Can a landlord rent an empty home for less than 3 years?
Verified 23 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
It is possible to sign a lease for a period of less than 3 years when the 2 the following conditions are met:
- The lease is for at least 1 year
- A professional or family event justifies this exceptional duration. For example, the landlord will take over the dwelling to live there after retirement or to allow one of his children to continue his studies.
The reason for the lease term must be stated in the lease.
If this lease follows a 3-year lease that was entered into with the same tenant for the same dwelling, the new rent cannot be higher than the rent of the previous lease (unless reviewed annually).
During the lease, the owner must inform the tenant of the upcoming completion of the event, by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, at least 2 months beforethe term of the lease.
If the realization of the event is delayed, the owner can propose the postponement of the expiry of the lease, by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, at least 2 months before the initially scheduled expiry of the lease.
Only one postponement is possible.
FYI
When the reason has not occurred or is not confirmed, the lease is considered to be a 3-year lease.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
For more information on this subject, you can contact Allô Service Public.
Attention: the service does not have access to users' personal files and therefore cannot provide information on their progress.
- Lundi : de 08h30 à 17h30
- Mardi : de 08h30 à 12h15
- Mercredi : de 08h30 à 12h15
- Jeudi : de 08h30 à 17h30
- Vendredi : de 13h00 à 16h15
- Service free
The informants who answer you belong to the Ministry in charge of housing and city planning.
- Departmental Agency for Housing Information (Adil)