If you are moving to Paris for a few months or a few years, renting an apartment in Paris as an expat is usually the hardest part of the whole move. New tenants paid an average of €28.30 per square metre for an unfurnished flat on 1 January 2025, and landlords expect a full paper file before they will even consider you.
This guide covers the rental dossier landlords ask for, which lease suits your stay, the traps to avoid, when it makes sense to get help, and a realistic budget and timeline.
Quick Answer: Renting in Paris at a Glance
- Paperwork: a dossier with ID, proof of address, job and income, translated into French.
- Lease: bail mobilité for 1 to 10 months, furnished for a year, unfurnished for three.
- Deposit: none on a bail mobilité, up to two months’ rent furnished, one month unfurnished.
- Golden rule: never send money before you have seen the flat and signed the lease.
What Goes in a Paris Rental Dossier?
The dossier is your application, and in Paris the strongest file usually wins. French law sets a closed list of documents a landlord can ask for, and they must be written in or translated into French.
- Identity: passport or ID card, plus your residence permit if you need one.
- Address: your last three rent receipts or a letter from your current landlord.
- Work: your employment contract or company registration if you are self-employed.
- Income: your last three payslips and your latest tax notice.
Many listings also ask for net income of about three times the rent. That isn’t written into law, but it is how most landlords sort the pile.
The guarantor is where newcomers come unstuck. Landlords want a French-based guarantor, and most people arriving from abroad don’t have one. The state-backed Visale scheme is a free guarantee from Action Logement, and in 2026 it covers under-30s, eligible salaried workers and bail mobilité tenants, with a cap of €1,940 a month in rent and charges in Île-de-France. Check your eligibility before you start viewing. Our guide to organising passports, visas and IDs before moving overseas helps you get the identity side of the file ready early.
Which Lease Do You Need: Bail Mobilité, Furnished or Unfurnished?
The length of your stay decides the lease. If you are in Paris for under a year on a work assignment, a training course or study, the bail mobilité is built for you.
| Lease | Length | Deposit | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bail mobilité (furnished) | 1 to 10 months, not renewable | Not allowed | Work assignments, training, studies, internships |
| Furnished lease | 1 year (9 months for students) | Up to 2 months’ rent | Sabbaticals and first-year moves |
| Unfurnished lease | 3 years | Up to 1 month’s rent | Long-term moves with your own furniture |
The bail mobilité has no deposit and runs for 1 to 10 months, but it can’t be renewed. The furnished and unfurnished rules for length and deposit are set by law too, and furnished rents are generally higher for the same flat.
Why Do So Many Expats Use a Relocation Service?
Good flats in Paris don’t hang about, and it is hard to compete from another country. You can’t attend a Tuesday lunchtime viewing from Toronto, and a dossier in the wrong format goes to the bottom of the pile. That’s why a lot of newcomers end up finding an apartment in Paris as an expat through a dedicated relocation service, so someone local handles the legwork.
A service like this typically runs viewings for you in person or by video call, puts your dossier together the French way, and can show you homes that never reach the big listing sites. Some advertise move-in within about three weeks. The trade-off is cost, so ask for the full fee in writing, what’s included and what happens if nothing suits you.
What Traps Should You Watch Out For?
Fake listings. Scam adverts are common in Facebook groups and on listing sites. The French government lists the warning signs: a price that’s too low, an owner who won’t meet you, and requests for money or ID before a visit. Do not pay a deposit to hold a flat you haven’t seen.
Inflated agency fees. An agency can only charge you for viewings, the dossier, the lease and the check-in inventory. In Paris the 2026 caps are €12.10 per m² plus €3.03 per m² for the inventory, so about €378 for a 25 m² studio. Anything called a “booking fee” or “search fee” on top is a red flag.
Rent above the cap. Paris has rent control, and 48.6% of listings asked for more than the legal cap between July 2024 and June 2025. Check the reference rent for the address before you sign. If your viewings land on a strike day, our tips for getting around Paris during a strike will save you a missed appointment.
How Long Does Renting in Paris Take, and What Will It Cost?
These rough monthly rents use the Paris rent observatory’s averages for new tenants on unfurnished flats. Furnished flats usually cost more, and central and western arrondissements sit above these figures.
| Flat size | Average size | Average rent per m² | Rough monthly rent (excluding charges) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 24 m² | €32.30 | about €780 |
| One bedroom (2 pièces) | 42 m² | €27.90 | about €1,170 |
| Two bedrooms (3 pièces) | 64 m² | €27.20 | about €1,740 |
| Three bedrooms (4 pièces) | 89 m² | €26.40 | about €2,350 |
Rents are illustrative, based on averages at 1 January 2025 (checked October 2026). For timing, do things in this order:
- Build and translate your dossier before you fly, because landlords pick the first complete file.
- Book a furnished short stay for your first few weeks, because signing blind from abroad is how scams work.
- Use a scouting weekend to learn the neighbourhoods. Our two days in Paris itinerary covers a lot of ground quickly.
Paris Rental FAQs
How Much Deposit Will a Paris Landlord Ask For?
A Paris landlord can ask for up to one month’s rent (excluding charges) on an unfurnished lease and up to two months on a furnished lease. A bail mobilité can’t carry a deposit at all.
Can You Rent in Paris Without a French Guarantor?
Yes, if you qualify for the free Visale guarantee from Action Logement, which covers under-30s, some salaried workers and bail mobilité tenants. Without it, a strong income and a full dossier are your best case.
