Notice and formalities of the leave given by the tenant
Verified 28 November 2025 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
You are a tenant and you want to leave the housing you live in (social or private housing, including subject to the 1948 law)? You can do so at any time, provided you have inform in advance the social landlord, or the private owner (or the real estate agency). For this, you must give leave and respect a notice period. We present you the information to know.
The rules are different depending on whether you live in an empty rented or furnished rented accommodation:
Empty housing
The rules are different depending on whether you live alone or as a couple:
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You're married
The couple wants to leave the house
To terminate the lease, the spouses must address set their leave.
One of the spouses wants to leave the dwelling
General case
If 1 only of the spouses gives leave, the other spouse remains incumbent the current lease and can stay in the housing.
Warning
The spouse who gives leave remains jointly and severally obligated to pay the rent and the expenses of the dwelling until the other spouse leaves the dwelling permanently (or until the transcription of the divorce in the margin of the civil status).
In the event of violence
When one of the spouses is violent, the other spouse may grant leave, with a period of 1 month notice.
Violence must be committed against the spouse or the child who usually lives with him.
Leave must be given by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. The reason for departure (violence) must be stated and one of the following documents must be attached:
- Or a copy of the protection order issued by the family court judge
- Or a copy of the criminal conviction, even if not final, for acts of violence. This conviction must be less than 6 months old
- Any document that proves that the abusive partner is being prosecuted (e.g. victim notification), or an alternative procedure to prosecution.
FYI
If the abusive spouse does not pay the rent from the day after the presentation of the registered letter to the landlord (or to the real estate agency):
- The owner (or real estate agency) has a legitimate and serious motive for sell or take back the property
- The spouse who leaves the dwelling (and his bail) is not liable for these unpaid amounts.
You're past
The 2 partners sign the lease (simultaneously or not)
The couple wants to leave the house
To terminate the lease, the 2 partners must send together their leave to the owner (or the real estate agency).
Only one partner wants to leave the house
The partner who wants to leave the accommodation must give his leave to the owner (or the real estate agency).
The other partner remains the owner of the lease and can stay in the dwelling.
Warning
The partner who gives leave remains jointly and severally obliged to pay the rent and the expenses of the dwelling, until the end of the Civil partnership or until the other partner leaves the dwelling.
When one of the partners is violent, the other partner may give his leave, with a 1 month notice period.
Violence must be committed against the partner or the child who usually lives with him.
Leave must be given by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. The reason for departure (violence) must be stated and one of the following documents must be attached:
- A copy of the protection order issued by the family court judge
- Or a copy of the criminal conviction, even if not final, for acts of violence. This conviction must be less than 6 months old
- Any document that proves that the abusive partner is being prosecuted (for example, a victim notification), or an alternative procedure to prosecution.
FYI
If the abusive partner does not pay the rent from the day after the presentation of the registered letter to the landlord (or to the real estate agency):
- The owner (or real estate agency) has a legitimate and serious motive for sell or take back the property
- The partner leaving the accommodation (and his/her bail) is not liable for these unpaid amounts.
Only one partner signed the lease
The partner who signed the lease wants to leave the accommodation
The partner who signed the lease must give the landlord leave.
The other partner must leave the accommodation at the latest on departure, unless the owner (or the real estate agency) agrees to sign a lease with him.
The other partner wants to leave the house
When the partner who has not signed the lease wants to leave the dwelling, he does not have to give leave to do so.
Warning
The partner stays anyway jointly and severally obliged to pay the rent and the expenses of the dwelling, until the end of the Civil partnership or until the other partner leaves the dwelling.
You live in cohabitation (or "common law")
The two concubines signed the lease
The couple wants to leave the house
The cohabiting partners must give their notice (leave) to the owner (or the real estate agency).
Only one cohabiting partner wants to leave the apartment
The cohabiting partner who wants to leave the dwelling must give his notice (leave) to the owner (or real estate agency).
The lease continues with the remaining cohabiting partner.
When the lease contains a solidarity clause, the cohabiting partner who leaves the dwelling remains liable for the rent and the charges due:
- For 6 months after the end of the notice period
- Or at the end of his notice, if a new tenant arrives before that date.
If the lease does not contain this clause, the cohabiting partner who leaves the dwelling remains liable for the rent and the charges due:
- Until the end of the notice period
- Or until the arrival of a new tenant, if the latter arrives before the end of the notice period.
When one of the cohabitants is violent, the other cohabiting partner may leave with a 1 month notice period.
Violence must be committed against the cohabiting partner or the child who usually lives with him.
Leave must be given by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. The reason for departure (violence) must be stated and one of the following documents must be attached:
- Or a copy of the protection order issued by the family court judge
- Or a copy of the criminal conviction, even if not final, for acts of violence. This conviction must be less than 6 months old.
