Tenant’s notice period : duration, starting point and calculation of the period

The starting point of the tenant’s notice period determines when the period ends and the rent remaining payable.

To avoid a disagreement with the owner or agency, you must check the applicable duration, the form of notice and the method of calculating the period. According to the official Service-Public.fr guide, omitting the reason or supporting document when required extends the period to 3 months, and late receipt of a registered letter postpones the end of the notice period accordingly.

Key points to remember

• For an unfurnished property, the notice period is generally 3 months, with several cases allowing it to be reduced to 1 month and one case allowing departure without notice when the property is dangerous or unfit for habitation, following prior steps with the landlord.
• For a furnished property serving as the main residence, the notice period is 1 month, including for a 9-month lease.
• Weekends and public holidays count towards the period. Notice received on 5 September expires at midnight on 5 October for 1 month, or at midnight on 5 December for 3 months.

What duration applies depending on the property and your situation

The first distinction to make concerns the type of residential tenancy agreement used for your main residence.

Unfurnished property

The normal period is three months. It may be reduced to one month in specific situations provided for by the authorities. There is also a case of leaving without notice when the property is dangerous or unfit for habitation, provided that the landlord has been informed of the defects found and steps have been taken to compel them to carry out the works.

The one-month period applies in particular:

• if the accommodation is located in a rent pressure zone, provided that the letter states the property’s address and the entitlement to the reduced one-month period under the applicable legislation;
• if you obtain social housing;
• if you receive RSA or AAH;
• if your state of health justifies a change of home;
• if you obtain your first job;
• if you lose your job, including in the event of a mutually agreed termination or the end of a fixed-term contract;
• if you are an employee or civil servant and have recently been subject to a work-related transfer in relation to the sending of the notice;
• if you are a victim of domestic violence, or if the child living with you is, with notice sent by recorded delivery with acknowledgement of receipt and accompanied by a protection order or a criminal conviction less than 6 months old;
• if you find a job again after losing employment during the same lease.

Furnished property

For a furnished property serving as your main residence, the notice period is 1 month. There is no need to explain the reason for leaving or provide supporting documents. This rule also applies when the lease lasts 9 months, for example for a student.

When the time limit really begins

The notice must be sent by recorded delivery with acknowledgement of receipt, served by a judicial officer or delivered by hand against signature or receipt. The period runs from the day on which the recipient receives the recorded-delivery letter, the day on which the document is served or the day on which it is delivered by hand. A recorded-delivery letter that is undelivered and returned to the sender does not constitute valid notice. An electronic recorded-delivery letter is valid only if the recipient, where they are a private individual, has previously agreed to this method of sending.

However, a simple email is not valid, even if its recipient replies by email that they accept it.

How to calculate the end of the notice period

The calculation is made from date to date, not from the end of one month to the end of another.

• A notice received on 5 September with one month's notice runs until midnight on 5 October.
• A notice received on 5 September with three months' notice runs until midnight on 5 December.

When the arrival date does not exist in the due month, the period ends on the last day of that month:

• for a one-month period beginning on 30 January, the deadline falls on the last day of February;
• for a three-month period beginning on 30 November, the deadline falls on the last day of February.

Weekends and public holidays are included. If the end of the notice period falls on a Sunday, the notice period ends on that Sunday, not on the preceding Friday or the following Monday.

You can find details on calculating the notice period.

Cases where the one-month period is often misunderstood

Area under pressure

For an unfurnished property located in a rent pressure zone, the reduced 1-month notice period applies only if the letter states the property’s address and the entitlement to this reduced period. If this information is missing, the notice period is 3 months.

Job loss and new job

In the event of job loss, this must have occurred before the notice was sent and remain close to the date of sending. In the event of a dispute, the protection litigation judge assesses on a case-by-case basis whether the notice was given too late or not.

The one-month period applies if the new job follows a loss of employment that occurred during the same tenancy. However, the period remains three months when the new job concerns someone who was already unemployed when they signed the tenancy agreement for the property they are leaving.

State of health

The one-month period applies when a person’s state of health requires a change of home because the accommodation is no longer suitable for their circumstances. This must be stated in the notice and supporting evidence attached, such as a medical certificate.

RSA and AAH

The reduced period concerns actual receipt of RSA or AAH, with supporting evidence.

Can you leave before the end of the notice period

You can physically leave the property before the end of the notice period, but this does not end the notice period. Rent and charges remain payable throughout this period, unless a new tenancy agreement is signed with another tenant who moves into the property before the end of the notice period.

For an unfurnished property, if you return the keys before the end of the notice period, it may also be reduced accordingly when the owner undertakes major renovation works.

There is also a specific situation without notice: when the property is dangerous or unfit for habitation, after notifying the landlord and taking the necessary steps.

Rent, charges and deposit during this period

If the notice period ends partway through a month, the rent and charges for the final month are payable pro rata according to the number of days for which you had use of the property.

The authorities give the following examples for a notice period ending on the 5th:

• 5/30th of the monthly amount if the last month has 30 days ;
• 5/31st if the last month has 31 days ;
• 5/28th if it has 28 days ;
• 5/29th if it has 29 days.

You cannot deduct the deposit from your final rents. If charges are paid by instalments, the final calculation for your last year of tenancy can only be made after the annual adjustment of the charges.

The landlord or agency can claim unpaid rent or charges for 3 years. The example given by the administration is as follows: a debt from July 2026 can be claimed until July 2029, even if the property was vacated in August 2026.

For homes let year-round on the Alabaster Coast, you can also view properties to rent year-round. Cabinet Soudey and its sister company PCG Gestion provide property management for residential tenancies, not seasonal lettings; practical information about this service is available on the firm’s property management page.

Frequently asked questions