The complete landlord's guide
Obligations, surveys, leases, inventory, IRL rent review, deposit, charges, arrears and notice: everything a landlord in France needs to know in 2026, explained simply.
The foundation
The landlord's obligations
The law of 6 July 1989 governs relations between landlord and tenant and sets out the rights and duties of each party. Four obligations shape the landlord's role.
Let decent housing
Living space of at least 9 m² (or 20 m³), no risks to health or safety, essential equipment in working order. Since 2025, homes rated G on the energy performance certificate (DPE) have been progressively banned from letting; F-rated homes will follow in 2028 and E-rated homes in 2034.
Provide the mandatory documents
A compliant written lease, the technical survey file appended, an information notice, the inventory and, in a co-owned building, extracts from the co-ownership rules. A rent receipt is free of charge and mandatory whenever the tenant asks for one.
Maintain and repair
The landlord bears all repairs other than tenant repairs: major equipment, wear and tear, compliance upgrades. The tenant is responsible for routine upkeep and minor repairs, listed by decree.
Guarantee quiet enjoyment
The landlord may not enter the dwelling without the tenant's consent, must protect the tenant against legal disturbances and must respect the occupant's privacy throughout the lease.
Before letting
The mandatory surveys
The technical survey file (DDT) is appended to the lease. A missing survey exposes the landlord to claims by the tenant.
| Survey | Applies to | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| DPE (energy performance certificate) | Every letting | 10 years |
| ERP (statement of risks and pollution) | Risk areas | 6 months |
| CREP (lead) | Dwelling built before 1949 | 6 years (1 year if positive) |
| Electricity | Installation more than 15 years old | 6 years |
| Gas | Installation more than 15 years old | 6 years |
| Airport noise | Noise exposure zones | Unlimited |
The contract
Choosing the right type of lease
The term, the notice period and the deposit differ from one lease to another. The choice depends on the property, the tenant you are targeting and your strategy.
Unfurnished lease
Unfurnished letting as a main residence. Tacitly renewable for 3 years. Tenant's notice period of 3 months (1 month in high-demand areas).
Furnished lease
Furnished letting with the 11 mandatory minimum items of equipment. Tacitly renewable for 1 year. Tenant's notice period of 1 month.
Student lease
Furnished only, for students with proof of enrolment. Not tacitly renewable.
Mobility lease
Furnished, for training, higher education, an internship, a temporary assignment or a job transfer. No deposit, not renewable.
Civil Code lease
Outside the law of 6 July 1989: second homes, staff accommodation, seasonal lettings.
Protecting both parties
The inventory, the key document
Without a precise check-in inventory, it is impossible to justify a deduction from the deposit at check-out.
Preparation
Every room, item of equipment and meter is checked. Dated, annotated photographs and precise readings.
Joint drafting
The document is drawn up in the presence of the landlord (or the landlord's agent) and the tenant, then signed by both parties. It may be supplemented within 10 days for anything overlooked.
Check-in / check-out comparison
At check-out, the comparison with the check-in inventory determines any deductions from the deposit, with supporting evidence, taking normal wear and tear into account.
The rent
Setting the rent, IRL review and rent control
The annual IRL review
If the lease contains a review clause, the rent is reviewed once a year, on the date set out in the contract, in line with the rent reference index (IRL) published by INSEE.
New rent = current rent × (IRL for the reference quarter ÷ IRL for the same quarter a year earlier)
For reference: in the 2nd quarter of 2026, the IRL stood at 148.37, up 1.15% over one year. A review not applied during the year is lost: it cannot be recovered retroactively.
Rent control
In several urban areas (notably Paris, Lille, Lyon and Villeurbanne, Montpellier, Bordeaux, the Basque Country, Plaine Commune and Est Ensemble), the rent under a new lease is capped by an upper reference rent, set each year by prefectoral order.
A rent supplement remains possible for exceptional features, which must be precisely justified in the lease. Always check the applicable cap before setting the rent of a property located in a rent-controlled area.
On arrival
The deposit
| Type of letting | Maximum amount | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Unfurnished letting | 1 month's rent excluding charges at most | Within 1 month if the check-out inventory matches, 2 months if deductions are made |
| Furnished letting | 2 months' rent excluding charges at most | Within 1 month if the check-out inventory matches, 2 months if deductions are made |
Every year
Recoverable charges and annual adjustment
The tenant reimburses the landlord for the recoverable charges, the list of which is set by the decree of 26 August 1987: upkeep of the common areas, lift, water, household waste collection tax, minor collective repairs.
