If you're moving to Paris for a few months, one French lease format solves almost every problem you're about to run into: no deposit, no year-long commitment, and a contract built specifically for people in your situation. It's called the bail mobilité, and most newcomers have never heard of it. Here's everything you need to know in 2026.
What is the bail mobilité?
Created by the 2018 ELAN law, the bail mobilité (literally, "mobility lease") is a short-term furnished lease signed between a landlord and a tenant who can prove they're in a qualifying mobility situation. It runs for 1 to 10 months, is non-renewable, and doesn't roll over automatically. When the term ends, the landlord gets the unit back on the agreed date, with no notice period required from either side.
In other words, it's a lease designed from the ground up for temporary situations: a work assignment, an internship, a training program, a degree program, a relocation, or a period of civic service.
Who actually qualifies?
To sign a bail mobilité, you need to document one of the following at signing:
- Vocational training (apprenticeship, career retraining, a technical or professional degree)
- Higher education (bachelor's, master's, business school, engineering school)
- An apprenticeship contract
- An internship (a signed internship agreement is required)
- A temporary professional assignment (an assignment letter or employment contract)
- A job relocation
- Civic service or a volunteer program
In Paris, the most common profiles are consultants on long assignments, master's students arriving from abroad or from another French city, and employees on internal transfers.
If you're moving from outside France
None of the eligibility categories above require French citizenship or residency. A foreign student admitted to a French program, an intern on an international internship agreement, or an employee relocated by a foreign employer with a French assignment letter all qualify in exactly the same way as a French national in the same situation. What actually matters to a landlord is the paperwork proving your situation, not your nationality.
The single biggest advantage: no security deposit
This is the detail that matters most in practice: a landlord cannot legally ask for a security deposit on a bail mobilité. It's prohibited by law. What they can ask for instead is a guarantor (a person who agrees to cover the rent if you don't pay) or a Visale rental guarantee.
For anyone arriving in Paris on a tight timeline, not having to lock up one or two months' rent in a deposit is a real advantage, especially with Paris rents for a furnished two-room apartment typically running €1,200 to €2,500 depending on the arrondissement.
Visale, explained for international tenants
Visale is a free, state-backed rental guarantee run by Action Logement that replaces a personal guarantor. It's the standard fallback for anyone without a French co-signer, which covers most people moving from abroad. Two groups qualify:
- Students and workers under 30, regardless of nationality, as long as you have a valid visa or residence permit covering your stay.
- Employees in their first year at a company, if that company pays into Action Logement (mandatory for French companies with 10+ employees).
If you're over 30 and don't fit the second category, you'll need a personal guarantor instead, ideally one who can prove sufficient income (ask your employer's HR department; some companies act as a corporate guarantor for relocated staff).
Bail mobilité vs. a classic furnished lease
| Bail mobilité | Classic furnished lease | |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 1 to 10 months | 1 year minimum |
| Renewal | None | Automatic |
| Security deposit | Prohibited | Up to 2 months' rent |
| Who qualifies | Documented mobility situation | Anyone |
| Tenant's notice period | 1 month | 1 month |
| Landlord's notice period | None (fixed end date) | 3 months |
For a landlord, the bail mobilité is attractive because they know exactly when they'll get the unit back, no eviction process, no negotiation. For a tenant, it's a real, legally protected contract, unlike the informal sublets that circulate in Paris with zero legal cover.
How to actually get one in Paris
1. Put your file together before you start looking
Paris landlords who rent under this format get a lot of applications. Have ready: a photo ID, proof of your mobility situation (internship agreement, employment contract, assignment letter), your last two payslips or equivalent proof of income, and a guarantor or Visale certificate if you have one.
2. Search on platforms that actually understand the format
The big general listing sites (SeLoger, PAP, Leboncoin) rarely tag listings as bail mobilité specifically. Platforms that specialize in mid-term furnished rentals (roughly 1 week to 10 months) tend to have landlords who already know the contract and won't need it explained to them.
3. Read the contract before you sign anything
The lease must explicitly state "bail mobilité" and the specific reason you qualify. Without both of those, it isn't a legal bail mobilité, whatever it's called. Also check that the unit meets the legal definition of "furnished": a bed with bedding, a stove or hot plates, a fridge, dishes, a table and chairs, storage, light fixtures, and basic cleaning equipment are all legally required.
Pitfalls to watch for
- A landlord asking for a security deposit. This is illegal on a bail mobilité. Push back, or walk away.
- A contract with no stated mobility reason. Without it, the lease could later be reclassified, which weakens your position.
- An initial term over 10 months. Also illegal. If you genuinely need longer, a standard one-year furnished lease is the correct format, not a bail mobilité with a workaround.
- Successive amendments to extend it. A bail mobilité cannot be extended by an addendum. If your situation changes and you need more time, that requires a new lease, and often a different unit.
What this actually looks like in practice
Take a consultant arriving in Paris in September for a four-month assignment. A bail mobilité is close to ideal: no deposit to tie up, a lease end date that matches the assignment's end date, and a fully furnished unit from day one. It beats a hotel (three to four times the cost over that period), an informal sublet (no legal protection at all), and a standard one-year lease (far more commitment than the situation calls for).
LivedIn is a furnished rental platform in Paris, built for stays of 1 week to 10 months. Every profile is verified, tenants and hosts alike, and listings are set up for the bail mobilité whenever the situation qualifies. If you're looking for an apartment on this format, browse LivedIn listings.