- Any document that proves that the abusive partner is being prosecuted (for example, a victim notification), or an alternative procedure to prosecution.
FYI
If the abusive partner does not pay the rent from the day after the presentation of the registered letter to the landlord (or to the real estate agency):
- The owner (or real estate agency) has a legitimate and serious motive for sell or take back the property
- The cohabiting partner who leaves the dwelling (and his bail) is not liable for these unpaid amounts.
Only one of the concubines signed the lease
To leave the dwelling, the cohabiting partner who signed the lease must give his notice (leave) to the owner (or real estate agency). The other cohabiting partner must then leave the dwelling no later than the departure of the cohabiting partner who signed the lease, unless the owner (or the real estate agency) agrees to sign a new lease with the other cohabiting partner.
If the cohabiting partner who has not signed the lease wants to leave the dwelling, he does not have to give leave to do it.
You live alone
You must give leave to the owner (or the real estate agency).
Reminder
If you're in a roommate, specific rules apply.
You have to give leave (we also talk about advance notice) to the social landlord or private owner (or real estate agency) by one of the following means:
- Registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt
- Act of Commissioner of Justice (formerly act of judicial officer)
- Hand delivery against signing or signed receipt.
After you leave, you can no longer change your mind. To be able to reverse your decision, you must obtain the agreement of the social landlord or private owner (or real estate agency).
You can not give your notice (or your leave) by a simple email. A notice given in this way is not valid, even if it is accepted by email return by its recipient.
But you can give your notice (or your leave) by a electronic registered letter (ERL). Notice given in this way is valid, provided that, if the recipient is an individual, he has previously accepted this method of sending.
Before leaving your accommodation, you must give leave and respect a notice period of 3 months, with some exceptions. These exceptions depend on the municipality of your accommodation.
The municipality of the dwelling may or may not be situated in tense area.
To find out, you can use this simulator:
Know if a dwelling is located in a tense area (notice of the tenant and rent control)
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Housing in a tense area
The notice is 1 month on condition to indicate in the leave letter the address of the rented accommodation and the fact that notice period reduced to one month, in accordance with law n°89-462 (article 15) and at decree no. 2013-392 on the scope of application of the annual tax on vacant housing instituted by article 232 of the general tax code (1er table annexed to the decree).
If you do not, the notice period is 3 months.
Accommodation in another area
The rules depend on your situation.
General case
The notice period is 3 months.
You do not have to indicate the reason for your departure in the leave letter.
In case you leave and return the keys before the end of the noticeHowever, the notice period may be reduced by the same amount if the landlord accepts a new tenant or if he does heavy renovation work.
You get social housing
The notice period is 1 month.
You must indicate this situation in the leave and you must provide proof of it.
If you do not, the notice period is 3 months.
You get the RSA or the AAH
The notice period is 1 month.
You must indicate in the leave that you receive the RSA: titleContent or theAAH: titleContent and you must provide proof of this.
If you do not, the notice period is 3 months.
FYI
if your resources are equal to the amount of these aids, but you do not receive them, the notice period is 3 months.
Your state of health justifies a change of residence
The notice period is 1 month when the accommodation is no longer compatible with your state of health.
You must mention your medical condition in the leave and provide proof (for example, a medical certificate).
If you do not, the notice period is 3 months.
Warning
In case of simple physical or mental fatigue, even medically noted, the notice period is 3 months.
You are a victim of violence in your couple or the child living with you is abused
When the person with whom you live as a couple abusing you or the child who usually lives with you, the notice period is 1 month.
For this, you must give your leave by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. You must indicate your situation (victim of violence) and provide one of the following documents:
- Or a copy of the protection order issued by the family court judge
- A copy of the criminal conviction of the other member of your couple for acts of violence committed against you or against a child who usually resides with you. This conviction must be less than 6 months old.
If you do not, the notice period is 3 months.
FYI
You and your guarantor are not liable for any unpaid payments made from the day following the presentation of your leave to the lessor.
If the violent person does not pay the rent from the day after the presentation of the victim's leave, the landlord has a legitimate and serious motive for sell or take back the property.
You get your first job
The notice period is 1 month.
You must indicate this situation in the leave and provide proof. For example, a document showing the date of affiliation to the social security system can certify that it is your 1er employment.
If you do not, the notice period is 3 months.
FYI
If a fixed-term contract turns into a permanent contract, the permanent contract is not considered a 1er employment, unless the protection litigation judge decides differently.
You change your workplace
Employee, civil servant
Notice period: 1 month
You must indicate this situation in the leave and provide proof.
The date of transfer must be close to the date of dispatch of leave (several months must not have elapsed).
The transfer may be at your initiative or at the initiative of your employer. It is not subject to any conditions of geographical remoteness.
Independent, liberal profession
A notice of 3 months applies.
