Questions & Answers for tenants
Here are our answers to the questions we are asked most often.
The concept
LesVacantes connects owners with occupants looking for a temporary furnished home, for genuine residential use over a contractually defined period.
The length depends on the lease you sign:
- Civil lease (not a main residence): a term freely agreed with the owner, from 1 to 12 months.
- Bail mobilité (mobility lease): 1 to 10 months maximum, non-renewable and non-extendable. The term can be changed only once, by amendment, and never beyond 10 months in total.
In both cases, LesVacantes offers an alternative between short stays (a few weeks) and conventional long-term tenancies.
The difference lies in the nature of the occupation: LesVacantes is about temporary residential occupation, not short-stay tourist accommodation.
The property
The properties on offer are located all over France, with the largest concentration currently in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Every available location can be seen in the listings.
Yes. Every property listed on LesVacantes is furnished and equipped. The exact facilities (kitchen, appliances, bedding, internet, etc.) are detailed in each listing.
For example:
- relocating for work
- temporary rehousing during works
- a move between homes
- a long training course
- caring for a family member
- a temporary return to France
Yes. You have the right to use the property as your home for the whole term of the lease, including leaving your personal belongings there.
Contract and formalities
LesVacantes offers two types of lease. Which one you are offered depends on the property, then on your situation.
What the listing tells you
- Most properties are not their owner's main residence: they are offered under a civil lease, and some also accept the bail mobilité.
- Others are their owner's main residence, let during a long absence. Those are offered under a bail mobilité only: you will need to show a work or training reason in order to book.
The lease or leases accepted are stated in each listing.
1. The civil lease, for use as accommodation that is not the tenant's main residence (articles 1713 et seq. of the French Civil Code)
- It assumes the property does not become your main residence: you keep your usual home elsewhere.
- You do not have to give any particular reason.
- Its term is fixed and freely agreed with the owner, with no automatic renewal.
- The security deposit, charges and early-termination conditions are set out in the contract.
2. The bail mobilité (articles 25-12 to 25-18 of Act no. 89-462 of 6 July 1989)
- The property may be your main or secondary residence.
- It is reserved for tenants who can show, on the date the lease takes effect, a work or training reason (see the next question).
- It is highly protective: no security deposit can be asked of you, charges are a flat fee, and you can end the lease at any time with one month's notice.
Both leases clearly set out the rights and obligations of each party, and differ from conventional short-term or long-term tenancies.
The bail mobilité is reserved for people who, on the date the lease takes effect, are in one of the situations exhaustively listed in law:
- vocational training;
- higher education;
- an apprenticeship contract;
- an internship;
- a voluntary civic service commitment;
- a work relocation;
- a temporary assignment as part of your professional activity.
You will be asked for supporting evidence (employer's letter, assignment order, internship agreement, apprenticeship contract, proof of enrolment or civic service certificate). The reason must appear in the lease: without it, the contract is automatically reclassified as an ordinary furnished tenancy.
If none of these situations applies to you, the letting can be agreed under a civil lease, provided the property is not your main residence.
Note: properties that are their owner's main residence are only offered under a bail mobilité. Without a valid reason, those listings cannot be booked — the others still can.
| Civil lease (not a main residence) | Bail mobilité | |
|---|---|---|
| Use of the property | Not a main residence, exclusively | Main residence or not |
| Evidence required | No reason to be justified | A work or training reason, evidenced at signature |
| Term | 1 to 12 months, freely agreed | 1 to 10 months, non-renewable |
| Security deposit | Possible, amount set in the contract | Prohibited |
| Guarantor / surety | Possible | Possible, including the Visale guarantee |
| Charges | Flat fee or provisional payments reconciled at the end of the stay | Flat fee only, with no reconciliation |
| Early termination | As set out in the contract | At any time, with one month’s notice |
Not every property opens up both frameworks: a property that is not a main residence may accept either one, while an owner’s main residence only allows the bail mobilité. That said, the bail mobilité is more protective (no security deposit, you can leave at any time) but more tightly regulated: capped at 10 months, non-renewable, and a valid reason is required. The civil lease is more flexible on length, but its conditions depend entirely on the contract you sign.
An inventory of condition is carried out when you move in and when you move out. Depending on what suits, it can be done on site or through a partner digital tool.
The service fees are payable at booking, together with the first month's rent, which is released directly to the owner when you move in. Rent is then paid according to the agreed schedule every 30 days, at least 7 days before each due date.
Flexibility and conditions
LesVacantes favours temporary residential occupation, compatible with the residential purpose of the property.
The length of the stay is set when the lease is signed.
Under a civil lease, any change must be agreed with the owner: an amendment or a new lease may be drawn up, depending on the case.
Under a bail mobilité, the term can only be changed once, by amendment, and never beyond 10 months in total. The lease is neither renewable nor extendable: if you sign a new lease for the same property, it will automatically fall under the ordinary furnished-tenancy regime. You can, however, end the lease at any time with one month's notice, given by recorded-delivery letter, by process server, or delivered by hand against a receipt.
Yes, some properties may be unavailable at certain times, at the owner's discretion. All availability is shown in the listing so there are no unpleasant surprises.
Times, key handover and the arrangements for the inventory of condition are set out in the contract and agreed with the owner.
Guarantees and security
Every property is checked before it goes online. LesVacantes puts quality, upkeep and comfort first to ensure a positive experience.
The lease protects your rights. The property must be insured by the owner for the whole rental period: LesVacantes requires every published property to be covered.
On your side, you must have home contents insurance including public liability cover for the duration of your stay; proof is requested before the keys are handed over.
It depends on the lease you sign.
Under a civil lease (not a main residence): yes, if the owner asks for one. The amount and terms are freely set in the lease — in practice, the equivalent of one month's rent. It is paid directly to the owner when the keys are handed over, and can be used to cover damage or a charges reconciliation at the end of the stay.
Under a bail mobilité: no, it is prohibited. No security deposit can be asked of you (article 25-17 of the Act of 6 July 1989). The contract must in fact include a statement informing you of this prohibition. If a deposit were demanded, the clause would have no effect.
In both cases, however, the owner may ask for a guarantor (surety) — the Visale guarantee is in particular open to the bail mobilité. In a house share under a bail mobilité, no joint-liability clause between housemates or their guarantors can be enforced against you.
LesVacantes neither collects nor holds the security deposit.
Yes. After their stay, tenants are invited to leave a review, which then appears on the listing for that property.
Cost & charges
The owner sets the rent freely. LesVacantes checks that it remains in line with the market, for greater transparency. Payment is then made through the platform under the terms of the lease.
Charges (water, electricity, heating, internet) are always stated in the listing and in the lease. How they are recovered depends on the lease:
Under a civil lease: either a flat fee included in the rent, or a provisional payment reconciled at the end of the stay against actual consumption or meter readings. Where there is a reconciliation, the balance may be deducted from the security deposit if one was requested.
Under a bail mobilité: a flat fee only, paid at the same time as the rent. That flat fee is final: it cannot give rise to any top-up or later reconciliation (article 25-18 of the Act of 6 July 1989). No catch-up charges can therefore be claimed from you at the end of your stay.
If any additional costs apply (cleaning, exceptional maintenance, etc.), they are clearly stated in the listing.
There are no hidden fees. Any additional costs (e.g. cleaning, optional services) are set out explicitly in the listing.
LesVacantes charges the tenant no service fees at all.
Legal / practical
Depending on the case, you may be asked for proof of identity, address or income, in line with the rules applicable to furnished lettings.
For a bail mobilité, evidence of your eligibility reason is mandatory: employer's letter, assignment order, internship agreement, apprenticeship contract, proof of enrolment or civic service certificate. That reason must be stated in the lease.
For a civil lease, no reason has to be given, but the property must not be your main residence.
Before you move in, cancellation and termination terms are set out in the cancellation policy applicable to the booking and in the lease. As a rule, once the booking is confirmed there is no right of withdrawal under French consumer law.
After you move in, it depends on the lease:
- Civil lease: early termination is only possible on the conditions set out in the contract.
- Bail mobilité: you can end the lease at any time, with one month's notice (article 25-15 of the Act of 6 July 1989). Notice is given by recorded-delivery letter, by process server, or delivered by hand against a receipt. Rent and charges remain payable for the whole notice period, unless the property is re-let before it ends, with the owner's agreement.
In the event of damage or an incident, you must inform the owner and/or the LesVacantes support team immediately.
What is covered depends on the insurance policies taken out by each party — yours, the owner's and, where applicable, any optional cover — and on their respective terms. LesVacantes is not an insurer.
A request may be turned down if the owner does not wish to approve your booking (availability, personal criteria, and so on). This says nothing about how genuine your request was; every owner remains free to choose.
Where the owner has taken out unpaid-rent cover, our insurance partner may also decide that the tenant is not eligible and decline to cover the booking. The owner then remains free to go ahead, or not, without that cover.