Paris is the most expensive place to rent in France, but the hardest part is often the paperwork. On 1 January 2025, private rents in Paris averaged €26.3 per square metre a month, and an average 50 m² home cost about €1,307 a month (about RMB 9,780), both before charges. Deposits have legal limits: one month’s rent for an unfurnished home and two months for a furnished one. Do not transfer any money before you sign.
Unlike the usual Chinese pattern of one month’s deposit plus three months paid up front, French landlords first assess your income and guarantor, and the law limits which documents they can ask for. Rent caps in some areas expire this month, and whether they continue depends on a vote in parliament, as explained below. Rules are as of November 2026. RMB figures use the European Central Bank reference rate of 5 November 2026, €1 = RMB 7.4846.
Rental prices in France by city
The “median rent” column comes from local rent observatories and excludes charges. The columns to the right are average asking rents on the rental site 123Loger in October 2026. They include charges, are commercial data and do not separate furnished from unfurnished homes. T1 means one main room; T2 is usually a one-bedroom flat.
| City | Median rent (€/m²) | T1 asking | T2 asking | T2 in RMB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Paris | 27.3 | €1,080 | €1,751 | about 13,110 |
| Paris urban area (excl. the city) | 18.3 | not found | not found | not found |
| Lyon | 11.9* | €749 | €1,021 | about 7,640 |
| Marseille (median is Aix-Marseille and Arles) | 13.3 | €709 | €911 | about 6,820 |
| Bordeaux | 12.8 | €656 | €873 | about 6,530 |
| Toulouse | 11.9 | €625 | €779 | about 5,830 |
| Lille | 11.3* | €580 | €812 | about 6,080 |
| Nantes | 12.2 | €586 | €727 | about 5,440 |
*Lyon and Lille have no 2025 data, so these are ANIL’s 2024 medians for T3 flats, as a guide only. All others are 2025 figures.
Smaller homes cost more per square metre: OLAP puts the Paris average at €30.4 for one room and €24.3 for four. Tenants who moved in during 2024 paid €28.3 on average, so budget at that level. OLAP averages and observatory medians use different bases, so do not compare them directly.
Where Chinese residents live and how to search
A 2023 study by France’s national demographic institute (INED) found that in the 2017 census 66% of Chinese immigrants lived in the Paris region, and 60% of those were in the City of Paris or Seine-Saint-Denis. The main areas it names are:
- City of Paris: Belleville, the Triangle de Choisy in the 13th arrondissement and the northern 19th.
- Seine-Saint-Denis: Aubervilliers, Bobigny, Pantin, Bagnolet and La Courneuve.
Another study found that more China-born residents now live outside the commercial clusters than inside them, so choose by commute and budget first. We found no reliable rent figures for these specific neighbourhoods. For the community picture, see our France living guide.
| Purpose | Rental websites and channels in France | Key point |
|---|---|---|
| Whole flat | SeLoger, PAP, leboncoin | Verify the advertiser before making contact |
| Students | Crous, Lokaviz, Mon Logement Étudiant, Studapart | Most international students can only use the complementary Crous phase |
| Students and researchers in Paris | Cité internationale universitaire de Paris (CIUP) | In the 14th arrondissement |
| Flatshares | La Carte des Colocs, Appartager, Immojeune | Ask whether every flatmate signs a lease |
| Preparing documents | DossierFacile | Free public service, open to all nationalities |
Chinese associations can also pass on housing leads, but watch the subletting rules below. We have not vetted any Chinese-language rental platform and recommend none.
Rental contracts and deposits in France
Leases for a main home fall under Law no. 89-462 of 6 July 1989. Start by telling these four contracts apart:
| Item | Unfurnished (vide) | Furnished (meublé) | Student furnished | Bail mobilité |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term | At least 3 years with a private landlord, 6 with a company | At least 1 year | 9 months, no renewal | 1 to 10 months, no renewal |
| Deposit limit | 1 month | 2 months | 2 months | Not allowed |
| Tenant’s notice | 3 months, 1 month in a tense area | 1 month | 1 month | 1 month |
| Landlord ending the lease | 6 months before expiry, with valid grounds | 3 months before expiry, with valid grounds | Ends at expiry | Ends at expiry |
The deposit is based on rent before charges and is paid at signing. After you return the keys, the landlord has one month to repay it if the home matches the entry inventory, otherwise two months. Each month of delay that begins adds 10% of the monthly rent, so always leave your new address with the keys. If the deposit is coming from China, check forex limits and procedures first.
