Mobility lease in Paris: the owner’s guide

The mobility lease (bail mobilité) lets you rent out a furnished home for 1 to 10 months to someone who is on the move: internship, assignment, training or studies. It is an alternative to short-term holiday rentals, especially in Paris where these are tightly regulated. Here are the key rules for owners.

Who can rent under a mobility lease?

On the date the lease takes effect, the tenant must be in one of the situations set out by law, and provide proof of it:

• vocational training;
• higher education;
• an apprenticeship contract;
• an internship;
• voluntary civic service (service civique);
• a work relocation;
• a temporary work assignment.

The home must be decent and furnished, with the minimum furniture required by law and an inventory signed at move-in and move-out.

Duration: 1 to 10 months, non-renewable

The lease is signed for 1 to 10 months. It can be neither renewed nor extended automatically. Its duration can be changed only once, by an amendment, up to a total of 10 months. If the tenant stays longer, a new standard furnished lease must be signed.

The tenant can leave at any time with one month’s notice, by registered letter, bailiff’s deed or hand delivery against a receipt.

No security deposit, but a guarantor is possible

A security deposit is prohibited. The owner may, however, ask for a guarantor; the tenant can also use the Visale guarantee, including students. Joint and several liability clauses between flatmates are prohibited.

Rent and charges

• In Paris, rent is subject to rent control (encadrement des loyers): it must not exceed the increased reference rent for a comparable furnished home in the area.
• The rent cannot be revised during the lease.
• Charges are paid as a fixed monthly amount, set in the lease and paid with the rent, with no year-end adjustment.

Mandatory clauses in the lease

The contract must state, among other things: the identity of the parties, the start date and duration, the reason for mobility, a description of the home (living area, amenities, internet access), the rent and payment terms, and the fact that a security deposit is prohibited. The technical diagnostics file, the move-in and move-out reports and the furniture inventory are attached.

Mobility lease or holiday rental?

The mobility lease is a residential lease: it is not subject to the rules for furnished tourist accommodation (night cap for a main residence, listing registration). It suits owners who are away for several months, or who want a steady income outside the high season. Each situation still needs to be checked case by case.

Sources: Service-Public.fr — bail mobilité (in French); French law no. 89-462 of 6 July 1989, Title I ter. This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice.