate the energy costs
If an agency is managing the letting, the contract must say if the agency fees are shared between the tenant and landlord, and the maximum the tenant can be asked to pay.
Documents in the annex should include an agreed état des lieux d’entrée (state of the property at the start) to which will be added an agreed état des lieux de sortie (state of the property at the end of the contract) and also a description of how a TV and computer can be connected.
If the owner applies grille de vétusté, for routine maintenance, the tenant must have a copy.
This sets out what the ‘natural wear and tear’ is expected to be on the property and its contents, and can be used to assess if the tenant has looked after it appropriately.
A further clause must set out how the owner can reclaim the property if the tenant does not pay the deposit, or the rent.
Are rental properties required to have technical checks to ensure safety?
Technical annexes relating to the property should also be included in a rental contract, featuring:
An up-to-date diagnostic de performance énérgetique (DPE) certificate, featuring an alphabetised energy rating, with A being the most energy-efficient. From January 1 2025, properties with a G rating on the DPE cannot be used for new lettings (existing tenancies of properties at this level can continue up to the point of the contract renewal).
A constat de risque d’exposition au plomb (lead risk document)
An electrical certificate if the electricity system is older than 15 years
A gas certificate if the home is connected to the gas network and the system is older than 15 years
An outline of natural risks including from mines or earthquakes
A noise risk outline if the home is in a commune declared to be noisy
A further diagnostic aminate (asbestos) certificate has been voted for by parliament, but successive governments have failed to enact this. Some landlords include it as a precaution.
These technical documents are usually provided by specialists and do not have to be present when the contract is signed, as long as they are sent to the tenant later by registered post if the tenant agrees.
Tenants must take out household insurance, but the landlord cannot demand a contract signed with a specific insurer.
The cost of home insurance varies greatly depending on the type of property, its location and its features.
This table indicates the average annual price of basic home insurance in 2023, based on data by lecomparateurassurance.com.
Tenants’ insurance policies must include ‘risques locatifs’, relating to e.g. fire or water damage, however this does not cover your personal possessions.
Additional insurance known as comprehensive home insurance must be taken out if you want a more extensive range of cover, including protection of personal belongings.
If the tenant does not insure the property, the landlord may decide to terminate the lease or take out insurance on the tenant's behalf, to be reimbursed.
Can landlords increase rent unexpectedly?
The owner (or estate agent) of a rental property may increase the rent during the term of the lease in two cases:
If the contract contains a clause stating that the rent may be revised once a year (annual revision). If the contract does not contain such a clause, the rent cannot change.
If the landlord carries out improvement work that adds value to the rented property. This includes new equipment or services that are superior to the existing ones, or changed maintenance leading to an increase in operating costs, making the building and its occupants safer.
Can landlords end rental contracts unexpectedly?
Landlords can generally only give eviction notice to a tenant when a lease expires, as recorded in the rental contract.
This can only be done under three circumstances:
To sell the property,
To move in to the property or to house a relative,
For a ‘legitimate and serious reason’ (particularly if the tenant is at fault).
Note that some rental contracts will allow the landlord to end the tenancy after giving the tenant a specified notice period, without needing a specific reason.
How are rental contracts extended or ended in France?
After three years of long-term home rental, the contract can be extended sur proposition du propriétaire (usually with a rent increase) or automatically for the same rent.
Alternatively, if a tenant wants to end the lease, this should be sent to the landlord by:
A lettre recommandée (official letter) with an acknowledgement of reception,
A document drawn up by a judicial commissioner,
A personally-delivered letter with a signature or signed receipt.
Tenants usually have to give three months notice, however only one month is required if staying in a zone tendue (an area in high-demand), which can be verified via this government simulator.
Again, the rules may be slightly different on both the landlord’s and tenant’s end (such as a one month notice period), however this must be stipulated in the rental contract.
You can leave your home without notice if it is in a dangerous or unfit condition. You must inform the landlord or estate agent of the problems and shown you have taken steps to enforce repairs before doing so, however.
When should my deposit be returned and can it be withheld?
If you decide to end a rental contract, the landlord must return your deposit within two months from the exit date, unless money is withheld due to damages.
Returning a deposit cannot be refused due to ‘natural wear and tear,’ and the landlord must justify damage claims with receipts or documentation.
Tenants cannot rely on their deposit as payment for the final month(s) of rent.
Note that unlike in other countries (such as the UK and Australia), deposits do not need to be held in a government-backed deposit protection scheme.
What should renters be aware of in France?
There are three broad clauses that used to be common in rental agreements but are now banned:
Owners saying they will accept payments only by standing order
Clauses stopping the tenant from having other people staying with them
Clauses imposing compensation payments if the tenant decides to legally end the contract early
Renters should also be aware of:
The existence of a thriving black market in rental agreements in some parts of France, outside all legal agreements, with obvious risks
The trêve hivernale (winter break), which stops landlords evicting tenants who are behind with their rent between November 1 and March 31 each year
The household waste collection tax (TEOM), which can be recovered by landlords from tenants as of right, with the exception of management costs. This tax is one of several charges that landlords can recover from their tenants
