A new 'tenant's guide' attached to French leases: what newcomers should know from it

On 17 October 2026 the Journal officiel published an order (arrêté) dated 9 October 2026 that fully replaces the annex to the order of 29 May 2015, known as the notice d'information: the information note attached to leases for a tenant's main home (résidence principale). Under its article 2, the new order applies to leases signed or renewed after it comes into force. It does not retroactively rewrite leases already running.

This follows the reform we covered in early October, when the standard lease forms themselves were updated. Now the note that goes with them has been updated too.

Why this note is worth reading

Its preamble says it plainly: the note sets out the main rights and obligations of both parties. For someone renting in France for the first time, it is effectively an official tenant's handbook written by the State. It is worth reading before signing, not at the first dispute with the landlord. Below are the points newcomers most often miss.

A guarantor can be a foreigner

The note states that a landlord cannot refuse a guarantor (caution) on the grounds that the guarantor does not hold French nationality or does not live in metropolitan France. It also mentions Visale, a free rental guarantee granted by Action Logement under certain conditions. One more rule: if the landlord has already taken out insurance, they cannot also demand a guarantor, on pain of nullity, except when the home is let to a student or an apprentice.

The deposit: how much, and when it comes back

• Unfurnished: at most one month's rent excluding charges. Furnished: at most two.
• It must be returned within two months of handing back the keys. If the move-out inventory (état des lieux) matches the move-in one, the deadline drops to one month.
• For each month of delay started, the amount owed is increased by 10% of the monthly rent.

The état des lieux is not a formality

An inventory of the home's condition is drawn up on moving in and on moving out. If there is no move-in inventory, the home is presumed to have been handed over in good condition unless the tenant proves otherwise. The practical lesson: anything broken or damaged on arrival should go into the move-in inventory.

Notice when leaving

• Unfurnished: three months in principle. It is cut to one month if the home is in a zone tendue (the list of municipalities is set by decree), and in situations such as a first job, a job transfer, job loss, health grounds, receiving RSA or being allocated social housing.
• Furnished: one month.
• The landlord, for their part, must give notice at least six months before the end of the lease (unfurnished) or three months (furnished).

What the landlord must do

Let a logement décent, which includes a minimum energy performance. According to the table in the note, for metropolitan France the minimum DPE class is F from 1 January 2025, E from 2028 and D from 2034. At signing, the landlord hands over the technical diagnostics file, including the DPE. A lesser-known provision: the home must be let free of any infestation by pests and parasites. The tenant, for their part, is invited to follow the preventive measures against bedbugs published on stop-punaises.gouv.fr.

On request, the landlord provides a rent receipt (quittance) free of charge; no fees may be charged for the payment notice or the receipt.

What the tenant must do

Pay rent and charges on the date set in the lease, and insure against risques locatifs, which the note lists as mainly water damage, fire and explosion. Mind the scope: this is about risks to the dwelling; insuring your own belongings is not part of that list.

If a dispute arises

The period after which a rental claim can no longer be brought to court is, as a rule, three years. Before going to court, either side can turn to the commission départementale de conciliation (CDC), which tries to reconcile the parties and must deal with the dispute within two months. The note also recalls the trêve hivernale: from 1 November to 31 March, tenants cannot be evicted. Among useful contacts, it lists the ADIL, the departmental housing information agencies.

What to do

If a lease is being signed or renewed in the coming months, it is worth checking that the notice d'information is attached, and reading it. The order and the full note are on Legifrance. This is an outline of the general rules, not an analysis of any particular situation; a disputed case is one to take to an ADIL.

Source: Arrêté du 9 octobre 2026, JORF n° 0243 du 17 octobre 2026, texte n° 29 (Legifrance), Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0.