Renting in Paris: how it works for Australians

In Paris you don't win a flat by turning up first. You win it with the best paperwork, so build your file before you start looking.

The short version

Furnished leases run for at least one year with one month's notice. Unfurnished leases run for at least three years with three months' notice, in most cases [2].
The deposit is capped at one month's rent for unfurnished and two months for furnished homes, excluding charges [3].
Paris has rent control. Base rent can't exceed the official upper reference rent for that type of flat, and the cap must be shown in the lease [1].
Landlords can only ask for documents on an official list, and no money can change hands before you sign [5].
Agency fees charged to tenants are capped per square metre [4].

How the Paris market works

Good flats in popular areas get dozens of enquiries within hours. Agents and landlords then pick the strongest dossier, the rental application file. That usually means stable income comfortably above the rent, a French guarantor or a recognised guarantee, and every document ready to go.

That's tough for new arrivals with no French payslips. The good news is that French law gives tenants more protection than you'd get in Sydney or Melbourne, and plenty of Australians find a place within a few weeks once they understand the system.

Furnished or unfurnished?

This choice changes almost everything about your lease.

	Unfurnished (location vide)	Furnished (location meublée)
Minimum lease	3 years, with exceptions [2]	1 year, or 9 months for students [2]
Tenant's notice	3 months, or 1 month in specific cases [2]	1 month [2]
Maximum deposit	1 month's rent, excluding charges [3]	2 months' rent, excluding charges [3]
Mobility lease (bail mobilité)	Not applicable	No deposit allowed [3]
Leave whenever you like?	Yes, with notice [2]	Yes, with notice [2]

Most Australians start furnished. You don't need to buy a fridge, and one month's notice gives you room to move once you know the city better. A furnished flat must include a minimum list of furniture and equipment set by law, so "furnished" means more than a mattress on the floor.

The rent cap, explained

Paris applies rent control to leases signed or renewed since 1 July 2019 [1]. Every flat falls into a category based on whether it's furnished, how many rooms it has, its neighbourhood and when the building was built. For each category, the authorities publish a lower reference rent and an upper reference rent [1].

The rules:

Your base rent, before charges, can't go above the upper reference rent in force when you sign [1].
The lease and the listing must both show the base rent, the reference rent and the upper reference rent [1].
A landlord can add a complément de loyer only if the flat has genuinely exceptional features, such as a terrace or a rare view, and only if the base rent already equals the upper reference rent [1].
That supplement is banned for leases signed since 18 August 2022 if the flat has certain defects, including an F or G energy rating [1].

Check any listing with the official DRIHL reference rent simulator before you sign. If the rent is too high, you can seek a reduction and a refund, and landlords face fines of €5,000 for individuals and €15,000 for companies [1]. You have three months after signing to contest a rent supplement before the conciliation commission [1].

One thing to watch: Service Public says the current Paris rent cap applies to leases signed or renewed until 24 November 2026 [1][6]. Check whether it has been extended when you sign.

Building a dossier that wins

French law limits what landlords can ask for. They can't demand anything off the official list, and asking for unauthorised documents can bring a fine of up to €3,000 [5].

What you can be asked for [5]:

ID: your passport or a residence permit.
Proof of address: your last three rent receipts, a previous landlord's letter, or a sworn letter from the person hosting you.
Proof of work: an employment contract, an employer's letter or a student card.
Proof of income: your last three payslips or your latest tax notice. If your income isn't taxed in France, the equivalent foreign tax notice works.

All copies must be in French or translated into French, and amounts converted to euros [5]. So an ATO notice of assessment will need a translation. Landlords can't legally ask for bank statements, a photo or a letter from your bank about your account history, as those aren't on the list [5].

The guarantor problem

Most landlords want a guarantor living in France. Few Australians have one. Your options:

Visale: a guarantee from Action Logement. Landlords can only ask for the Visale certificate itself [5]. Check on the Visale site whether you qualify, as eligibility depends on your age and situation.
A company guarantee: some employers or private firms provide one.
Furnished flats via relocation agencies: pricier, but often geared to foreigners without French history.

The state-run DossierFacile service lets you build a verified digital file to share with landlords.

Fees, inventories and getting your deposit back

Agency fees

If you rent through an agent, the fees you pay are capped. In the tightest rental zones the limit is €12.10 per square metre for visits, file handling and the lease, plus €3.03 per square metre for the entry inventory [4]. For a 25 square metre studio that's at most €302.50 plus €75.75 [4]. The tenant also never pays more than the landlord does [4].

The inventory

The état des lieux at entry and exit decides whether you get your deposit back. Go through every mark, take dated photos and make sure everything is written down.

Deposit return

Your landlord has one month to return your deposit if the exit inventory matches the entry one, and two months if it doesn't [3]. Deductions need proof, such as quotes, invoices or photos. If the money is late, the landlord owes an extra 10% of the monthly rent for each month started [3]. Leave a forwarding address when you hand back the keys, or you lose that penalty [3].

Scams and red flags

Money before signing. Illegal. No sum can be requested before the lease is signed, not even a reservation fee [5].
"I'm overseas, I'll post the keys." A classic scam. Never pay for a flat you haven't seen.
Listings far below the market. If a two-bedder in the Marais costs the same as a studio in the 19th, walk away.
Missing reference rent. If a listing doesn't show the reference rent, ask why [1].

Need a second opinion on a listing or lease clause? Post it in Cooee France, our Facebook group for Australians in France. Someone has usually seen the same trick before.

A practical order of play

Book a short-term furnished place for your first month.
Get your documents together and translated.
Create a DossierFacile file and check Visale eligibility.
Check each listing against the reference rent simulator.
Visit, apply fast and keep your phone on.
Read the lease, do the inventory carefully and keep every receipt.

Renting in Paris: the dossier, the deposit and the rent cap