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Key takeaways
- A congé must be in writing. Verbal notice has no legal effect.
- Delivery must be by LRAR (lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception), huissier de justice, or in-person remise contre récépissé.
- Tenant notice periods: 3 months (bail nu), 1 month (bail meublé, bail étudiant, bail mobilité, and all leases in zones tendues).
- Landlord notice periods: 6 months before lease end (bail nu), 3 months (bail meublé). Landlords may only give notice for three permitted reasons.
- The notice period starts from the date of first delivery attempt, not the date of actual receipt.
- A landlord congé that fails to state the required reason is legally void.
What is a congé?
In French tenancy law, a congé is a formal notice to terminate a residential lease. Either the tenant or the landlord can give a congé, but the rules differ significantly depending on which party is giving notice, the type of lease, and the location of the property.
Getting any element wrong — the format, the reason, the delivery method, or the timing — can make the notice legally void. If the notice is void, the lease continues as if it was never given. Both parties remain bound by its terms.
The primary legislation governing residential tenancy termination in France is the Loi n° 89-462 du 6 juillet 1989, supplemented by the Loi ALUR (2014) and subsequent decrees. Article 15 of the 1989 law sets out the rules for both tenant and landlord congé in detail.
Notice periods by lease type
The required notice period depends on the type of lease, who is giving notice, and — for tenants in bail nu leases — whether the property is in a zone tendue.
| Who gives notice | Lease type | Notice period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenant | Bail nu | 3 months | Reduced to 1 month in zones tendues or for qualifying personal reasons |
| Tenant | Bail meublé | 1 month | No reduction possible |
| Tenant | Bail étudiant | 1 month | Can leave at any time during the lease |
| Tenant | Bail mobilité | 1 month | Lease also ends automatically at term |
| Landlord | Bail nu | 6 months before lease end | Only for reprise, vente, or motif légitime et sérieux |
| Landlord | Bail meublé | 3 months before lease end | Same three reasons only |
| Landlord | Bail étudiant | Cannot terminate early | No early termination right for landlord |
| Landlord | Bail mobilité | Not applicable | Lease ends at term automatically — no congé required |
Zones tendues: In zones tendues (Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, and approximately 1,000 other communes), tenants in bail nu leases benefit from a reduced 1-month notice period instead of 3 months. Check whether your property is in a zone tendue on the government's official list at service-public.fr.
When tenants can reduce notice to 1 month (bail nu)
Outside zones tendues, a bail nu tenant can still give just 1 month's notice in specific circumstances. The qualifying reasons are:
- The property is in a zone tendue (as established by decree).
- The tenant has lost their job involuntarily (licenciement).
- The tenant has found a new job after a period of unemployment.
- The tenant is being transferred by their employer to another location (mutation professionnelle).
- The tenant is a beneficiary of RSA (revenu de solidarité active) or AAH (allocation aux adultes handicapés).
- The tenant's health requires a move, documented by a doctor.
- The tenant is aged 60 or over and their state of health requires a move to more suitable accommodation.
Warning: You must state the qualifying reason clearly in the notice letter and be prepared to provide supporting evidence. Stating a reason that does not apply makes the notice contestable. If challenged and the reason is found to be false, the standard 3-month notice period applies.
Permitted reasons for landlord congé
A landlord can only give a congé for one of three reasons set out in Article 15 of the Loi du 6 juillet 1989. The reason must be stated explicitly in the notice letter.
Reprise (personal use)
The landlord or a qualifying family member wishes to occupy the property as their principal residence. Qualifying family members include the landlord's spouse, civil partner (PACS), ascendants (parents, grandparents), and descendants (children, grandchildren). The beneficiary's full name and relationship to the landlord must be stated in the notice.
Vente (sale)
The landlord wishes to sell the property vacant. When the reason is vente, the tenant has a statutory right of pre-emption: they have the first option to purchase the property at the offered price. The congé letter must include the asking price and the proposed sale conditions. This right of pre-emption is governed by Article 15-II of the 1989 law.
Motif légitime et sérieux (legitimate and serious reason)
This ground covers persistent unpaid rent, serious breach of the lease terms (such as unauthorised subletting or causing significant disturbance to neighbours), or similar conduct. Courts interpret this ground narrowly and require documented evidence of the breach. A single missed payment is unlikely to qualify unless it forms part of a persistent pattern.
Warning: A congé that does not state one of these three reasons, or states a reason that is false, is void. The tenant can contest it before the juge des contentieux de la protection. Misuse of the reprise ground — for example, claiming personal use when the property is immediately re-let to another tenant — can result in significant financial penalties under Article 15-I of the 1989 law.
How to deliver the notice
The congé must be delivered by one of three legally recognised methods. Any other form of communication — including email, SMS, or ordinary post — has no legal effect as a congé.
