A French residential lease under the loi ALUR is a tenancy agreement drafted on the standard contract set by decree, which has been mandatory since 1 August 2015 for main residences let unfurnished or furnished. It must be in writing, include the information required by Article 3 of the law of 6 July 1989 and come with several annexes. For a lease signed or renewed from 1 October 2026, the template also includes a rewritten termination clause.
This guide is based on official texts. For a specific situation, the ADIL (local housing information agency) in your département can help.
What did the loi ALUR change for residential leases?
Law no. 2014-366 of 24 March 2014, known as the loi ALUR, amended the law of 6 July 1989 that governs residential leases. Among other things, it introduced a standard contract and set a framework for the move-in inspection, property diagnostics, supporting documents and letting fees, as summarised by the French housing ministry.
The standard contract was set by Decree no. 2015-587 of 29 May 2015. According to the ANIL, it applies to leases signed since 1 August 2015 for unfurnished or furnished lettings (excluding the bail mobilité) and single-lease house shares that are the tenant's main residence. Seasonal lets and second homes, for example, are not covered. The parties may add specific clauses, provided they comply with the law. Always use the version of the template in force on the signing date.
What information must the lease contain?
Article 3 of the law of 6 July 1989 and the standard contract list the required information. According to the Service Public page on drafting a residential lease (in French), this includes in particular:
- The parties: name and address of the landlord (and, where applicable, of the managing agent), name of the tenant or tenants.
- The start date and duration of the lease.
- The property: location, intended use, description and facilities, living area, tax identification number and energy performance (DPE) class (these two items do not apply in the overseas départements).
- Works carried out since the last lease or renewal, with their nature and cost.
- The rent: amount, payment terms, any review rules, and the last rent charged to the previous tenant if they left less than 18 months ago.
- Service charges (how they are paid) and the security deposit, if any.
- Estimated heating costs, with the reference year of the energy prices used.
Where rents are capped, the lease also states the reference rent, the increased reference rent and, where applicable, the rent supplement and its justification. If a professional is involved in letting the property, the lease reproduces the rules on sharing letting fees.
What duration and security deposit apply?
According to Service Public, the minimum duration is 3 years for an unfurnished property let by an individual and 6 years if the landlord is a legal entity. A term of at least 1 year is possible if the landlord plans to take the property back for a specific family or professional reason, stated in the lease. A furnished property is let for 1 year, or 9 months if it is let to a student.
If a security deposit is requested, it is stated in the lease. It cannot exceed 1 month's rent excluding charges for an unfurnished letting and 2 months for a furnished one; it is prohibited if rent is payable quarterly in advance (Service Public). For return deadlines and deductions, see our article on security deposit rules.
Which annexes must be attached to the lease?
According to Service Public and the ANIL, the annexes include in particular:
- The technical diagnostics file: DPE, lead exposure report, reports on electrical and gas installations more than 15 years old, and the risk and noise-zone reports in the areas concerned. Details are in our article on mandatory property diagnostics.
- The information notice on the rights and obligations of tenants and landlords.
- The move-in inspection report, then the move-out report (see our move-in inspection guide).
- The certificate of insurance against tenant risks.
- In a co-owned building, an extract from the co-ownership rules; for a furnished letting, the detailed furniture inventory and condition report.
- Where applicable: guarantor's deed, agreed wear-and-tear grid, Anah agreement, authorisation or declaration receipt in municipalities that require one before letting.
What changes for leases signed from 1 October 2026?
Decree no. 2026-596 of 6 July 2026 amended the standard contracts. According to the ANIL, these provisions apply to leases signed or renewed from 1 October 2026:
- the lease must contain a clause providing for automatic termination for non-payment of rent or charges, or for non-payment of the security deposit; it only takes effect six weeks after a formal demand for payment (commandement de payer) has gone unanswered;
- it may also provide for automatic termination for failure to take out tenant risk insurance (one month after a formal demand), for neighbourhood nuisance established by a final court decision, or for breach of the main-residence obligation in the areas concerned.
If you reuse an older template, check that it includes these changes before your next signature or renewal.
Which clauses are prohibited in a residential lease?
Some clauses are prohibited: if they appear in the lease, they must not be applied. Service Public mentions in particular clauses that:
- require automatic direct debit as the method of paying rent;
- forbid the tenant from hosting people who do not usually live with them;
- charge fees for issuing or sending rent receipts.
The full list of clauses deemed unwritten is in Article 4 of the law of 6 July 1989: read it before adding a specific clause.
How should the rent review clause be drafted?
Without a review clause, rent cannot be reviewed during the lease. With one, the review takes place once a year and the increase is capped by the year-on-year change in the rent reference index (IRL) published by Insee (Service Public). The clause states the review date and the IRL reference quarter.
The review is neither automatic nor retroactive: the landlord must inform the tenant. In mainland France, for leases signed, renewed or tacitly extended since 24 August 2022, it is prohibited if the property is rated F or G on the DPE.
Can the lease be signed electronically?
Yes, but it is not the loi ALUR that provides for it: that law deals with the content of the lease (standard contract, required information, annexes). The legal value of electronic documents and signatures comes from the French Civil Code and EU law:
- Article 1366 of the Civil Code gives an electronic document the same evidential value as a paper one, if its author can be identified and it is created and stored in conditions that ensure its integrity;
- Article 1367 defines an electronic signature as the use of a reliable identification process guaranteeing its link with the document, with reliability presumed when the conditions set by decree are met;
- the eIDAS Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 provides that an electronic signature cannot be denied legal effect solely because it is electronic, and that a qualified electronic signature has a legal effect equivalent to a handwritten signature (summary by ANSSI, in French).
Whether signed electronically or on paper, the lease follows the same standard contract and has the same annexes.
Checklist before the lease is signed
- Does the template match the standard contract in force on the signing date?
- Are the living area, tax identification number, DPE class and previous tenant's last rent filled in?
- Does the security deposit respect the applicable cap?
- Does the review clause state the review date and the IRL reference quarter?
- For a lease signed or renewed from 1 October 2026, does the termination clause follow the new wording?
- Are all annexes attached, and is it certain that no specific clause is prohibited?
Keep the lease and its annexes in one place
A lease comes with many documents you need to find throughout the tenancy. HelloRento lets you centralise properties, tenants, contracts and documents, and generate rent receipts and rental documents. To find out more, see HelloRento's features.
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