In practice, the lease provides for monthly provisions, adjusted each year: the landlord compares the provisions collected with the actual charges, with supporting evidence, and claims or refunds the difference. One month before the adjustment, the breakdown by type of charge must be sent to the tenant.
In a furnished letting, a flat-rate charge is possible: no additional amount may then be claimed, whatever the actual expenditure.
Planning ahead
Arrears: act quickly and in the right order
The best protection remains a tenant file rigorously checked at the outset, supplemented if necessary by rent guarantee insurance.
Amicable reminder
From the first late payment: a reminder by telephone, then in writing. Most situations are resolved at this stage, preserving the relationship with the tenant.
Formal notice and order to pay
Without settlement, a formal notice followed by an order to pay served by a judicial officer (commissaire de justice) opens the statutory 6-week period to settle.
Termination clause and proceedings
If the arrears persist, the termination clause in the lease allows the matter to be brought before the court. Rent guarantee insurance (GLI), taken out beforehand, covers rent and legal costs.
GLI imposes eligibility conditions on the tenant (affordability ratio, type of employment contract) that must be checked before the lease is signed: it generally cannot be taken out once the arrears have arisen.
Departure
End of lease: notice and notice periods
Notice given by the landlord
Only for the end of the lease term, with a notice period of 6 months for an unfurnished letting and 3 months for a furnished letting, and on three grounds only: selling the dwelling (the tenant of an unfurnished letting then has a right of first refusal), taking it back to live in it yourself or to house a relative, or a legitimate and serious reason, such as repeated breaches by the tenant.
Notice given by the tenant
At any time, with a notice period of 3 months for an unfurnished letting, reduced to 1 month in high-demand areas or on certain grounds (job transfer, loss of employment, state of health, recipients of minimum social benefits), and of 1 month for a furnished letting. The notice period runs from the landlord's receipt of the notice.
Landlords' frequently asked questions
What are a landlord's main obligations?+
Letting decent housing (minimum floor area, safety, energy performance: homes rated G have been progressively banned from letting since 2025), providing a compliant lease with the technical survey file, maintaining the dwelling and bearing the repairs that are not the tenant's responsibility, guaranteeing quiet enjoyment and issuing a rent receipt free of charge at the tenant's request.
Which surveys are mandatory for letting?+
The DPE (valid for 10 years), the statement of risks and pollution in the areas concerned, the lead exposure risk report for dwellings built before 1949, the electricity and gas surveys for installations more than 15 years old, and the aircraft noise statement in airport zones. They are appended to the lease in the technical survey file.
What deposit can be requested?+
At most 1 month's rent excluding charges for an unfurnished letting and 2 months for a furnished letting. The mobility lease allows no deposit. The deposit is returned within 1 month if the check-out inventory matches, within 2 months if justified deductions are made.
How is rent reviewed using the IRL index?+
If the lease contains a review clause, the rent is reviewed once a year on the agreed date (often the anniversary date), according to the formula: new rent = current rent × (IRL for the reference quarter of the year / IRL for the same quarter of the previous year). The IRL is published every quarter by INSEE; in the second quarter of 2026, it stood at 148.37, up 1.15% over one year.
What should be done about unpaid rent?+
Act quickly and in stages: an amicable reminder from the first late payment, then a formal notice, then an order to pay served by a judicial officer, which opens a 6-week period to settle before termination proceedings. Rent guarantee insurance taken out beforehand covers the rent and the costs. A tenant file rigorously checked at the outset remains the best prevention.
How does a landlord give notice to a tenant?+
The landlord may give notice only for the end of the lease term, with a notice period of 6 months for an unfurnished letting and 3 months for a furnished letting, and only on three grounds: selling the dwelling, taking it back to live in it (the landlord or a relative), or a legitimate and serious reason such as breaches by the tenant. Notice is served by registered letter, by a judicial officer's deed or by hand delivery.
To go further: our guide to rental taxation and our yield simulator.
General information up to date as of July 2026, which may change with regulations. It does not constitute legal advice: for a specific situation, consult a legal professional.
All these obligations, taken care of
Compliant lease, surveys, inventory, IRL review at the right index, adjustment of charges, rent receipts: our property management applies this guide on your behalf, for 6% excl. VAT of the rents.