You are at the end of unemployment insurance rights
A notice of 3 months applies.
You're retiring
A notice of 3 months applies.
Self-employed or liberal profession, you stop your activity
A notice of 3 months applies.
You resign (or quit)
A notice of 3 months applies.
You lose your job (or conventional break or end of fixed term contract)
The notice period is 1 month.
You must indicate this situation in the leave and provide proof.
If you do not, the notice period is 3 months.
FYI
The loss of employment must precede the sending of your leave and be close to it. In case of dispute, the protection litigation judge determines on a case-by-case basis whether or not leave is delayed following a loss of employment.
You get a new job as a result of a job loss
The notice period is 1 month where the loss of employment and the new employment occur within the same lease.
You must indicate this situation in the leave and provide proof.
If you do not, the notice period is 3 months.
FYI
A notice of 3 months applies in case of new employment, if you were unemployed when you signed the lease of the accommodation you want to leave.
Please note
You can leave the accommodation without notice, when the dwelling is in peril or unsanitary. But beforehand, you must have warned the social landlord or the private owner (or the real estate agency) of the disorders found and have made the steps to force him to do the work.
The start of the notice depends on how you send your leave:
- For a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, it is the day on which the registered letter is received, that is to say the day on which its addressee takes possession of it. Therefore, if the registered letter has not been delivered to the absent addressee and has been returned to you, the leave is not valid. Similarly, if the letter arrives late or is delivered late, the end of the notice period is postponed accordingly.
- For a act of commissioner of justice, it is the day of the meaning (for example, the day the leave is posted in the recipient's mailbox)
- For a hand delivery against signing or signed receipt, it is the day on which the leave is delivered personally to the recipient, against signing or signed receipt.
Example :
For a 1 month notice
If the recipient received the leave on September 5, the notice runs until October 5 at midnight (not October 30).
If the dates are not the same, this is the last day of this month. For example, a notice that began on January 30 expires on February 28, or on February 29 in a leap year.
Public holidays and weekends are included in this calculation. For example, if the notice ends on a Sunday, it ends that day, not the previous Friday or the following Monday.
Example :
For 3 months notice
If the recipient received the leave on September 5, the notice runs until December 5 at midnight (not December 31).
If the figures are not identical, this is the last day of this month. For example, a notice that began on November 30 expires on February 28 (or February 29 in a leap year).
Public holidays and weekends are included in this calculation. For example, if the notice ends on a Sunday, it ends that day, not the previous Friday or the following Monday.
You can use this letter template:
Warning
If your situation (accommodation located in tense area, loss of employment, state of health...) entitles you to one month's notice, you must indicate this reason in your leave letter and attach a supporting document. Please note that if you do not provide a reason, the 3-month notice period applies.
You must pay the rents and rental charges throughout the period of your notice, unless the landlord (or real estate agency) signs a new lease with another tenant and that he lives in the accommodation before the end of your notice.
If your notice ends during the month, the amount of rent and expenses you owe for the last month is proportional to the number of days you disposed of the accommodation.
Example :
- When the last month of notice has 30 daysand that the notice ends on the 5th, the amount due for the last month is equal to 5/30e the monthly amount.
- When the last month of notice has 31 days, and that the notice ends on the 5th, the amount due for the last month is 5/31e the monthly amount.
- When the last month of notice has 28 daysand that the notice ends on the 5th, the amount due for the last month is 5/28e the monthly amount.
- When the last month of notice has 29 days, and that the notice period ends on the 5th, the amount due for the last month is 5/29e the monthly amount.
The expenses of the accommodation that you leave being to be paid by provision, the final calculation of what you owe for your last rental year (even if it is incomplete), can only be done after the annual regularization of expenses.
You cannot deduct from your last rents the amount of the security deposit you paid.
The social landlord or the owner (or the real estate agency) can claim for 3 years any unpaid charges or rents that you owe him. For example, they may claim a July 2024 rent (or expense) debt from you until July 2027, even if you permanently left the home in August 2024.
Furnished accommodation
The rules are different depending on whether you live alone or as a couple:
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
You're married
To terminate the lease, the spouses must address together their leave to the owner (or real estate agency).
If 1 only of the spouses gives leave, the other spouse remains incumbent the current lease and can stay in the housing.
Warning
The spouse who gives leave remains jointly and severally obligated to pay the rent and the expenses of the dwelling until the other spouse leaves the dwelling permanently (or until the transcription of the divorce in the margin of the civil status).
You're past
The 2 partners signed the lease (simultaneously or not)
To terminate the lease, the partners must together their leave to the owner (or real estate agency).
If 1 only partners give leave, the other partner remains incumbent the current lease and can stay in the housing.
Warning
The partner who gives leave remains jointly and severally obligated to pay rent and housing charges until the Civil partnership is completed or until the other partner leaves the accommodation.
