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Renting in France in 2026 – leases, deposits, rent control cities and housing aid

Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →

Renting in France is tightly regulated: the law caps deposits, agency fees and, in some cities, the rent itself. Here is what applies in 2026 – from new model leases on 1 October to the rent control deadline in November and the housing aid cut for some students.

Woman on a wrought-iron balcony overlooking Paris apartment buildings
Photo: AboutLife/Adobe Stock

Renting in France in 2026 comes with three dates to watch. Since 1 July, non-EU students on a student permit get APL (housing aid) only with a needs-based grant, a job or an apprenticeship contract. From 1 October, new model leases apply. And rent control in cities such as Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux ends on 25 November 2026 unless extended. Rules are national unless a city is named.

Which lease will you sign when renting in France?

LeaseLengthMaximum depositYour notice
UnfurnishedAt least 3 years with an individual landlord1 month's rent excluding charges3 months; 1 month in a zone tendue (high-demand area) or in specific cases
Furnished (meublé)At least 1 year; 9 months for a student2 months' rent excluding charges1 month
Bail mobilitéFurnished, 1 to 10 months, not renewable; for students, trainees, interns and people on a job transfer or temporary assignmentNone allowed1 month

Source: Service-Public, read 23 September 2026.

The shorter notice for a first job, job transfer, job loss or social housing offer applies only if you state and prove the reason in your letter. A landlord can end the lease only at its expiry, with at least 6 months' notice, or 3 months if furnished. For Anna, on a short job transfer to Bordeaux, a bail mobilité fits: no deposit.

From 1 October 2026, new model leases include a clause ending the lease for unpaid rent, charges or deposit – effective only after a payment order goes unanswered for 6 weeks. Since 2025, a home rated G on the DPE (energy performance certificate) cannot be let under a new or renewed lease; from 2028, only A to E qualify.

How much can a landlord or agency charge you?

A landlord may ask only for documents on an official list – identity (foreign ID or residence permit accepted), address, job and income – or risk a fine of up to €3,000 (€15,000 for a company). No money may be demanded before signing. DossierFacile, a free State service, helps you share a compliant file.

CostLegal limit
Deposit (dépôt de garantie)1 month's rent unfurnished, 2 months furnished, excluding charges
Deposit returnedWithin 1 month if the check-out inventory matches the check-in one, otherwise 2 months; if late, 10 per cent of the monthly rent per month started
Agency fees for visits, file and lease€12.10 per m² in a zone très tendue, €10.09 in a zone tendue, €8.07 elsewhere – never more than half of the agency's fees
Agency fee for the check-in inventoryAt most €3.03 per m²

Source: Service-Public, read 23 September 2026.

Scam warning signs: a very low price, photos used in other ads, a landlord who will not meet you, or requests for money or ID too early. Report fake ads through THESEE. With no guarantor, try Visale, a free guarantee from Action Logement for tenants aged 17 years and 10 months to under 30 and some older employees on fixed-term or temporary contracts.

Which French cities have rent control, and until when?

Encadrement des loyers (rent control) caps the rent itself against a reference rent. Besides the places below, it covers Est Ensemble and Plaine Commune in Seine-Saint-Denis, and Lille-Hellemmes-Lomme. A landlord who breaks it risks a fine of up to €5,000, or €15,000 for a company.

CityRent control sinceLocal detail
ParisJuly 2019All leases since 1 July 2019, including furnished lets and bail mobilité; report overcharging to the City of Paris with a Mon Paris account
Lyon and VilleurbanneNovember 2021Report breaches to the préfecture (prefecture)
Bordeaux15 July 2022On the national list
MontpellierJuly 2022On the national list
Pays Basque agglomeration25 November 2024On the national list
Part of Grenoble-Alpes Métropole20 January 2025On the national list
MarseilleNot coveredThe launch depends on a ministerial decree

Source: Service-Public, ANIL, Ville de Paris, Ville de Lyon and Ville de Marseille, read 23 September 2026.

Rent control is an experiment that runs until 25 November 2026, and current reference-rent orders end on 24 November. As of 23 September 2026, no extension had been adopted: two private members' bills have only been referred to committee, and the Senate's text of the Government housing bill, adopted on 8 July 2026, has no rent control provision. Paris applies its 2026 order pending a Government bill; on 11 September, mayors of about ten large cities demanded that it be made permanent – a political demand, not law.

Elsewhere in a zone tendue, only increases are capped, under a decree of 20 July 2026 for leases concluded from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027. During a lease, rent can rise once a year only under a revision clause, by no more than the IRL (rent reference index) – up 1.15 per cent over the year to the second quarter of 2026, according to INSEE – and not at all for homes rated F or G under leases signed or renewed since 24 August 2022.

Can you get housing aid (APL) or social housing?

Foreign nationals with a valid residence permit can receive APL, handled by the CAF (family allowance fund). Housing aid should rise by 1.15 per cent on 1 October 2026, unless the government decides otherwise. The CAF's line is 32 30, weekdays 9:00–16:00; students call 0 969 32 52 52.

HLM (social housing) applications go online, by post or to a counter, with a valid residence permit; in Paris, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need only an ID card or passport, and the City scores applications with points. Renew it within 11 months or it lapses.

Household, 2026 application (standard PLUS housing)Income ceiling (2024 income)
1 person, Paris and the rest of Île-de-France€34,996
1 person, rest of mainland France€30,424
2 people, Paris€52,303

Source: Service-Public, read 23 September 2026.

In Marseille, apply online or at the Maison métropolitaine de l'habitat, 19 rue de la République, 13002 Marseille (04 95 09 58 58). Everywhere, the winter truce means no tenant can be evicted from 1 November to 31 March, save narrow exceptions.

What should you know before buying a home in France?

Existing-home prices fell 0.8 per cent in the year to the second quarter of 2026, according to INSEE; Paris flats rose 0.6 per cent.

RuleWhat applies
Mortgage offerValid at least 30 days; 10 days to reflect before accepting
Borrowing limitsRepayments up to 35 per cent of income; loans generally up to 25 years
Maximum fixed rates from 1 July 20264.07 per cent under 10 years, 4.57 per cent for 10 to 20 years, 5.29 per cent for 20 years or more
PTZ (zero-interest loan)First-time buyers with no main home owned in the previous 2 years; income ceiling €49,000 for 1 person in zone A or A bis
Notary feesRegulated emoluments (3.870 per cent up to €6,500, falling to 0.799 per cent above €60,000) plus 20 per cent VAT, then fees and taxes
Property taxOwners pay taxe foncière, due by 15 October in 2026 (20 October online)

Source: Service-Public, the Banque de France and INSEE, read 23 September 2026.

A local option: in Lyon, the City promotes the bail réel solidaire – you buy the home but lease the land, cutting the price by 20 to 40 per cent.

What to do now

StepWhatWhen
1Build a rental file, or use DossierFacileBefore visits
2Pay nothing before the lease is signedThroughout your search
3Check whether your city has rent controlBefore you sign; it ends on 25 November 2026 unless extended
4Take out home insurance and give the certificate to your landlordWhen you receive the keys
5Apply for APL through the CAFAs soon as you have a lease
6Keep the check-in inventoryUntil your deposit is back

Source: Service-Public, read 23 September 2026.

Official sources

The official pages this guide is based on, read 23 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.

Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.