French Furnished Rental Lease — Primary Residence Template

French law (Decree n°2015-981 of 31 July 2015) requires a minimum of 11 specific items: bedding with a duvet or blanket, bedroom window-covering, hob, oven or microwave, refrigerator and freezer (or, as a minimum, a refrigerator with a compartment capable of reaching no warmer than -6°C), sufficient crockery, cooking utensils, table and chairs, storage shelving, lighting, and household cleaning equipment. All 11 must be present. If even one is missing, the tenant can apply to court to have the lease reclassified as an unfurnished tenancy — subject to a three-year minimum term, which is far more restrictive for landlords.

The minimum term is one year. At the end of each year the lease renews automatically by tacit reconduction (silent rollover) unless either party gives valid notice. A tenant who holds student status — proved by a current certificat de scolarité (enrolment certificate) — may agree a nine-month lease instead. That shorter lease ends automatically on the agreed date: no silent rollover occurs and neither party need serve notice to bring it to an end.

The dépôt de garantie (security deposit) is capped at two months' rent excluding service charges — twice the one-month cap that applies to unfurnished leases. The landlord must return it within one month of the tenant vacating if the move-out condition report matches the move-in report, or within two months if justified deductions for damage beyond fair wear and tear are made.

The tenant may terminate at any time by giving one month's notice, served by: recorded-delivery letter (lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception), act of a commissaire de justice (the enforcement-officer role that replaced the former 'huissier de justice' on 1 July 2022), or in-person handover against a signed receipt. The landlord may only serve notice at the end of a lease year, must give three months' notice, and must state a lawful ground — personal repossession, sale, or serious and legitimate cause.

The contract must include: the état des lieux d'entrée (move-in condition report) and signed furniture inventory; the dossier de diagnostic technique — comprising the DPE (energy performance certificate), état des risques et pollutions (ERP risk assessment), lead report for pre-1949 buildings, and gas/electrical safety reports for installations over 15 years old; and, for co-owned buildings, relevant extracts of the building rules. Under Loi Climat et Résilience n°2021-1104 of 22 August 2021, G+-rated properties cannot be let since 1 January 2023, and G-rated properties since 1 January 2025.

Once the legal deadline passes (one or two months after the tenant vacates), the unreturned deposit accrues a penalty of 10 % of the monthly rent excluding charges for each month of delay begun. The tenant should first send a formal mise en demeure (demand letter) by recorded delivery. If unresolved, they may apply free of charge to the commission départementale de conciliation (local rent dispute panel) and, as a last resort, bring proceedings before the juge des contentieux de la protection at the local tribunal judiciaire.