Renting your apartment to a company in Paris: corporate lease or employee lease?

A company is looking for housing for an employee and offers to sign the lease in its own name. For the owner, it is tempting: a solvent tenant, a professional counterpart. But this choice changes the legal framework of the contract. Here is what to know before saying yes.

Companies often propose this arrangement for a simple reason: they pay the rent directly, spare the employee from advancing funds and keep control over the length of the stay.

Why the lease changes depending on who signs

The Law of July 6, 1989 applies to rentals of residential premises that are the tenant's primary residence, that is, occupied at least eight months a year (Article 2). Furnished dwellings fall under a separate title, and the mobility lease (bail mobilité) under another.

A company does not “reside”: the ADIL of Paris lists rental to a legal entity among the cases where the lease falls under the Civil Code, like a secondary residence or employer-provided housing.

Civil Code lease (bail Code civil) or 1989 law: the differences

Summary from the ADIL of Paris (July 2026); check your situation.

This freedom is real, but monitored. The ADIL warns that using a Civil Code lease to circumvent the 1989 law exposes the parties to judicial requalification, with refund of excessive rent or deposits and damages. A lease in the company's name must correspond to a real situation (company as tenant, named occupant), not serve as a cover.

The employee on assignment: the mobility lease

If it is the employee who signs, the mobility lease is designed for this case. According to ANIL, it is aimed in particular at people on a job transfer or temporary assignment: 1 to 10 months, neither renewable nor extendable, with no security deposit. The landlord may, however, ask for a guarantor, for example through the Visale guarantee. We detail it in our guide to the mobility lease in Paris.

Five points to check as an owner

1. Who is the tenant? The name on the lease, the person who pays the rent and the person who takes out the insurance must be clear.
2. The company's solvency. Ask for a company registration extract (extrait Kbis) and the latest accounts: a company does not provide the same documents as an employee applicant.
3. The occupants. List them by name, and provide that any change of occupant requires your written consent.
4. Insurance and the inspection reports. Require an insurance certificate and a detailed move-in and move-out inspection — see our guide to the furnished-rental inspection.
5. The exit. Provide for the duration and conditions if the assignment ends before the planned term.

And what about renting to a company by the week?

Renting by the day or by the week raises other questions (change of use, co-ownership, taxation) that we cover separately in renting to a company by the week: what the law says. For subletting, see also professional subletting: opportunity or trap?

Key takeaways

1. A company has no primary residence: according to the ADIL of Paris, renting to one falls under the Civil Code and not under the 1989 law.
2. The Civil Code allows more freedom (duration, notice, review, deposit), but circumventing the 1989 law can be requalified.
3. For an employee on assignment, the mobility lease (1 to 10 months, no security deposit) exists precisely for this case.
4. Check solvency, occupants and exit before signing with a company.

This article is for information purposes only and does not replace legal advice. The characterization of a lease depends on the facts; before signing with a company, have the contract reviewed by a legal professional or contact your ADIL.

Official sources

• Civil Code lease and the Law of July 6, 1989: what are the differences? — ADIL of Paris (in French)
• Article 2, Law No. 89-462 of July 6, 1989 — Légifrance (in French)
• What is a mobility lease? — ANIL (in French)