French Lease Contract (Bail de Location)

Last updated 4 October 2026AdminLanding Editorial

Generate ALUR-compliant lease contracts with all mandatory clauses and annexes. Pre-filled from your profile, ready in seconds. État des lieux and monthly rent receipts are generated from the same file — see the quittance de loyer in English, explained line by line.

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Furnished vs Unfurnished: Key Differences

French law treats furnished and unfurnished rentals differently. The lease rules vary significantly.

Rule	Unfurnished (non meublé)	Furnished (meublé)
Minimum lease term	3 years (6 for corporate landlords)	1 year (9 months for students)
Tenant notice period	3 months (1 month in zones tendues)	1 month, always
Landlord notice (congé)	6 months before term — sale, personal use, or legitimate reason	3 months before term — same restricted grounds
Security deposit cap	1 month's rent (excl. charges)	2 months' rent (excl. charges)
Furniture requirements	None	11 mandatory items (Décret 2015-981) + inventory annexed
Tax category	Revenus fonciers — micro-foncier 30% allowance up to €15,000, or régime réel (form 2044)	BIC (LMNP) — micro-BIC 50% allowance up to €83,600 (2026 income; €77,700 for 2025), or réel with depreciation; SIRET required
Rent control (encadrement)	Applies in designated zones	Applies in designated zones
Typical fit	Long-horizon owners who value tenant stability	Owners wanting flexibility and BIC tax treatment

Sources: loi 89-462 (Articles 3, 15, 22, 24, 25-3 to 25-11), Décret 2015-587 as amended by Décret 2026-596 (leases from 1 October 2026), Décret 2015-981. Figures accurate as of September 2026. AdminLanding generates both lease types from the same property file.

Only on AdminLanding

Every lease can come with an English reference sheet — no other French rental tool offers this

The binding lease is in French, as French law expects. The optional English reference sheet — a separate, non-binding PDF — explains in plain English what the lease is and its key points.

Sample — English reference sheet (non-binding), unfurnished lease

Annexe — référence en anglais (sans valeur juridique) / English reference (non-binding)

What this is. An unfurnished residential lease ("bail vide / nu") under the loi du 6 juillet 1989 — a long-term empty (unfurnished) home let as the tenant's main residence.

Key points. Parties, the property, a 3-year term (renewable), the rent, charges and deposit, and each party's obligations. An état des lieux is annexed; rent rules apply in rent-control areas.

« Le document français fait foi » — the French text remains the sole binding version.

Why this matters for anglophone landlords

You sign a 13-page legal document with a plain-English overview of what it is and its key points — not a guess assembled from a translation app.
You can hand your tenant the same sheet: fewer disputes start when both sides read the same explanation.
The lease stays 100% ALUR-compliant French — the reference sheet adds understanding without touching legal validity.
The same English-annex approach covers our rent receipts and inspection reports, so the whole tenancy file is legible end to end.

Generate a lease (English reference sheet optional)

Mandatory Clauses (Loi ALUR)

Since the loi ALUR (2014) and Décret n° 2015-587 — amended by Décret n° 2026-596 for leases signed or renewed from 1 October 2026 — all residential leases must follow a mandatory template and include these clauses:

Full identity of landlord and tenant

Property description and loi Boutin surface

Rent amount, charges, and payment terms

Security deposit amount and return conditions

Lease duration, renewal, and notice rules

IRL rent revision clause

Clause résolutoire: unpaid rent, charges or deposit — effective six weeks after a commandement de payer (Art. 24)

New from 1 October 2026 (Décret n° 2026-596)

For leases signed or renewed from 1 October 2026, the contrat type carries a fixed clause résolutoire paragraph — unpaid rent, charges or security deposit, effective six weeks after an unanswered commandement de payer — with the optional grounds (insurance, neighbourhood disturbance, principal-residence obligation) listed separately, and a « servitude de résidence principale » mention where the dwelling is subject to article L. 151-14-1 of the code de l'urbanisme. The notice d'information is unchanged. AdminLanding's leases already use the new wording.

AdminLanding's lease generator includes all mandatory clauses automatically. You can also add optional clauses for co-tenancy, pets, or professional use.

Required Annexes

These documents must be attached to every lease. The landlord bears the cost.

DPE

Energy performance diagnostic (Diagnostic de Performance Énergétique). Valid 10 years.