A tenant in a tense area (zone tendue) must state this in the notice letter to get the shorter period. An ordinary email is not valid notice.
Tenants pay at most half of agency fees, within 2026 caps: €12.10 per m² in the tightest areas, €10.09 in tense areas and €8.07 elsewhere, plus €3.03 for the entry inventory. A 30 m² home in the tightest area costs at most €453.90 (about RMB 3,400).
Documents and guarantors
Decree no. 2015-1437 lists what a landlord may ask for, and anything outside that list is prohibited, with fines of up to €3,000, or €15,000 for a company. Documents must be in French or translated into French, with amounts converted to euros, so have Chinese documents translated early.
| Category | Allowed (examples) |
|---|---|
| Identity | One valid document, such as a passport or residence permit |
| Current address | One item, such as the last three rent receipts or a host’s statement |
| Occupation | Employment contract, student card, company registry extract |
| Income | Last three payslips, tax notice, scholarship notice |
| Not allowed | Bank statements, marriage contract, criminal record extract, a separate ID photo, medical records, health insurance card |
Employees rely mainly on the employment contract and payslips; work-permit rules are in our France work guide.
Landlords may look at income, but they may not reject you because of nationality, origin or name. Penalties reach three years in prison and a €45,000 fine. To complain, call the Défenseur des droits on 3928.
French landlords usually want a guarantor (caution). According to ANIL, a landlord cannot refuse a guarantor for not being French or for living outside mainland France, so parents in China can act as guarantors. A landlord who holds unpaid-rent insurance cannot also demand a guarantor, except from students and apprentices.
Visale is a free guarantee from Action Logement, but whatever it pays your landlord it later recovers from you. Apply before you sign:
- Aged 18 to 30: eligible. Students face no income condition within the student rent limits below, but non-EU students need a student long-stay visa, a talent passport or a student residence permit.
- Over 30: private-sector employees must apply within six months of hiring, or earn no more than €1,710 net a month.
- Monthly rent limits, charges included: €1,940 in the Paris region, €1,575 in cities over 100,000 and similar areas, €1,365 elsewhere. Students have no extra conditions up to €1,000, €840 and €680.
- Cover: only the first three years of occupation.
Rent caps, increases and DPE energy ratings
Rent control has two layers. The first covers tense areas: for leases signed or renewed from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027, the rent for a new tenant generally cannot exceed the previous tenant’s rent, apart from an adjustment by the IRL index, with a few exceptions.
The second layer is an absolute cap (encadrement des loyers) in about 70 communes: Paris, Plaine Commune (including Aubervilliers), Est Ensemble (including Pantin), Lille, Lyon and Villeurbanne, Montpellier, Bordeaux, part of the Grenoble metropolitan area and the Pays Basque. The cap is the prefect’s reference rent plus 20%. A “rent supplement” above it needs special features and is barred for F and G homes, and tenants can challenge it free of charge at the departmental conciliation commission within three months of signing. The bill passed by the Senate would set a single one-year deadline, but three months applies until it becomes law.
From July 2024 to June 2025, 48.6% of Paris listings were above the cap, though some may include lawful supplements. Before signing, check your commune with the Service-Public tool.
Timing alert: this experiment covers leases signed or renewed up to 24 November 2026, the date given by Service-Public. On 21 October the Senate passed a two-year extension to 23 November 2028, limited to the existing areas, but the National Assembly must still pass the same text. LCP, the parliamentary channel, reports the floor debate for the evening of 18 November, with 19 November as a fallback. As of 6 November the legislation was not complete. If it is not extended, the absolute cap lapses while the first layer stays in force.
