Prorated rent in France: calculating the first and last month
Prorated rent is a fraction of the monthly rent when the amount due covers only part of a month. An accurate calculation starts with the legally relevant dates, followed by the number of calendar days in that month.
This guide concerns private main-residence tenancies in France. It does not cover holiday-let pricing or compensation for occupation after a tenancy has ended.
1. Establish the dates before calculating
At move-in, start with the lease's effective date and the property's actual availability. The day the tenant moves furniture is not necessarily the first rent day. If key handover is delayed or the property is unavailable, clarify the position and retain a written agreement rather than choosing an arbitrary date.
At move-out, physically leaving does not automatically end rent liability. A tenant giving notice generally remains liable throughout the notice period, even after moving out. A replacement tenant taking occupation earlier with the landlord's agreement can shorten that period. Any agreed early release should also be documented. Read the tenant notice guide before choosing the final chargeable day.
2. Use the actual days in the month
The calendar-day formula is:
Amount due = monthly amount × chargeable days / calendar days in the month.
A month has 28, 29, 30 or 31 days, so the denominator should not automatically be 30. For the final month of a tenant's notice, the official guidance explicitly illustrates the proportion using actual month lengths. Source: notice periods and final rent (opens in a new tab).
In the examples below, both the first and last specified days are included. Calculate each month separately where a period crosses a month boundary.
3. Example: tenancy starts on 12 September
The lease takes effect on 12 September and the property is available that day. September has 30 days; 12 to 30 September inclusive represents 19 days.
| Item | Monthly amount | Calculation | Amount due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent excluding charges | €900 | 900 × 19 / 30 | €570 |
| Service-charge advance | €90 | 90 × 19 / 30 | €57 |
| Total | €990 | 990 × 19 / 30 | €627 |
The security deposit is separate: it is not divided by the days in the first month. Prepare the initial payment alongside the move-in inspection checklist.
4. Example: notice ends on 10 January
With monthly rent of €930 and a charge advance of €93, notice ending on 10 January means counting 10 days out of 31:
- Rent: 930 × 10 / 31 = €300.
- Advance: 93 × 10 / 31 = €30.
- Total: €330.
A tenant who moved out on 4 January should not simply count four days. Check the legal notice end date and whether a replacement tenant occupied earlier. Equally, a landlord cannot charge the entire month merely because it has begun.
Use the prorated rent calculator once the dates have been established.
5. February and rounding: two common mistakes
If the final chargeable day is 10 February and monthly rent is €840, the result is 840 × 10 / 28 = €300 in a non-leap year. In a leap year, 840 × 10 / 29 gives €289.66 after rounding to cents.
Avoid rounding a daily rate before multiplying: the difference can accumulate. Keep intermediate precision, round each final line to cents and state the method. The total requested should agree with the displayed lines.
6. Separate charges, deposits and payments
A prorated service-charge advance is still an advance. Final expenditure is established through annual reconciliation. For a fixed charge package, check the contract and applicable regime without turning it into reimbursement of actual expenditure.
The security deposit cannot replace the final rent payment. Its return is handled separately after departure. A rent receipt should confirm full payment for the period identified, rather than an invented full month. The rent notice, partial receipt and full receipt guide explains which document matches each payment situation.
Frequently asked questions
Is every month that has begun payable in full?
No. Where notice ends partway through a month, final rent is proportional to the chargeable period. However, distinguish the end of notice from an earlier physical departure.
Can a thirty-day basis be used throughout the year?
That is not the calendar-day approach described here. For the last notice month, official examples use actual days. A calculation rule should not charge days outside the period for which rent is owed.
Which records should accompany the calculation?
Keep the lease, notice and evidence of receipt, any early-release agreement, the period used, the breakdown and payment evidence. Both parties can then check the calculation.
Editorial verification: 29 October 2026. General information about French law. For the end of rent liability, also see Articles 15 and 25-8 of the French Law of 6 July 1989 (opens in a new tab).