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An apartment on the avenue Montaigne or the rue de Varenne is rarely just an asset on a balance sheet. It is a home that has been restored with care, often furnished with pieces chosen one by one, and its owner expects tenants who will treat it accordingly. In Paris, finding those tenants is the easier part. The harder part is choosing the right legal framework, setting a rent that stands up to scrutiny, and staying compliant with rules that change more often than most owners realise.
The end of 2026 is a particularly important moment. Paris rent control, introduced as a temporary experiment, was due to expire on 24 November 2026, and Parliament is voting on its extension as this guide is published. This guide explains the lease options available to owners of prime Parisian apartments, how rent control and the complément de loyer work at the top of the market, what the short-term rental rules now allow, and how to attract the corporate and international tenants who make up the core of the high-end rental market.
The tenant pool for a well-located, high-quality apartment in the 6th, 7th, 8th or 16th arrondissement is distinctive. It is dominated by:
These tenants share three expectations: impeccable condition, a turnkey furnished apartment, and a professional, discreet process. They are also the reason the choice of lease matters so much. Our renter’s guide describes the market from their side.
French law offers several lease frameworks. They are not interchangeable, and the right one depends above all on one question: will the apartment be the tenant’s main residence?
The standard choice for a high-end apartment let as the tenant’s main residence. It runs for one year, renews automatically, and allows the tenant to leave with one month’s notice. The security deposit is capped at two months’ rent excluding charges. The apartment must include a legally defined list of furniture and equipment, which any premium property will exceed by a wide margin.
The furnished lease is governed by the law of 6 July 1989, which means Paris rent control applies.
A three-year lease when the owner is an individual, with stronger protection for the tenant. It suits owners seeking long-term stability, but it is less common at the top of the market, where most tenants arrive from abroad and expect a furnished home.
A furnished lease of one to ten months, non-renewable, reserved for tenants in a temporary situation: professional assignment, training, internship or studies. No security deposit can be requested. It is useful for executives on a short mission, but owners should note that rent control applies to it in the same way as to a standard furnished lease.
This lease falls outside the 1989 law and offers far greater contractual freedom on rent, duration and notice. It is legitimate in specific cases: when the tenant is a company housing an employee, or when the apartment is genuinely the tenant’s secondary residence.
It is not a way around rent control. Where the apartment is in fact the tenant’s main residence and the owner knew it or could not have ignored it, a court can reclassify the lease as a standard residential lease, with all the consequences for rent and deposit. Authorities and tenant associations have been tracking the misuse of these leases closely in 2026, so the choice must reflect the tenant’s real situation and be documented.
For any lease governed by the 1989 law, furnished or unfurnished, the rent cannot exceed the increased reference rent (loyer de référence majoré), which is the reference rent for the area plus 20%. Reference rents vary by district, number of rooms, construction period and whether the apartment is furnished. Exceeding the cap exposes the owner to fines of up to €5,000 for an individual and €15,000 for a company.
The Paris scheme is an experiment created by the ELAN law of 2018 and extended in 2022 until 24 November 2026. On 21 October 2026, the Senate adopted a two-year extension, limited to the cities that already apply the scheme, including Paris. To take effect, the text must be adopted by the National Assembly without amendment before 24 November.
Owners should therefore not assume that rents will become free on 25 November. Even if the scheme lapsed, a separate rule limits the rent for a new tenant in Paris to the previous tenant’s rent until 31 July 2027, with certain exceptions. We recommend checking the status of the law with your adviser before signing any new lease in the coming weeks.
The cap is rarely the end of the conversation for a genuinely exceptional property. The law allows a rent supplement, the complément de loyer, when an apartment has location or comfort features that are exceptional compared with similar homes in the same area and are not already reflected in the reference rent.
In practice, features that can support it include:
The supplement must be stated and justified in the lease, and the tenant can challenge it before the conciliation commission and then a judge. It is not available for poorly insulated apartments rated F or G on the energy performance certificate. Careful documentation (photographs, plans, a written description of each exceptional feature) is what makes it defensible. Our article on what outdoor space is worth in Paris and our guide to Eiffel Tower views show how these features are valued.
Many owners of prime apartments consider short-term letting to tourists. In Paris, the framework is now among the strictest in Europe.
Co-ownership rules may also restrict short-term letting. For most owners of luxury apartments that are not their main residence, a well-structured furnished lease to a corporate or international tenant is both simpler and more secure. Pied-à-terre owners will find specific guidance in our article on buying a pied-à-terre in Paris.
Since 1 January 2025, apartments rated G on the energy performance certificate (DPE) can no longer be let under new residential leases. Apartments rated F will follow in 2028, and E-rated ones in 2034.
Many prestigious Haussmannian and pre-Haussmannian apartments, with single glazing and high ceilings, score lower than their reputation suggests. Before relaunching a rental, it is worth commissioning a recent DPE and, if necessary, planning targeted works: secondary glazing compatible with heritage façades, insulation of roof spaces, and efficient heating. Our article on France’s climate law and Paris real estate explains the timeline.
Premium tenants compare carefully. Professional photography, a precise floor plan and a full inventory are standard. Furnishing should be coherent and of high quality: well-made sofas, good bedding, a fully equipped kitchen, and reliable connectivity matter more than decorative statements.
Corporate tenants come with a company guarantee and a structured relocation process. Private international tenants should be assessed on verifiable income and, where relevant, a guarantee from a recognised institution. Discretion matters in both cases: many of these clients do not want their move to be publicised.
A detailed entry inventory, with photographs of each room and item, protects both parties and avoids disputes at departure. For valuable furniture and artwork, a specific annex is advisable.
Our current portfolio illustrates the level corporate and international tenants expect. On the avenue Montaigne, a furnished apartment facing the Plaza Athénée offers 84 m² with two bedrooms in the heart of the Triangle d’Or. In the 7th arrondissement, a 150 m² apartment on the rue de Varenne answers the needs of families looking for space on the Left Bank. All our current properties can be seen on our rentals page.
Letting a prime apartment well requires market knowledge, legal precision and access to the right tenants. LuxuryFlat, led by Sami Saab, places premium corporate and international tenants in furnished and unfurnished apartments across the 6th, 7th, 8th and 16th arrondissements. Our presence in Paris and Dubai gives us direct access to an international clientele, particularly from the Middle East, that is actively looking for quality homes in Paris.
We advise on the appropriate lease, help position the rent within the legal framework, prepare the apartment’s presentation and manage tenant selection with complete discretion. Owners considering a sale rather than a rental can compare both options with us; our article on why owners choose boutique agencies explains our approach.
Considering renting out your apartment in Paris? Contact us for a confidential rental assessment: we will advise on the right lease, the achievable rent and the profile of tenants currently searching in your district.
Yes. Rent control applies to all leases where the apartment is the tenant’s main residence, whatever its standing. Exceptional apartments can justify a rent supplement (complément de loyer) if their features are documented in the lease.
Not necessarily. The Senate voted on 21 October 2026 to extend it for two years. The National Assembly must adopt the text before 24 November for the extension to take effect. Owners should check the final status before signing a new lease.
Yes. When a company rents an apartment to house an employee, a civil code lease can be used, offering more freedom on rent and duration. It must reflect the real situation and cannot be used to avoid the rules that apply to a main residence.
Only within strict limits. A main residence can be let to tourists for a maximum of 90 nights per year with a registration number. A secondary residence requires a change-of-use authorisation, normally conditional on compensation, with fines of up to €100,000 for non-compliance.