Renting in France: documents and your rights

What landlords usually ask for

• One ID document with a photo (ID card, passport, driving licence or residence permit)
• One proof of address, such as your last 3 rent receipts
• Proof of activity: employment contract, business registration or student card
• Proof of income: your last 3 payslips, your latest tax notice, a scholarship letter, etc.
• For your guarantor: the same kinds of documents

What to cover on your documents

On your ID

French ID cards and passports carry no national number to cover. You can add a note on the copy saying who it is for; Rent Dossier watermarks every page for you.

On your payslips

Cover your social security number: a landlord may not ask for it (not even your carte Vitale). Your income must stay readable.

What a landlord may not ask for

• An ID photo (other than the one on your ID), or your carte Vitale
• Bank statements or a certificate of good account standing
• A certificate showing you have no loans, or a direct debit authorisation
• Any document that is not on the official list (Law of 6 July 1989, art. 22-2, and Decree 2015-1437)

The list of documents is set by decree, and asking for documents outside it can be fined.

Sources

• Légifrance : décret n° 2015-1437, pièces justificatives (liste)
• Légifrance : annexe I, pièces pouvant être demandées au candidat

General information, not legal advice. Checked against the sources below in October 2026.