DPE — see what changed in 2026

ERP

Natural, mining, and technological risks assessment (État des Risques et Pollutions).

CREP

Lead exposure report. Required for properties built before January 1, 1949.

Surface

Loi Boutin habitable surface measurement. Mandatory for all leases since 2009.

Previous Rent

Previous tenant's rent amount. Required in rent-controlled zones (zones tendues).

Règlement

Co-ownership rules extract (extraits du règlement de copropriété) if applicable.

Once the lease is signed, the next legal step is the move-in inspection — a mandatory step after signing the lease.

Quick answer

A French residential lease (bail de location) is governed by the loi du 6 juillet 1989 (n° 89-462) as amended by the 2014 ALUR law. It must respect a 3-year minimum duration for unfurnished rentals (1 year furnished, 9 months for student leases), cap the security deposit at 1 month's rent unfurnished or 2 months furnished, state the loi Boutin habitable surface, and attach the mandatory annexes — DPE, ERP risk assessment, CREP lead report for pre-1949 buildings, and co-ownership extracts where applicable. The lease must be written in French; bilingual versions are allowed but the French text prevails. AdminLanding generates furnished and unfurnished ALUR-compliant leases in French — through a bilingual English/French interface — pre-filled from your property data, with the inspection report and monthly receipts produced from the same file.

Frequently Asked Questions

French lease contracts, ALUR compliance, and tenant rights.

Is a verbal lease valid in France?

No. Since the loi ALUR (2014), all residential leases must be written. A verbal agreement cannot be enforced and exposes both parties to legal risk. The written contract must follow the mandatory template defined by Décret n° 2015-587.

What happens if a mandatory clause is missing?

A missing mandatory clause does not void the entire lease, but the landlord may face penalties and the missing provision will be interpreted in favor of the tenant. For example, a missing rent revision clause means the landlord cannot increase the rent.

Can I modify the lease after signing?

Yes, through a formal amendment (avenant au bail) signed by both parties. Common amendments include rent revision, change of tenant (in co-tenancy), or modification of charges. The amendment must reference the original lease.

Who pays for the mandatory diagnostics?

The landlord pays for all mandatory diagnostics (DPE, ERNMT, lead, gas, electricity). These costs cannot be passed to the tenant. The diagnostics must be performed by certified professionals and attached to the lease.

What is the loi Boutin surface measurement?

The loi Boutin surface (surface habitable) is the floor area excluding walls, stairs, and areas with ceiling height below 1.80m. It must appear in the lease. If the actual surface is more than 5% less than stated, the tenant can request a rent reduction proportional to the difference.

Can a foreigner sign a French lease?

Yes. There is no nationality requirement for signing a lease in France. However, the landlord may request a guarantor (caution) or a Visale guarantee for tenants without French income history. The lease must be in French — bilingual versions are allowed but the French text prevails.

What changes in the lease template on 1 October 2026?

Décret n° 2026-596 of 6 July 2026 amends the contrat type for leases signed or renewed from 1 October 2026. The clause résolutoire becomes a fixed paragraph: unpaid rent, charges or security deposit, effective six weeks after an unanswered commandement de payer. Optional grounds (insurance, neighbourhood disturbance, principal-residence obligation) are listed separately, and a servitude de résidence principale mention is added where the dwelling falls under article L. 151-14-1 of the code de l'urbanisme. The notice d'information is unchanged.

Related guides for landlords in France

Landlord tax: micro-foncier vs réel & LMNPHow your lease type changes your tax regime — with a free estimator.Run your French rental from abroadeIDAS e-signature, digital lease and remote receipts for non-residents.Security deposit return rulesDeadlines, allowed deductions and the letter that protects you.Tenant notice period: 1 or 3 months?Free simulator with the zone tendue check by commune.Annual rent revision (IRL)When you may raise the rent and how the INSEE index works.Give your tenant a portalReceipts, documents and maintenance requests in one shared space.

Important: AdminLanding is a technology platform, not a law firm. We do not practice law, provide legal advice, or act as lawyers (avocats), notaries (notaires), or any regulated legal professional as defined by French Law No. 71-1130 of December 31, 1971. The documents and information provided are general-purpose templates for convenience only — they do not constitute personalized legal advice and are not tailored to your specific situation. We strongly recommend consulting a qualified legal professional before signing or relying on any document generated through our platform.

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