Last updated: October 2026. Rules checked against Service-Public.fr, ANIL and ADIL de Paris.
In short: these are the French words you will meet when renting a home in France, with the key rule for each. The terms follow the order in which you usually meet them.
The lease
Bail (lease)
The written rental contract between landlord and tenant. Its type decides its duration, the deposit and the notice period. For the differences, read our guide: which lease should expats choose.
Bail vide (unfurnished lease)
A lease for an empty home: the tenant brings the furniture. The minimum duration is three years when the landlord is an individual (Service-Public.fr).
Bail meublé (furnished lease)
A lease for a furnished home. The minimum duration is one year, and the lease is renewable (Service-Public.fr).
Bail mobilité (mobility lease)
A short lease of one to ten months, which cannot be renewed (Service-Public.fr). It is designed for tenants in a temporary situation.
Bail Code civil (Civil Code lease)
A lease whose terms, including the duration, are negotiated more freely. As I explain in the guide above, it is often used for secondary residences or for atypical profiles such as non-French tax residents. Agency fees are not capped either in this case (see Fees below). Ask for advice before signing.
The apartment
Studio, T1, T2, T3 (apartment types)
In French listings, the number counts the main rooms: the living room and the bedrooms. The kitchen, bathroom, toilets and hallway are not counted. A studio is a single room with a kitchenette, a T2 (also written F2) is a living room and one bedroom, and a T3 is a living room and two bedrooms. The number says nothing about the surface, so always check the area.
Surface habitable (living area)
The floor area that counts as living space in a rental. It is used, for example, to calculate the cap on agency fees (see below; ANIL).
DPE (energy performance diagnosis)
A diagnosis that rates a home’s energy use and greenhouse-gas emissions from A to G. Since 1 January 2025, a home rated G can no longer be rented; the ban extends to F in 2028 and to E in 2034 (Service-Public.fr).
Copropriété and syndic
A copropriété is a building whose apartments belong to several owners. The syndic manages the building on their behalf. As a tenant, your contract is with your landlord or its agency.
Gardien (caretaker)
The employee who looks after the building, also called the concierge. Under certain conditions, part of the caretaker’s salary can be passed on to tenants as service charges (Service-Public.fr).
Money
Loyer hors charges (rent excluding charges)
The rent without the service charges. It is the base used to calculate the security deposit cap.
Loyer charges comprises (rent including charges)
The rent plus the monthly payment for charges. When you compare listings, check which of the two figures is shown.
Dépôt de garantie (security deposit)
A sum paid at signing, which the landlord keeps as protection against unpaid rent or damage. It cannot exceed one month of rent excluding charges for an unfurnished home, or two months for a furnished one (Service-Public.fr).
Garant (guarantor)
A person or organisation who commits to pay the rent if the tenant cannot. Many foreign tenants have no French guarantor: our guide explains the options.
Visale
A free guarantee for eligible tenants. Eligibility depends on your situation (age, job, income): see our guide.
Service charges
Charges (service charges)
Expenses paid by the landlord that can be passed on to the tenant. Only the items on an exhaustive legal list can be charged, for example water, heating, the lift and the upkeep of common areas. Ask what is included before signing (Service-Public.fr).
Provisions sur charges and régularisation (monthly advance and yearly adjustment)
Charges are usually paid as regular monthly advances of the same amount, with an annual adjustment against the real expenses. The landlord must be able to justify the amounts charged (Service-Public.fr).
Fees
Frais d’agence (agency fees)
Fees charged by the real estate agency that handles the lease. They are shared between landlord and tenant, and, for a lease governed by the 1989 rental law (a main residence), the tenant’s share is capped by law. In Paris and many surrounding communes, the cap is €12.10 per m² of living area since 1 January 2026, for the visits, the application file and the lease drafting. A separate cap of €3.03 per m² applies if the agency carries out the entry condition report (ADIL de Paris). With a Civil Code lease, these caps do not apply: agency fees are freely set and, in my experience, can reach up to 15% of the annual rent plus VAT.
My fees as a relocation agent
The fees of a relocation agent like me are different from the agency’s fees. The agency’s fees pay for its own work on the lease and, for main-residence leases, are capped by law for the tenant. My fees pay for my own service as your relocation agent (search, support and settling in) and are agreed directly with me.
Moving in, living there and leaving
Assurance habitation (home insurance)
The tenant must take out home insurance covering at least rental risks, meaning fire, water damage and explosion (Service-Public.fr).
État des lieux (condition report)
A written document describing the state of the home and its equipment, made together by tenant and landlord (or agency) when the tenant moves in, and again when the tenant leaves, so the two can be compared (Service-Public.fr).
Préavis (notice period)
The notice a tenant gives before leaving. It is three months for an unfurnished home, with exceptions, and one month for a furnished home. It is also one month in a tight-market zone, if the notice letter says so (Service-Public.fr).
Zone tendue (tight-market zone)
An area where housing demand exceeds supply. In such an area the notice for an unfurnished home is one month. Check your commune with the official simulator.
Need help?
I help English-speaking tenants and employees through the whole process, from the housing search to settling in. See our relocation services, read our FAQ, or book a free 30-minute call.
Sources
Service-Public.fr: drafting a housing lease · furnished rentals · mobility lease · security deposit · service charges · energy performance ban · tenant home insurance · entry condition report · tenant notice period · ADIL de Paris: agency fees · ANIL: agency fee caps