Sign a French residential lease online in 2 minutes
Empty or furnished residential lease between a landlord (private individual or SCI) and a tenant (or flatmates + guarantor), signed electronically with the same legal value as a paper lease. Compliant with Act no. 89-462 of 6 July 1989 ("ALUR Act") and the eIDAS regulation — advanced signature recommended, multi-signers (flatmates, couple, guarantor), 3-year term (individual landlord) or 6-year term (legal entity landlord).
- Legal framework
- ALUR Act no. 89-462
- Signature level
- AES eIDAS recommended
- Legal retention
- Lease term + 5 years
What is a French residential lease?
A French residential lease is a rental contract for a dwelling used as primary residence, governed by Act no. 89-462 of 6 July 1989 (the "ALUR Act" since 2014). Two main variants exist: empty (unfurnished) lease with a minimum duration of 3 years (individual landlord or family SCI) or 6 years (legal-entity landlord), and furnished lease with a minimum duration of 1 year (9 months for students). The law imposes a standard contract, a technical-diagnostics file (DDT), an entry state-of-place, a capped security deposit, and annual indexation on the IRL (Rent Reference Index).
Why sign the residential lease electronically?
Identical legal value
Article 1366 of the French Civil Code gives an electronic writing the same probative force as paper. No provision of the 6 July 1989 act requires handwritten signature. Electronic signatures are fully recognised by courts and administrations (CAF for housing benefit, tax authorities).
Multi-signers (flatmates, couple, guarantor)
A residential lease often involves several signers: spouse co-tenants (solidarity clause), flatmates (each signs), physical or moral guarantor(s) (Action Logement, Visale). Our flow handles sequential or parallel signing of all, each with their individual SMS OTP.
Long-term retention
Certyneo archives the signed lease and its eIDAS audit trail for the entire lease duration and 5 years beyond (civil-action prescription period). Useful to produce the lease in case of rental litigation (unpaid rent, damage, security-deposit restitution).
Enforceable eIDAS audit trail
Every lease ships with an evidence PDF: identity of each signer (verified by SMS OTP), qualified timestamp, SHA-256 hash, IP geolocation. Enforceable in case of dispute over rent, charges, duration, state-of-place or security deposit.
Sign a residential lease in 4 steps
From preparing the lease to legal archiving, in less than 5 minutes.
1. Prepare the lease
Upload your existing PDF or start from an ALUR-compliant template (3-year or 6-year duration, rent + IRL, security deposit ≤ 1 month excl. charges, recoverable charges decree 87-713, tense-zone mention if applicable). Attach the DDT (diagnostics).
2. Add the signers
Landlord(s) + tenant(s) + guarantor(s). In flat-sharing, add every flatmate with their individual link. For a couple landlord or tenant, plan for 2 signers. Visale guarantor? Action Logement signs via their interface.
3. Choose the eIDAS level
Advanced electronic signature (AES) recommended: SMS OTP identity check, unique certificate per signer, qualified timestamp. SES (simple signature) is acceptable for a short furnished lease but underdimensioned for a 3-year lease.
4. Sign and archive
Each signer signs from their phone or computer. The finalised lease and the evidence PDF are automatically archived for the lease duration. Don't forget to sign the state-of-place at handover (separate procedure).
Frequently asked questions
- Can a French residential lease be signed electronically?
- Yes, without restriction. Act no. 89-462 of 6 July 1989 does not require handwritten signature. Article 1366 of the Civil Code gives an electronic signature the same value as paper. Courts, CAF (for housing benefit) and tax authorities recognise electronically-signed leases.
- What is the minimum duration of a residential lease?
- 3 years if the landlord is a private individual or a family SCI; 6 years if the landlord is a legal entity (non-family SCI, SA, SARL). For a furnished dwelling: 1 year minimum (9 months for students). In a tense zone: tenant notice reduced to 1 month.
- How to handle flat-sharing or a couple tenant?
- All flatmates must sign the lease. If a solidarity clause is included (recommended), each flatmate is responsible for the entire rent. Our multi-signer flow lets each flatmate sign from their phone with their individual SMS OTP.
- Which signature level: SES, AES or QES?
- Advanced electronic signature (AES) is recommended for a 3-6 year lease: reliability presumption (article 1367 Civil Code), SMS OTP identity verification, unique certificate. SES (simple signature) is acceptable for a short furnished lease (< 1 year). QES is rarely used for residential leases.
- Must the state-of-place also be signed electronically?
- Yes, recommended. The entry state-of-place is mandatory (article 3-2 of the 89-462 Act) and must be annexed to the lease. It can be performed via a mobile app or a bailiff, then signed electronically by landlord and tenant — Certyneo handles this separate flow with qualified timestamp.
- Is the security deposit capped?
- Yes: 1 month of rent excluding charges for an unfurnished dwelling (article 22 of the 89-462 Act), 2 months for a furnished one. No revision during the lease term. The electronically-signed lease must state the exact amount and restitution terms (2 months after key handover, or 1 month if no retention).
- Can the lease be terminated early?
- The tenant may terminate at any time with 3 months' notice (1 month in a tense zone or for personal reason). The landlord may only terminate at expiration, with 6 months' notice and a legitimate reason (sale, takeover, tenant fault). The termination itself can be signed electronically.
- Is the electronically-signed lease enforceable before the tenancy court?
- Yes — the judicial court (formerly district court for residential leases) accepts eIDAS-compliant electronic signatures. Advanced electronic signature (AES) benefits from the reliability presumption (article 1367 Civil Code): the Certyneo audit trail produced in court attests to the signers' identity and the document's integrity.
Read also
Sign your first residential lease online
Permanent free plan (5 envelopes / month), no credit card. ALUR Act + eIDAS compliant. Audit trail and long-term archiving included.