Drafting of the housing lease (rental contract) - Empty housing
Verified 06 juin 2025 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Form of the lease
The lease has to be made in writing in as many copies as there are parties (owner, tenant).
It can take the form of a privately signed document or a authentic instrument.
It must comply with the regulatory lease model.
Warning
The lease must contain a rescission clause which allows for the termination of the lease when the tenant does not pay the security deposit, or does not pay rent or charges.
Content of the lease
Information on parties
The lease shall specify the following information:
- Owner's name and home
- If the accommodation is not directly managed by the owner, the name and registered office of the manager
- Name of tenant(s)
- The effective date and duration of the lease.
Information on accommodation
In particular, the lease shall specify the following information:
- Tax identifier of the dwelling (except in Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Reunion and Mayotte)
- Location of the dwelling and destination building
- Description of the dwelling (house or apartment, condominium or not, number of rooms) and its equipment for private and common use
- Nature and amount of work done in the dwelling since the last lease (or renewal)
- Class of the DPE: titleContent housing (except in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyana, Reunion and Mayotte)
- Living area housing. If it is not mentioned or if it is incorrect, the tenant can bring an action for rent reduction.
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Area not mentioned
If the living space of the rented dwelling is not mentioned in the lease, the tenant may give formal notice the owner to do so within one month of signing the lease. To do this, he must send the owner a registered mail with notice of receipt.
The owner, in turn, has one month to make this clarification.
If the landlord refuses, or if he does not respond within this period, the tenant may refer the case to the protection litigation judge to get a rent reduction. The tenant must apply to the judge within 3 months of the notice given to the owner. The judge to be seised is the judge of the court on which the rented accommodation depends.
Wrong surface
If the lease specifies an area greater than 5% on the actual surface of the rented dwelling, the tenant can ask the landlord for a rent reduction proportional to the difference found.
The tenant must send a request to the landlord by registered mail with notice of receipt.
The owner must reply within 2 months of receiving this letter.
If no agreement is found, or in the absence of a response from the landlord, the tenant may refer the case to the protection litigation judge so that he can determine the rent reduction to be applied. The tenant must apply to the judge within 4 months of sending his application to the landlord. The judge to be seised is the judge of the court on which the rented accommodation depends.
The rent reduction accepted by the landlord, or decided by the judge, applies to:
- If the request has been made within 6 months of the signature of the lease, from the date of signature of the lease,
- If the request was made more than 6 months after the signature of the lease, from the date of the request.
Information on rent, charges and security deposit
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General case
Some information related to the rent must be included in the lease:
- The amount of rent and its terms of payment (date and frequency, which is usually monthly), as well as any revision rules
- Amount of the last rent applied to the previous tenant (if he has left the accommodation for less than 18 months)
- Terms of payment for charges
- Amount of security deposit if it is planned
- The amount of theoretical heating expenditure (and the base year of the energy prices used for this estimate).
In Paris
Some information related to the rent must be included in the lease:
- The amount of rent and its terms of payment (date and frequency, which is usually monthly), as well as any revision rules
- Amount of the last rent applied to the previous tenant (if he has left the accommodation for less than 18 months)
- Amount of reference rent and increased reference rent
- Amount and justification of rent supplement, if necessary
- Terms of payment for charges
- Amount of security deposit if it is planned
- The amount of theoretical heating expenditure (and the base year of the energy prices used for this estimate).
In Bordeaux
Some information on rent must be included in the lease:
- The amount of rent and its terms of payment (date and frequency, which is usually monthly), as well as any revision rules
- Amount of the last rent applied to the previous tenant (if he has left the accommodation for less than 18 months)
- Amount of reference rent and increased reference rent
- Amount and justification of rent supplement, if necessary
- Terms of payment for charges
- Amount of security deposit if it is planned
- The amount of theoretical heating expenditure (and the base year of the energy prices used for this estimate).
