Mobility lease or nine-month student lease in France?
A French mobility lease and a nine-month furnished student lease can both suit temporary accommodation, but their conditions differ. Check the tenant's status, term and guarantees before choosing.
This guide compares ordinary private-sector contracts in France, excluding special residence regimes such as employment-oriented residences. It does not cover holiday letting.
1. Compare the ordinary contracts
| Issue | Ordinary mobility lease | Nine-month furnished student lease |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility | Statutory qualifying situation when the lease takes effect | Student tenant |
| Term | 1–10 months | 9 months |
| Continuation | Neither renewable nor tacitly extendable | No tacit renewal of the nine-month lease |
| Changing duration | Once by amendment, within 10 months overall | Do not automatically import the mobility rule |
| Deposit | Prohibited | Permitted within furnished-tenancy limits |
| Charges | Fixed package without later reconciliation | Package or advances under applicable rules |
| Tenant notice | 1 month | 1 month |
Read the official mobility rules (opens in a new tab) and tenancy comparison (opens in a new tab). Special residence regimes need separate checking; the ordinary 1–10-month range is not presented as covering every special scheme.
2. Check eligibility, not just the desired stay
Mobility eligibility includes specified situations such as higher education, vocational training, apprenticeship, internship, civic service, a job transfer or temporary assignment. Retain permitted evidence of the qualifying situation at commencement.
A landlord wanting the home back in a few months does not make an applicant eligible. For a nine-month student lease, verify student status. Our application guide explains collection limits.
3. Prepare the correct contract and annexes
A mobility lease must expressly identify the regime and include its essential particulars, including duration and eligibility ground. Missing information can prevent the intended regime applying. Our lease guide explains why a title is insufficient.
Both require genuinely furnished, compliant accommodation. Prepare diagnostics, inventory and inspection records. The furniture guide covers equipment checks.
4. Keep guarantees and charges distinct
Mobility leases prohibit deposits and solidarity clauses between co-tenants or their guarantors. A permitted guarantee may still be arranged. Read the guarantor, deposit and Visale comparison before combining protection.
Do not add actual-cost reconciliation to its fixed charge package later. Nor should an annual IRL clause be imported: mobility rent is not revised during the term.
5. Two selection examples
A student takes a four-month internship in another city. A mobility lease may fit if all conditions are met. A nine-month student contract does not simply match a four-month stay, although the tenant retains applicable notice rights.
A student needs housing for a nine-month academic year. Both regimes may warrant comparison according to eligibility, deposit, charges and the intended arrangement. Landlord preference does not replace statutory requirements.
6. Plan the end when signing
Mobility contracts cannot be chained freely with the same tenant to extend the ordinary limit. If a further lease is agreed for the same property after expiry, check the requirement for a standard residential tenancy. The nine-month student lease does not continue automatically through tacit renewal.
Keep expiry records, any early notice, the final rent calculation and departure documents. Review changes before recording an amendment.
Frequently asked questions
Can a non-student sign a mobility lease?
Yes, if another statutory qualifying situation applies. It is not a universal short-stay contract.
Must rent always be paid until the originally stated end?
The tenant may give notice under the relevant formalities and period. Distinguish that right from the contract's non-renewability.
Editorial verification: 29 October 2026. Reference: the furnished and mobility provisions of the 1989 law (opens in a new tab). General information about French law.