Skip to main content 
Advance notice for furnished accommodation : conditions to respect
How to break a furnished rental agreement when you are a tenant ? How much notice should I give ? What is the procedure for giving notice ? You are leaving your furnished apartment soon and you are asking yourself these questions? You are at the right place! Studapart explains it all to you.
Advance notice furnished apartment : conditions to respect
Notice and furnished accommodation: what you need to know
What is the purpose of a notice period?
The notice period is the minimum length of time you must respect to leave the accommodation in which you live. It is not possible to leave your accommodation overnight! Breaking a lease when you are a tenant requires specific procedures to be followed, within specific time limits.
The notice period allows your landlord to organize your departure and the arrival of a new tenant. Between potential renovations, the creation of an ad and visits, looking for a new tenant takes time. Landlords want their property to be profitable, so they try to minimize the periods without tenants, called "rental vacancies".
What are the requirements?
As a tenant of a furnished apartment, you do not need to meet any particular conditions to terminate your rental agreement, and thus give notice. You do not need to justify yourself or provide any supporting documents. It is simpler for a tenant than for a landlord to terminate his rental contract. Moving to study, getting or losing a job... Many life events sometimes make it necessary for tenants to leave their accommodation quickly, especially because they are sometimes no longer able to pay their rent.
What notice period should be respected when renting a furnished apartment ?
The other condition to respect in order to leave an apartment is to give notice within the time limit set by the law of July 6, 1989. While the notice period is usually fixed at 3 months for an empty rental, it is only 1 month for a furnished rental. This reduction of the notice period is in line with the greater mobility of tenants of furnished accommodation. Students, mobile workers or international people: many of these people are looking for furnished accommodation because it is more practical for short and medium term rentals. The 1 month notice period gives them more flexibility to leave their accommodation.
Is it possible to shorten the notice period for a furnished apartment?
Living in a furnished apartment already allows you to reduce your notice period to 1 month. You cannot reduce it any further.
In the case of unfurnished accommodation, it is nevertheless possible to benefit from a reduction in the notice period if you meet certain conditions. Among them:
- Living in a tense area, i.e. an area in which there is an imbalance between supply and demand.
- Certain professional situations such as obtaining a first job or a transfer.
- A health problem justifying a move.
Steps to follow to give notice for furnished accommodation
How to give notice ?
You cannot give notice by sending a simple text message to your landlord. The law of July 6, 1989 governing relations between tenants and landlords provides for a very specific procedure. We explain it all to you here!
To give notice, you have three options:
- Send a letter of termination with acknowledgement of receipt.
- Give a letter of termination in person to the landlord against receipt.
- Proceed by bailiff's deed.
If these three procedures are legally valid, a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt remains the most common and simplest option.
Cancellation letter: what you need to know
The letter of termination is the legal proof that the landlord has been informed of your departure. It is essential in the event of a dispute. For example, if you have not sent a letter of termination, your landlord would be entitled to ask you to continue to pay the rent and utilities even if you are no longer living in the premises!
How to write a termination letter?
As with any letter, certain essential elements must be included in your termination letter: your contact details and those of the landlord, the place and date of the day, a subject line, not forgetting, of course, the polite wording and your signature. Then, some specific elements must be included in your termination letter:
- Your intention to leave the accommodation with the date of the beginning of the rental and the address.
- The notice period
- A reference to the law of July 6, 1989, which governs the relationship between the owner and the tenant and the notice period.
- You can also download a sample termination letter in the Studapart resource center!
Inventory of fixtures: what you need to know
Once you have mailed your termination letter, the last step before leaving your apartment is the inventory of fixtures. The objective is to compare the state of the accommodation with the inventory of fixtures at the beginning of the rental period and to note any damage. If no damage is found, then your landlord must return your deposit in full. Good to know: the natural wear and tear of the accommodation and furniture does not count as damage. It is up to the landlord to refresh or replace the equipment in the apartment when it has had its day. If damage is found during the exit inventory, your landlord may withhold part or all of the security deposit.