In Lille, Hellemmes and Lomme
Some information related to the rent must be included in the lease:
- The amount of rent and its terms of payment (date and frequency, which is usually monthly), as well as any revision rules
- Amount of the last rent applied to the previous tenant (if he has left the accommodation for less than 18 months)
- Amount of reference rent and increased reference rent
- Amount and justification of rent supplement, if necessary
- Terms of payment for charges
- Amount of security deposit if it is planned
- The amount of theoretical heating expenditure (and the base year of the energy prices used for this estimate).
In Lyon and Villeurbanne
Some information related to the rent must be included in the lease:
- The amount of rent and its terms of payment (date and frequency, which is usually monthly), as well as any revision rules
- Amount of the last rent applied to the previous tenant (if he has left the accommodation for less than 18 months)
- Amount of reference rent and increased reference rent
- Amount and justification of rent supplement, if necessary
- Terms of payment for charges
- Amount of security deposit if it is planned
- The amount of theoretical heating expenditure (and the base year of the energy prices used for this estimate).
In Montpellier
Some information on rent must be included in the lease:
- The amount of rent and its terms of payment (date and frequency, which is usually monthly), as well as any revision rules
- Amount of the last rent applied to the previous tenant (if he has left the accommodation for less than 18 months)
- Amount of reference rent and increased reference rent
- Amount and justification of rent supplement, if necessary
- Terms of payment for charges
- Amount of security deposit if it is planned
- The amount of theoretical heating expenditure (and the base year of the energy prices used for this estimate).
On the territory of Est Ensemble
In the territory d'Est Ensemble, certain information relating to the rent must be included in the lease:
- The amount of rent and its terms of payment (date and frequency, which is usually monthly), as well as any revision rules
- Amount of the last rent applied to the previous tenant (if he has left the accommodation for less than 18 months)
- Amount of reference rent and increased reference rent
- Amount and justification of rent supplement, if necessary
- Terms of payment for charges
- Amount of security deposit if it is planned
- The amount of theoretical heating expenditure (and the base year of the energy prices used for this estimate).
On a part of the territory of Grenoble-Alpes Metropole
The municipalities concerned are:
- Bresson, Claix, Domène, Eybens, Fontanil-Cornillon, Gières, Meylan, Murianette, Poisat, La Tronche, Seyssins, Varces-Allières-et-Risset, and Venon,
- And part of Échirolles, Fontaine, Grenoble, Le Pont-de-Claix, Saint-Éstrike, Saint-Martin-d'Hères, Sassenage, Seyssinet-Pariset.
You can know if the address of your accommodation is concerned using this simulator :
In this part of the territory of Grenoble-Alpes metropolis, certain information related to the rent must be included in the lease:
- The amount of rent and its terms of payment (date and frequency, which is usually monthly), as well as any revision rules
- Amount of the last rent applied to the previous tenant (if he has left the accommodation for less than 18 months)
- Amount of reference rent and increased reference rent
- Amount and justification of rent supplement, if necessary
- Terms of payment for charges
- Amount of security deposit if it is planned
- The amount of theoretical heating expenditure (and the base year of the energy prices used for this estimate).
On the territory of the Basque Country
In the territory of the built-up area Basque Country, certain information on the rent must be included in the lease:
- The amount of rent and its terms of payment (date and frequency, which is usually monthly), as well as any revision rules
- Amount of the last rent applied to the previous tenant (if he has left the accommodation for less than 18 months)
- Amount of reference rent and increased reference rent
- Amount and justification of rent supplement, if necessary
- Terms of payment for charges
- Amount of security deposit if it is planned
- The amount of theoretical heating expenditure (and the base year of the energy prices used for this estimate).
On the territory of Plaine Commune
In the territory of Common Plain, certain information relating to the rent must be included in the lease:
- The amount of rent and its terms of payment (date and frequency, which is usually monthly), as well as any revision rules
- Amount of the last rent applied to the previous tenant (if he has left the accommodation for less than 18 months)
- Amount of reference rent and increased reference rent
- Amount and justification of rent supplement, if necessary
- Terms of payment for charges
- Amount of security deposit if it is planned
- The amount of theoretical heating expenditure (and the base year of the energy prices used for this estimate).