LRAR (lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception)
Registered post with return receipt. This is the most common delivery method. The notice period starts from the date of the first delivery attempt, as recorded by La Poste — even if the recipient was not at home and did not collect the letter. Keep both the certificate of posting and the signed avis de réception (return receipt) when it comes back.
Huissier de justice (bailiff)
Delivery by a court-appointed bailiff (huissier de justice) is the most legally robust method. The bailiff prepares an official act (acte d'huissier) that constitutes irrefutable proof of delivery. Costs are typically 80–150 EUR. This method is particularly advisable for landlord congés, where the risk of a legal challenge is higher.
Remise en main propre contre récépissé ou émargement
In-person delivery with a signed receipt from the other party. The recipient must sign and date an acknowledgement of receipt. This method is rarely used in practice because it requires the cooperation of the other party.
Tip: Always keep your LRAR receipt and the signed avis de réception. These documents are your proof of the delivery date, which determines when the notice period starts. Without proof of the delivery date, you cannot establish when the lease ends.
Template notice letter (tenant)
Use the template below to draft your congé. Replace all text in square brackets with your own information before sending. If you are claiming a reduced 1-month notice period, include the optional sentence and specify your reason.
French version
À [Nom du propriétaire / bailleur] [Adresse du propriétaire]
Objet : Congé pour quitter le logement
Madame, Monsieur,
Par la présente, je vous informe de ma décision de mettre fin au bail portant sur le logement situé au [adresse complète du bien], à compter du [date de fin souhaitée].
Conformément à l’article 15 de la loi n° 89-462 du 6 juillet 1989, je vous adresse ce congé par lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception. [Si applicable : Je bénéficie d’un préavis réduit d’un mois en raison de [motif : zone tendue / perte d’emploi / mutation professionnelle / bénéficiaire RSA ou AAH / raisons de santé, etc.].]
Je reste à votre disposition pour convenir de la date et des modalités de l’état des lieux de sortie.
Veuillez agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.
[Signature] [Nom complet] [Date]
What the letter covers (English summary)
The template above includes the following elements required by French law:
- Identification of the parties: The tenant's name and the landlord's name and address.
- Property address: The full address of the rented property.
- Intended end date: The date on which the tenant intends the lease to end. This should be calculated from the expected delivery date plus the applicable notice period.
- Legal basis: Reference to Article 15 of the Loi du 6 juillet 1989.
- Delivery method stated: Confirmation that the notice is sent by LRAR.
- Qualifying reason (if applicable): The reason for a reduced 1-month notice period, where relevant.
- Offer to arrange the exit inspection: An état des lieux de sortie (exit condition report) is legally required and should be arranged by agreement between the parties.
Note: This template is for tenant congé only. Landlord congé letters require additional mandatory content: the stated reason for termination, the beneficiary's details (for reprise), or the sale terms (for vente). Using a specialist (notaire or ANIL adviser) for landlord congés is advisable.
Calculating the lease end date
The notice period starts on the date of the first delivery attempt, as recorded by La Poste or the bailiff. For LRAR, this is the date shown on the tracking record — even if the recipient was not at home when delivery was attempted and collected the letter later (or never collected it).
Count forward from that date by the applicable notice period (1 month or 3 months). The lease ends on the same calendar day of the month at the end of that period. If the relevant day does not exist in the end month (for example, 31 January + 1 month in a 28-day February), the lease ends on the last day of that month.
| Scenario | Notice deemed received | Notice period | Lease ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bail meublé tenant in Paris | 14 March 2026 | 1 month | 14 April 2026 |
| Bail nu tenant outside zone tendue | 1 June 2026 | 3 months | 1 September 2026 |
| Bail nu tenant in zone tendue | 20 July 2026 | 1 month | 20 August 2026 |
| Landlord congé (bail nu) | 30 November 2025 (lease ends 31 May 2026) | 6 months | 31 May 2026 (lease end date) |
| Bail nu tenant (licenciement) | 31 January 2026 | 1 month (qualifying reason) | 28 February 2026 |
Landlord congé timing: For bail nu, the landlord's notice must be delivered at least 6 months before the lease expiry date. For bail meublé, the notice must arrive at least 3 months before lease expiry. If it arrives late, the notice is not invalid — it simply pushes the effective termination date to the next lease renewal, as the minimum period cannot be shortened by late delivery.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Legifrance — Article 15 de la loi n° 89-462 du 6 juillet 1989 tendant à améliorer les rapports locatifs
- Service-public.fr — Congé donné par le locataire
- ANIL (Agence nationale pour l'information sur le logement) — Le congé donné par le locataire
- Legifrance — Décret relatif aux zones tendues (zones géographiques se caractérisant par un déséquilibre entre l'offre et la demande de logements)