Notice periods in France: tenant and landlord
A French tenant's one or three months' notice, the reasons and proof, the end date and rent owed, and the landlord's notice six or three months before the term.
Kivlo · Updated November 7, 2026 · Sources checked November 7, 2026 · 4 min read
Contents
In France, the tenant of an unfurnished home gives three months' notice, cut to one month in a tight zone or for one of the reasons the law lists. On a furnished lease the notice is always one month. The landlord can only give notice for the lease's term: at least six months before for an unfurnished let, three months before for a furnished one. These rules come from article 15 of the law of 6 July 1989, which governs residential leases, and its article 25-8 for furnished lets.
To get an exact date, the notice period calculator works it out for you, with no sign-up.
The tenant's notice
| Lease | Notice |
|---|---|
| Unfurnished, general case | 3 months |
| Unfurnished in a tight zone | 1 month |
| Unfurnished, a proven article 15 reason | 1 month |
| Furnished (including a 9-month student lease) | 1 month |
| Bail mobilité (a short furnished lease of 1 to 10 months) | 1 month |
The one-month cases on an unfurnished lease
Article 15 cuts the notice to one month:
- in a tight zone (zone tendue, the communes listed by decree);
- on a first job, a job transfer, a job loss, or a new job after a job loss;
- for a tenant whose health, shown by a medical certificate, requires a move;
- for a tenant who holds a protection order, or whose spouse, PACS partner or cohabiting partner is being prosecuted, is subject to an alternative to prosecution, or has been convicted, even by a decision that is not yet final, for violence within the couple or against a child who usually lives with the tenant;
- for a tenant receiving the RSA or the AAH (minimum income and disability allowances);
- for a tenant allocated social housing.
The tenant states the reason and proves it in the notice letter. Otherwise the notice is three months. According to Service-Public, the transfer or job loss must be close to the date of the notice, a permanent contract following a fixed-term one is not a first job, and retirement, resignation or closing a self-employed business give three months.
Check the tight zone
The list of tight-zone communes is set by decree and amended regularly, and which list applies depends on when the lease was signed or renewed. Service-Public's simulator checks a commune. The tenant must also write in the letter that the notice is reduced to one month under article 15 and decree no. 2013-392.
How notice is given
Notice is given by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, by a deed served by a commissaire de justice (a bailiff), or by hand against a signed receipt. A plain email is not valid notice; an electronic registered letter is, if the private recipient agreed to it beforehand.
The notice runs from the day the recipient receives it: delivery of the registered letter, service of the deed or the hand delivery. A registered letter that was never collected and came back to the sender does not start the notice.
In a flatshare, a co-tenant who gives notice may stay liable for the others' rent after leaving: see a co-tenant leaves: what happens to joint liability?.
When the notice ends
The notice ends on the same day of the month, at midnight. When that day does not exist in the final month, it ends on that month's last day. Weekends and public holidays count.
| Notice received on | Notice | Ends |
|---|---|---|
| 5 September 2026 | 1 month | 5 October 2026 at midnight |
| 5 September 2026 | 3 months | 5 December 2026 at midnight |
| 30 January 2026 | 1 month | 28 February 2026 at midnight |
| 30 November 2026 | 3 months | 28 February 2027 at midnight |
Rent during the notice
A tenant who gave notice owes rent and charges for the whole notice, even after handing back the keys, unless a new tenant occupies the home before the notice ends with the landlord's agreement. The last month is paid pro rata. The security deposit cannot be used to pay the last rent: it is returned after the move-out inventory (see the security deposit guide and can a tenant skip the last month's rent?).
During the notice you may show the home to re-let or sell it, within strict limits: see viewings during the notice period.
The landlord's notice
A French landlord cannot end a residential lease midway: notice is given for the term (the end date of the lease or of its renewal), and only for one of these reasons:
- selling the home: the notice states the price and terms of the sale, and is an offer to sell to the tenant for the first two months of the notice (unfurnished lets);
- taking it back to live in, or to house a spouse, PACS partner, cohabiting partner of at least one year, or a parent or child;
- a legitimate and serious reason, notably the tenant failing their obligations (unpaid rent, for instance). For unpaid rent, notice is not the only route: see Unpaid rent in France: what to do, step by step.
| Lease | Notice must be received by |
|---|---|
| Unfurnished | 6 months before the term |
| Furnished | 3 months before the term |
| Bail mobilité | No notice: the lease ends at its term and is not renewed |
Example. An unfurnished lease reaches its term on 30 June 2027: the notice must reach the tenant by 30 December 2026. Received later, it does not apply to that term and the lease renews. Received well before, it stays valid but only takes effect at the term.
On pain of nullity, the landlord's notice states its reason. A notice to sell or to take the home back comes with an information notice on the landlord's obligations and the tenant's remedies.
Protected tenants
On an unfurnished lease, the landlord cannot give notice to a tenant over 65 whose yearly resources are below a ceiling set by ministerial order, unless a home suited to their needs and means is offered, within an area the law defines. The protection does not apply if the landlord is an individual over 65, or if the landlord's own resources are below that ceiling. Age is assessed at the lease's term, resources on the date the notice is served.
A sham notice is costly
A notice to sell or to take back that hides another reason can be fined up to €6,000 for an individual, under article 15.
Summary
| Question | Rule |
|---|---|
| Tenant's notice, unfurnished | 3 months, or 1 month in a tight zone or for a proven reason |
| Tenant's notice, furnished or bail mobilité | 1 month |
| Start of the notice | Actual receipt of the notice |
| End | Same day of the month, at midnight; the month's last day if that day does not exist |
| Landlord's notice, unfurnished | 6 months before the term, reason required |
| Landlord's notice, furnished | 3 months before the term, reason required |
Have your case checked
Notice given wrongly can be set aside and cost you another term. Before giving notice, or if you dispute a shortened notice, have your case checked by your département's ADIL, which advises for free (in French), or by a lawyer.
Sources
- Article 15 of law no. 89-462 of 6 July 1989 (Légifrance)
- Article 25-8 of the law of 6 July 1989, furnished lets (Légifrance)
- Notice given by the tenant, Service-Public
- Notice given by the landlord, Service-Public
- Tenant's notice period simulator, Service-Public
- ANIL and the ADIL network, free housing advice
Last checked on 7 November 2026
Never miss the deadline again
Kivlo reminds you, in its list of what needs your attention, of the last day for your notice before each lease term, by type of lease, and keeps the lease and the payment history in one place.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice does a tenant give on an unfurnished lease?
Three months as a rule. It drops to one month in a tight zone (zone tendue) and in the cases article 15 of the law of 6 July 1989 lists, provided the tenant states the reason in the letter and proves it. Otherwise the notice stays at three months.
And on a furnished lease?
One month, at any time, with no reason or proof, including a nine-month student lease. A bail mobilité follows the same rule.
When does the notice start?
On the day the landlord receives it — hand delivery against a receipt, a commissaire de justice's deed, or actual receipt of the registered letter. A registered letter left uncollected does not start the notice.
Does the tenant pay rent until the notice ends?
Yes, even after moving out, unless a new tenant moves in before the notice ends with the landlord's agreement. The last month is paid pro rata.
When can the landlord give notice?
Only for the lease's term, at least six months before for an unfurnished let and three months before for a furnished one, and only to sell, to take the home back to live in or house a relative, or for a legitimate and serious reason. A bail mobilité simply ends at its term.
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Kivlo
Kivlo editorial team
Updated November 7, 2026 · Sources checked November 7, 2026 · 4 min read