Assignment extended, cut short or moved: which flexible housing for an employee in Paris?

An assignment gets extended, a project stops, an employee is replaced: the departure date from a home is rarely the one planned on day one. Flexibility is therefore not a comfort, it is the first selection criterion. Here is what each option allows, and its legal limits.

Four scenarios every company runs into

1. The assignment is extended by a few weeks, or by several months;
2. The assignment is cut short or canceled;
3. The employee changes: another employee takes over in the same home;
4. The team grows: you need to house one more person, fast.

What each option allows

The rules for the mobility lease (bail mobilité) come from ANIL (in French): a term of 1 to 10 months, which can be changed only once, by amendment, without exceeding 10 months; a tenant free to leave at any time on one month's notice (by registered letter with return receipt); and no security deposit. The landlord, for its part, cannot end the lease before its term, except through a court action in case of breach. The details are in our mobility lease guide. For the standard furnished lease, the Paris ADIL (in French) indicates a one-year term. The entries for the last option reflect what Belvie states on its corporate housing page.

The most common flexibility mistakes

• Signing a one-year lease for a four-month assignment. The contract commits you for longer than the need;
• Counting on a mobility lease for an assignment longer than ten months. It is not renewable and not tacitly renewable, and its term can be changed only once;
• Forgetting that an extension by amendment is a one-time option. A second extension is not provided for;
• Not planning for an employee's replacement. A lease in the employee's name cannot simply be handed over to someone else;
• Thinking in price per night without looking at the total cost over the actual duration.

How to build a truly flexible arrangement

• Separate what is known from what is not. A six-month assignment that is extended by two months stays within the ten months of the mobility lease (6 + 2 = 8). Extended by five months, it exceeds them (6 + 5 = 11): another contract is then needed, and it is better to have planned for it;
• Demand the terms in writing: notice, extension, billing in case of early departure;
• Keep a margin: plan for the latest plausible departure date, not the most optimistic one;
• Centralize your needs with a single provider, so you can move an employee from one home to another, or add one, without starting from scratch.

Questions to ask before committing

1. What notice period applies, for me and for the provider?
2. How many times can I extend, and up to what maximum term?
3. Can another employee take the place without a new contract?
4. What is billed if the assignment ends early?
5. Can I add a home if the team grows, and within what timeframe?

Key takeaways

1. The mobility lease is flexible on exit (one month's notice) but capped at 10 months and extendable only once.
2. A standard lease commits you for longer than most assignments.
3. A hotel is flexible but expensive over time.
4. A managed apartment can follow the assignment, provided the contract clearly provides for it: ask for it in writing.

This article is for informational purposes and does not replace legal advice. The mobility lease rules are those described by ANIL as of the publication date; check your situation before signing.

Official sources

• What is a mobility lease? — ANIL (in French)
• Article 25-12, Law No. 89-462 of July 6, 1989 — Légifrance (in French)
• Civil Code lease and the Law of July 6, 1989 — ADIL de Paris (in French)