Annual rent rises during a lease cannot exceed the IRL increase, which was 1.57% year on year in the third quarter of 2026.
Landlords must supply a valid DPE energy rating. The bans apply to leases that are signed, renewed or tacitly renewed:
| DPE rating | Rental ban in mainland France |
|---|---|
| G | From 1 January 2025 |
| F | From 1 January 2028 |
| E | From 1 January 2034 |
Rents on F and G homes have been frozen since 24 August 2022. A housing bill known as “Relance logement” passed the Senate on 8 July 2026 and an Assembly committee on 22 September, with a floor debate expected in mid-November. Reports say it keeps the dates above but adds exceptions for some F and G homes; it is not yet law. Separately, an order published on 26 August 2026 cuts the electricity factor in the DPE from 1.9 to 1.7 from 1 January 2027, so some electrically heated homes may change rating without any works. Check the rating that applies on your signing date.
Moving in: insurance, inventory, address and CAF
- Buy home insuranceShow your certificate at key handover. It must cover at least fire, explosion and water damage. Without it, the landlord can end the lease. See our France insurance guide.
- Do the entry inventory (état des lieux)Record each item with the landlord at key handover and take photos. You have 10 days to ask for changes.
- Validate your VLS-TSDo this online within three months of arrival, giving your French address. If you miss it, you lose legal status. See our France visa guide.
- Update your addressStudents renewing a permit need proof of address under six months old. Holders of a permit valid for over a year must declare a move on ANEF within three months.
- Apply for CAF aidAid starts the month after you apply. The home must be your main residence (at least eight months a year), and foreigners need a valid residence permit.
Students take note: since 1 July 2026, non-EU students on a student visa or permit can only receive APL, ALS or ALF with a social-criteria grant, unless they have paid work or self-employment, or an apprenticeship or professionalisation contract. Refugees, stateless students and spouses of non-EU students also remain eligible. Existing payments to those who do not qualify have ended. Unless an exception applies, Chinese students should leave CAF aid out of their budget.
Rental scams and what to watch for in France
- Fake landlords: a very low price, photos that match other ads, an owner who will not meet you, or a request for ID before a viewing.
- Money up front: a demand for payment before signing. View the home and sign before you pay.
- List sellers: a “marchand de listes” must hold a specific professional card and cannot take money before delivering the list.
- Informal sublets: subletting needs the landlord’s written consent, and the rent per m² cannot exceed the main rent. Ask to see the consent and the original lease.
If you have been scammed, contact your bank first, then report it or file a complaint through the THÉSÉE platform, or call the free line 0 805 805 817.
FAQ
What if I have no guarantor in France?
See first whether you qualify for Visale. If not, a relative in China can act as guarantor. ANIL and the local ADIL offices give free advice.
Can I use Chinese payslips?
Yes, but they must be translated into French with amounts in euros. The decree also accepts foreign tax notices.
What if my deposit is not returned?
Send a registered letter stating the date you returned the keys and the 10% late sum, and contact an ADIL if that fails.
Are French deposits higher than in neighbouring countries?
Rules differ by country. Compare our Germany renting guide, Spain renting guide and Italy renting guide.
Sources
- OLAP: Rapport Paris 2025 (loyers au 1er janvier 2025) (accessed November 2026)
- Observatoires des loyers: carte des niveaux de loyers (accessed November 2026)
- Observatoires des loyers: Paris intra-muros (accessed November 2026)
- ANIL: Les loyers du parc privé en France 2026 (février 2026, copie PDF) (accessed November 2026)
- 123Loger: baromètre des loyers, octobre 2026 (accessed November 2026)
- Apur: note n°288, encadrement des loyers à Paris (accessed November 2026)
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- Revue REMI: Settlement and Residential Patterns of Native Chinese in Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis (accessed November 2026)
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- Légifrance: loi n° 89-462 du 6 juillet 1989 (accessed November 2026)
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- Légifrance: article 22-2 de la loi du 6 juillet 1989 (accessed November 2026)
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