Only one partner signed the lease
The partner who signed the lease must give his leave to the owner (or the real estate agency) by respecting a notice period.
The other partner must leave the accommodation no later than the departure of the partner who signed the lease, unless the owner (or the real estate agency) agrees to sign a lease with him.
You live in a cohabitation (or common-law relationship)
The two concubines signed the lease
To terminate the lease, the 2 cohabiting partners must give their leave to the owner (or the real estate agency).
If only one cohabiting partner gives leave, the other cohabiting partner remains the holder of the lease and can remain in the dwelling.
Only one cohabiting partner signed the lease
If the cohabiting partner who signed the lease gives the landlord (or the real estate agency) leave, the other cohabiting partner must leave the dwelling no later than the departure of the cohabiting partner who signed the lease, unless the landlord (or the real estate agency) agrees to sign a lease with him.
You live alone
You must give leave to the owner (or the real estate agency).
Reminder
If you're in a roommate, specific rules apply.
You have to give leave (we also talk about advance notice) to the social landlord or private owner (or real estate agency) by one of the following means:
- Registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt
- Act of Commissioner of Justice (formerly act of judicial officer)
- Hand delivery against signing or signed receipt.
After you leave, you can no longer change your mind. To be able to reverse your decision, you must obtain the agreement of the social landlord or private owner (or real estate agency).
You can not give your notice (or your leave) by a simple email. A notice given in this way is not valid, even if it is accepted by email return by its recipient.
But you can give your notice (or your leave) by a electronic registered letter (ERL). A notice given in this way is valid, provided that, if the recipient is an individual, he has previously accepted this method of sending.
You can terminate the lease at any time. But you must respect a notice period of 1 month, including when the lease term is only 9 months (for example, when the accommodation is rented to a student).
You are not required to indicate the reason for your departure from the accommodation, nor to provide proof.
The start of the notice depends on how you send your leave:
- For a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, it is the day on which the registered letter is received, that is to say the day on which its addressee takes possession of it. Therefore, if the registered letter has not been delivered to the absent addressee and has been returned to you, the leave is not valid. Similarly, if the letter is received late or is delivered late, the end of the notice period is postponed accordingly.
- For a act of commissioner of justice, it is the day of the meaning (for example, the day the leave is posted in the recipient's mailbox)
- For a hand delivery against signing or signed receipt, this is the day on which the leave is delivered personally to the recipient, against signing or signed receipt.
Example :
Leave received by the recipient on 5 September gives notice until 5 October at midnight (not 30 October).
If the dates cannot be identical, this is the last day of this month. For example, a notice that began on January 30 expires on February 28 (or February 29 in a leap year).
Public holidays and weekends are included in this calculation. For example, if the notice ends on a Sunday, it ends that day, not the previous Friday or the following Monday.
You can use this letter template:
You must pay rent and rental charges throughout the period of your notice, unless the landlord (or real estate agency) signs a new lease with another tenant and that he lives in the accommodation before the end of your notice.
If the notice period ends during the month, the amount of rent and expenses you owe for the last month is proportional to the number of days during which you disposed of the accommodation:
Example :
- When the last month of notice has 30 days, and that the notice ends on the 5th, the amount due for the last month is 5/30e the monthly amount.
- When the last month of notice has 31 days, and that the notice ends on the 5th, the amount due for the last month is 5/31e the monthly amount.
- When the last month of notice has 28 daysand that the notice ends on the 5th, the amount due for the last month is 5/28e the monthly amount.
- When the last month of notice has 29 days, and that the notice period ends on the 5th, the amount due for the last month is 5/29e the monthly amount.
If the expenses of the accommodation you leave are to be paid by provision, the final calculation of what you owe to the real estate agency or lessor (private or social) for your last year of rental (even if it is incomplete) can only be done after the annual regularization of expenses.
You cannot deduct from your last rents the amount of the security deposit you paid.
The real estate agency or the lessor (private or social) can claim for 3 years any unpaid rent or charges that you owe him. For example, they may claim a July 2025 rent (or expense) debt from you until July 2028, even if you permanently left the home in August 2025.
Tenant with a mobility lease: give notice (leave) to the owner of the accommodation
Who can help me?
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Administrative information by phone - Allô Service Public
For more information on this subject, you can contact Allô Service Public.
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The informants who answer you belong to the ministry in charge of housing and city planning.
- Departmental Agency for Housing Information (Adil)
End of notice period: calculate the number of days
Social housing: notice period
Empty accommodation: notice period
Empty accommodation: sending leave
Furnished accommodation: leave and notice - lease signed since March 27, 2014
Housing subject to the 1948 law: termination of the lease
Domestic violence
List of municipalities located in stretched areas (in annex, 1st table)
Zoning to be applied (Article 1)
Zoning to be applied (I.)
