How to Give Notice as Tenant in France (Congé Locataire)

A tenant in France has the right to terminate the lease at any time — far more flexible than the landlord’s right, which is restricted to specific grounds at end of term. The mechanism is called the congé locataire (tenant’s notice). Done correctly, it ends the lease cleanly with no dispute. Done incorrectly, it can leave the tenant liable for an additional rent period or for the cost of professional notice service. This guide walks through the process step by step.

Step 1. Identify the Notice Period

The notice period depends on the lease regime and (for bail nu) on the geographic location:

Zones tendues are listed in Décret n°2013-392 and updated periodically. Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Nice, Montpellier, Nantes, Strasbourg, Rennes and most of their suburbs are included. The full list is on service-public.fr.

Source — Loi 89-462 art. 15-I: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/article_lc/LEGIARTI000041419739

Step 2. Identify Reduced-Notice Triggers

A tenant in bail nu outside zone tendue (otherwise 3 months) can reduce the notice to 1 month if any of the following grounds apply (Loi 89-462 art. 15-I):

• Job loss (perte d’emploi) — termination of CDI other than for misconduct.
• First job (obtention d’un premier emploi) — for tenants previously unemployed.
• Job transfer (mutation professionnelle).
• Medical reasons — a doctor’s certificate stating a need to move.
• Recipient of RSA (revenu de solidarité active) or AAH (allocation aux adultes handicapés).
• Allocation of social housing (logement HLM).
• Aged 60+ with health issues making the current property unsuitable.

The reduced-notice trigger must be evidenced — typically by attaching the relevant document (employer letter, doctor’s certificate, etc.) to the notice.

Step 3. Draft the Notice

The notice must be in writing and contain:

• The date of dispatch.
• The tenant’s full name and address.
• The landlord’s full name and address (or the agency).
• The address of the rented property.
• A clear statement that the tenant terminates the lease.
• The date the notice expires (computed from the dispatch date + notice period).
• If a reduced notice is invoked, the ground and supporting documents.
• The tenant’s signature.

A template letter:

“Madame, Monsieur, Conformément à l’article 15-I de la loi n°89-462 du 6 juillet 1989, je vous notifie par la présente mon congé du logement situé au [adresse]. La présente lettre vaut préavis de [3 mois / 1 mois]. Mon départ effectif sera donc le [date]. [Le cas échéant: J’invoque le préavis réduit pour [motif], dont vous trouverez justificatif joint.]”

Step 4. Choose a Service Method

The notice must be served by one of three methods (Loi 89-462 art. 15-I al. 2):

• Lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception (LRAR) — registered letter with proof of receipt. Most common method.
• Acte d’huissier — bailiff service. More formal; necessary if the tenant fears the landlord will dispute receipt.
• Remise en main propre contre récépissé ou émargement — physical handover with signed acknowledgement.

The notice period starts on the date the landlord receives the notice (date of receipt of the LRAR, date of bailiff service, or date of signed handover) — not on the date of dispatch.

For LRAR: if the landlord does not collect the letter within 15 days, the notice is still effective on the date of “présentation” by La Poste, but disputes are common. Bailiff service is the most secure method for sensitive cases.

Step 5. Calculate the Effective Departure Date

The effective departure date is the date the notice period expires. For example:

• Notice received by landlord on 15 March, 1-month notice → departure 15 April.
• Notice received on 15 March, 3-month notice → departure 15 June.

Until the effective departure date, the tenant remains fully liable for:

• Rent.
• Charges.
• Maintenance obligations.
• Insurance.

The tenant cannot simply hand back the keys early to escape the rent obligation — unless the landlord agrees in writing.

Step 6. The Move-Out State of the Property

Before handing back the keys:

• Inventory — schedule a contradictory état des lieux de sortie with the landlord (or agent). Loi 89-462 art. 3-2 requires this for both nu and meublé.
• The état des lieux de sortie is compared to the état des lieux d’entrée signed at the start of the lease.
• Any damages beyond fair wear and tear can be deducted from the dépôt de garantie.

Disputes are common — keep timestamped photographs of every room before signing the inventory.

Step 7. The Deposit Return

The landlord must return the dépôt de garantie within (Loi 89-462 art. 22):

• 1 month if no damage is recorded in the état des lieux de sortie.
• 2 months if damages are recorded and deductions made.

The landlord can deduct:

• Cost of repairs for damages caused by the tenant (with invoices).
• Unpaid rent or charges.
• Provisional retention of up to 20% pending the annual reconciliation of charges (régularisation des charges).

If the landlord exceeds the deadline, statutory interest applies under Loi 89-462 art. 22 al. 5: the deposit accrues interest at 10% of the monthly rent per month of delay. So a €1,000 deposit on a €1,200/month rent, returned 3 months late, accrues €360 of statutory interest.

Source — Service-public.fr — congé locataire: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1168

Step 8. Service Continuity

On departure:

• Cancel utilities (electricity, gas, water, internet) by sending termination notices to each provider.
• Notify the mairie if the tenant has been registered for any local service.
• Update the assurance habitation (home insurance) to terminate or transfer.
• For tenants receiving APL (aide personnalisée au logement), notify the CAF of the departure.

Step 9. Joint Tenants

In the case of joint tenants:

• Each tenant must sign the congé for it to terminate the lease for them.
• One tenant alone can give notice for themselves only — the lease continues for the other tenant(s).
• A clause de solidarité in the lease may continue financial liability for the departing tenant for up to 6 months after departure (or until a replacement is found, whichever is sooner) — under Loi ALUR 2014.

This is a critical trap for departing co-tenants — the clause de solidarité means moving out does not necessarily end the rent obligation.

Step 10. Common Mistakes — Gyoseishoshi View

• Sending the notice by email. Email is not a valid method. LRAR, huissier, or signed handover only.
• Calculating the notice from the dispatch date. It runs from the receipt by the landlord.
• Reduced notice without evidence. A claim of job loss must be supported by the employer’s termination letter.
• Vacating early without keys handover. Liability for rent continues until the effective end of notice and key handover.
• Skipping the état des lieux de sortie. This signs away the chance to recover the deposit cleanly. If the landlord refuses to attend, send a registered letter setting a date and conduct the inventory unilaterally with photos.
• Forgetting clause de solidarité. Departing co-tenants should agree with remaining tenants in writing on rent allocation.
• Wrong notice period. Bail nu inside zone tendue is 1 month, not 3. Check the Décret 2013-392 list for the property’s commune.
• Forgetting to return the keys. The lease formally ends only when keys are returned, even if the notice period has elapsed.

Step 11. The MmowW Scrib🐮 Workflow

Cell #9 (FR Lease) generates the congé pack:

• Notice letter tailored to the lease type and zone.
• Calculation of the effective departure date.
• Reduced-notice trigger checklist with evidence prompts.
• État des lieux de sortie template.
• Deposit return tracking.

The system stores the LRAR receipt date and computes statutory interest if the deposit return is late.

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Disclaimer

This article provides legal information, not legal advice. MmowW Scrib🐮 is a document preparation service operated by a licensed Gyoseishoshi (行政書士) office in Japan. We are not avocats, notaires, or experts-comptables.

Sources

• Loi 89-462 art. 15-I: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/article_lc/LEGIARTI000041419739
• Loi 89-462 art. 22 (deposit): https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/article_lc/LEGIARTI000037671116
• Service-public.fr — congé du locataire: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1168
• Service-public.fr — état des lieux: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1336