Free Residential Lease Template for France (2026, Compliant)

What the law requires: the 2015 standard form

Since Decree no. 2015-587 of 29 May 2015, taken under the ALUR law, every residential lease for a primary residence must follow a standard form contract. It isn't a recommendation — it's the minimum baseline. A free template that strays from it exposes you to clauses deemed "unwritten".

For an unfurnished primary-residence let, the lease runs for a minimum of three years when the landlord is an individual (six years for a company), with tacit renewal. The security deposit is capped at one month's rent excluding charges.

Mandatory clauses of the lease

Eight blocks of information must appear in the contract. Missing even one weakens the document.

1. 1. The parties' identities — name and address of the landlord (or agent), name of the tenant(s).
2. 2. The start date and term — 3 years minimum for an unfurnished let by an individual landlord.
3. 3. The description and use of the property — residential use, rooms and equipment.
4. 4. The habitable surface area (Boutin law) — an omission or an error above 5% can entitle the tenant to a rent reduction.
5. 5. The rent — amount, payment terms, and annual revision indexed to the rent reference index (IRL).
6. 6. In rent-controlled zones — the last rent paid by the previous tenant and, where applicable, the increased reference rent.
7. 7. The security deposit — one month's rent excluding charges maximum.
8. 8. The list of annexes handed to the tenant.

The annexes you must never forget

A lease without its annexes is an incomplete lease. Here's what must accompany it:

• The technical diagnostics file — energy performance (DPE), risk and pollution statement, lead exposure report (pre-1949 buildings), electrical and gas diagnostics for installations over 15 years old.
• The information notice — on tenants' and landlords' rights and obligations.
• The move-in inventory — see our free property condition report template.
• Extracts of the co-ownership rules — regarding the use and enjoyment of common and private areas.

Free Word template or online generator?

A Word template can do for a single property if you check every mention is current yourself. But the smallest omission costs you in a dispute, and you re-type everything for each new lease.

A free lease generator fixes this at the source: it builds in the 2015 standard form, computes the term and deposit by regime (unfurnished, furnished, student), and outputs a compliant ready-to-sign PDF — no signup. You can then move on to automatic rent receipts and IRL revision in the same tool.