Real estate agency fee information
If the landlord uses a professional to rent the accommodation, the lease must include the following information:
- Cost-sharing rules (reproduction of Section 5 I of the 1989 Act)
- Amounts of billing ceilings applicable to the tenant.
Other clauses
The tenant and landlord may agree to include other clauses in the lease. But they should not be included in the list of prohibited clauses. If such a clause is included in the lease, it should not be applied. These include clauses:
- imposing direct debit as a method of payment of rent
- or prohibiting the tenant from housing persons who do not usually live with him
- or providing for the cost of issuing or sending a receipt.
Reminder
The lease must contain a rescission clause which allows for the termination of the lease when the tenant does not pay the security deposit, or does not pay rent or charges.
Documents annexed to the lease
A technical diagnostic file must be attached to the lease. The file includes the following documents:
- Energy Performance Diagnostic (EDP) valid
- Lead Risk Assessment (Crep)
- State of indoor electricity installation if the installation is more than 15 years old
- State of indoor gas installation if the installation is more than 15 years old
- State of risks (natural, mining, technological, seismic, radon...), if the dwelling is in an affected area
- Noise Diagnosis, if the dwelling is in an affected area.
FYI
It is recommended to make available to the tenant an asbestos diagnosis.
The technical diagnostic record must be completed by a certified diagnoser. The landlord (or real estate agency) sends this file to the tenant by email, unless the tenant objects.
Other documents must also be attached to the lease:
- Information leaflet
- State of the place of entry done when handing over keys and the state of the places of departure done when returning keys
- Rental Risk Insurance Certificate that the tenant is obliged to subscribe to
- Equipment for access to television, Internet (TNT, fiber...)
- If the tenant and landlord have agreed to apply dilapidated grid, copy this grid
- If the accommodation is agreed with theAnah: titleContent, copy of the Anah Convention
- If the unit is in a condominium, an extract from the co-ownership rules. The excerpt relates to the destination of the building, the use of private and communal areas. It also indicates the share assigned to the dwelling for each category of charge.
If the dwelling is located in an area of unworthy habitat, the landlord (or the real estate agency) may be obliged, before letting the accommodation, to obtain in the town hall a prior authorization, or to deposit a statement against receipt. The authorization, or the declaration receipt, must be attached to the lease.
The landlord (or real estate agency) should contact the city hall to find out if the property is affected by this obligation:
Lease Duration
The lease must be concluded for a minimum period of:
- 3 years, where the owner is an individual,
- 6 years, when the owner is a legal entity (e.g. a business, an association).
By way of exception, the duration may be less than 3 years (or 6 years), but not less than 1 year, if the owner plans to resume his accommodation for family or business reasons. For example, a homeowner retires, forcing him to return to his home.
The reason for taking back the shorter term must be included in the lease.
The landlord must confirm to the tenant, at least 2 months before the end of the lease, that the event is completed and that he will resume the accommodation on the scheduled date. The owner must send this confirmation by registered letter with notice of receipt.
Where the event has not occurred or has not been confirmed, the lease must continue until the 3-year period.
Renewal of the lease
At the end of the lease, and in the absence of notice (leave) given by the owner or the tenant, the lease is:
- Be renewed on the proposal of the owner
- Be automatically renewed.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Telephone administrative information - Allo Public Service
For more information on this topic, you can contact Allô Service Public.
Attention: the service does not have access to users' personal files and cannot therefore provide information on their status.
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- 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)
Mandatory particulars
Empty dwelling: area difference
Particulars relating to agency costs
Empty or furnished housing: diagnostic folder
Empty or furnished housing: gas diagnosis
Empty or furnished housing: diagnosis electricity
Empty or furnished housing: asbestos diagnosis
Furnished accommodation: furnishing criteria since 1 September 2015
FAQ
Service-Public.fr
Legifrance
Ministry of the Environment