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Renting in France requires a dossier de location — a package of supporting documents that proves your identity, income, and stability to the landlord. The documents required are standardised by law: the décret du 5 novembre 2015 (décret Alur) specifies exactly which documents a landlord may and may not request. Knowing what to prepare — and what you are legally entitled to refuse — will help you move faster and avoid unnecessary rejections.
Key takeaways
- The décret Alur 2015 defines an exhaustive list of permitted and forbidden documents.
- Four categories of document are needed: identity, proof of address, professional status, and income.
- Landlords may not ask for a bank RIB, bank statements, or a photo during initial application.
- Income must generally total at least 3 times the monthly rent — though this is practice, not law.
- DossierFacile is the free French government platform for building and verifying your rental dossier.
- Guarantors (garants) must provide the same categories of document as the tenant.
The legal framework: what landlords can and cannot request
The décret n° 2015-1437 du 5 novembre 2015, known as the décret Alur, defines an exhaustive list of documents that landlords and agents are permitted to request from prospective tenants. Requesting any document not on this list is unlawful. This applies equally to private landlords and professional letting agents.
The law was introduced to prevent discriminatory or intrusive vetting practices that had become widespread before 2015. It gives tenants a clear legal basis to refuse requests they consider unlawful — without prejudicing their application in any formal sense.
⚠ Warning: A landlord who requests documents outside this list — such as a photo, a bank RIB, a marriage certificate, or full bank statements — is acting illegally. You are entitled to refuse. You can report non-compliant requests to the DGCCRF (Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes) at signal.conso.gouv.fr.
Category 1: Identity documents
The landlord may request one of the following. You are not required to provide more than one.
- National identity card (carte nationale d'identité) — for French or EU/EEA nationals.
- Passport — for any nationality.
- Residence permit (titre de séjour) — for non-EU nationals.
- Driving licence — only where it constitutes a valid photo ID in the country of issue.
For non-EU nationals, the titre de séjour must be valid for the duration of the lease or clearly renewable. A landlord cannot refuse an application solely because the titre de séjour was issued by a non-French authority, provided it is valid and legally recognised.
💡 Tip: If your titre de séjour is being renewed, carry the récépissé de demande de renouvellement. Landlords should accept this as evidence of your continued legal right of residence while the renewal is processed.
Category 2: Proof of current address
The landlord may request one document proving your current address. Accepted documents are:
- Last three electricity, gas, or water bills.
- Last three telephone or internet (box) bills.
- Last three months of rent receipts (quittances de loyer) from your current landlord.
- Your most recent tax notice (avis d'imposition) showing your current address.
- A letter from a host (hébergeur) confirming you are staying at their address, together with their own proof of address and identity document.
If you have recently arrived in France and cannot produce any of the above, a letter from Wunderflats or your accommodation provider confirming your current stay can sometimes substitute, particularly for short-stay or furnished rental applications. Check with the landlord or agent in advance.
ℹ Info: If you are moving to France from abroad and have no French address history, a host letter (attestation d'hébergement) is the standard solution. The host must include a copy of their own identity document and proof of address alongside the letter.
Category 3: Professional status
One document confirming your professional situation is required. The accepted documents vary depending on your employment status.
Employed (salarié)
Provide your employment contract — CDI (permanent), CDD (fixed-term), or interim. The most recent contract or a written confirmation of continued employment is acceptable. Note that a payslip alone is not sufficient for this category: the contract itself is required. If you are on a CDD, the contract end date will influence the landlord's decision, since it affects tenancy security.
Self-employed or freelance (indépendant, auto-entrepreneur)
Provide one of the following:
- KBIS extract (extrait Kbis) less than 3 months old — for commercial companies.
- Certificate of inscription to the relevant professional register — for regulated professions.
- Auto-entrepreneur registration certificate from the URSSAF or INPI.
Student
Provide a current enrolment certificate (certificat de scolarité) issued by your institution. The certificate must show the current academic year. A student card alone is generally not accepted as a substitute.
Job seeker (demandeur d'emploi)
Provide your Pôle Emploi (France Travail) registration certificate and/or your most recent benefit payment statement (attestation de paiement des allocations). Both documents together strengthen the application.
Retired
Provide your most recent pension statement (relevé de pension) issued by your pension fund or the CNAV.
