Letting your property: what the law says.

The reference text

Residential leases are governed by Law No. 2018-12 of 2 July 2018, amended by Law No. 2021-02 of 7 January 2021. A standard lease contract was introduced following this reform.

Advance rent and deposit: three months maximum

The law limits the advance rent a landlord may collect to three months' rent, and the deposit paid as a guarantee to three months' rent. Before the reform, demands of six to twelve months were common.

In July 2026, the government restated this cap: a landlord who demands more faces prosecution.

For landlords, respecting these caps is not just an obligation: it is also an argument to attract good tenants.

A written lease and an inventory

• A written lease setting out the rent, its payment date, the term and the termination conditions.
• A detailed move-in inventory, with photos, signed by both parties.
• Receipts for each rent payment collected.
• A move-out inventory compared with the move-in one before returning the deposit.

When rent is unpaid

Start with a friendly written reminder. If the arrears persist, a formal notice, properly served, must precede any action to terminate the lease. Never evict a tenant yourself or cut off water or electricity: only a court decision allows this.

A landlord living abroad?

Distance makes everything harder: viewings, collection, reminders, maintenance. A management mandate entrusted to a professional, with a monthly report, means you no longer depend on a relative's goodwill.