Category 4: Income proof
The landlord may request the three most recent income documents. The accepted documents are:
| Situation | Accepted income document |
|---|---|
| Employee | Three most recent payslips (bulletins de salaire) |
| Retiree | Three most recent pension payment statements |
| Benefit recipient (RSA, APL, etc.) | Three most recent benefit payment statements |
| All situations | Last two years' tax notices (avis d'imposition) |
| Self-employed | Last two years' certified accounts (bilans comptables) signed by an accountant |
| Any applicant (limited) | Bank account title page only — showing account holder name and bank. Full transaction statements are forbidden. |
The "3x rent" rule
While not legally mandated by any legislation, most landlords and letting agents apply an informal rule that the tenant's net monthly income should be at least 3 times the monthly rent (charges included). This is industry practice, not law. Some landlords apply a ratio of 2.5x for furnished rentals. If your income falls short, a guarantor or Visale can compensate.
ℹ Info: You are permitted to combine income from multiple sources — salary, benefits, pension, rental income — when demonstrating the 3x ratio. Include all permitted income documents to give the fullest picture.
Guarantor (garant) documents
If you provide a personal guarantor (garant) — someone who agrees to cover unpaid rent and charges if you default — they must supply the same four categories of document as the tenant: identity, proof of address, professional status, and income proof. A guarantor is typically a parent, other family member, or employer.
The guarantor's income is assessed by the same 3x rule as the tenant's. If the guarantor's income does not meet the threshold, their guarantee may carry less weight.
Visale: the state-backed alternative
Visale is a free caution solidaire (solidarity guarantee) offered by Action Logement. It replaces a personal guarantor entirely and covers unpaid rent and damage costs up to specified limits. Eligible tenants include:
- All employees under 30 years of age.
- Employees of private-sector companies aged 30 or over, within 6 months of starting a new job.
- People in specific mobility situations covered by Visale's eligibility criteria.
💡 Tip: Visale is completely free for tenants and is backed by the French state. Apply at visale.fr before starting your apartment search — you will receive a visa certificate to attach to your dossier. Most landlords and agents now accept Visale as a full substitute for a personal guarantor.
DossierFacile: the government platform
DossierFacile (dossierfacile.logement.gouv.fr) is the free French government platform for compiling, verifying, and sharing your rental dossier. It was developed by the French Ministry of Housing to standardise and simplify the application process.
How it works
You upload your documents to the platform. A team of trained agents reviews and validates them. Once validated, your documents are watermarked with a government seal confirming their authenticity. You receive a permanent shareable link that you can send directly to landlords and agents.
Why it helps
- Landlords see a government-validated dossier, which increases trust.
- You do not need to send physical copies or email attachments repeatedly.
- You can update documents online without creating a new dossier.
- A co-tenant or guarantor can be added to the same dossier.
💡 Tip: Build your DossierFacile before you begin viewing apartments. Most letting agents now ask for a DossierFacile link as a first step. Having it ready means you can respond to a listing within minutes of viewing.
Documents landlords are forbidden to request
The décret Alur explicitly prohibits landlords and agents from requesting the following documents at any stage of the rental application:
- A photo of the applicant.
- A bank account number (RIB) or full bank statements showing transactions.
- A medical certificate or health record.
- A reference from a previous employer.
- A marriage certificate or family register (livret de famille).
- A criminal record extract (casier judiciaire).
- Confirmation of the tenant's right to benefit from social housing.
- A social security number (numéro de sécurité sociale).
- A copy of a subscription to a home insurance policy before the lease is signed.
⚠ Warning: Refusing to provide a forbidden document cannot legally be used as grounds to reject your application. If a landlord or agent insists on requesting prohibited documents, you can file a complaint with the DGCCRF at signal.conso.gouv.fr. Professional agents who breach these rules face administrative sanctions.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Décret n° 2015-1437 du 5 novembre 2015 — Légifrance: The full text of the décret Alur defining permitted and forbidden documents in French rental applications.
- DossierFacile — Ministère du Logement: The official French government platform for building and verifying your rental dossier.
- Documents à fournir pour louer un logement — Service-Public.fr: The official French public service guide to documents required for a rental application.
- Constitution d'un dossier de location — ANIL: Guidance from the Agence Nationale pour l'Information sur le Logement on building a compliant rental dossier.