Can I sublet my home?
Yes, but only with the landlord's consent. A tenant can only sublet their home with the landlord's written consent, covering both the principle of subletting and the price. Above all, the sublet rent (per m²) can't exceed what you pay yourself: you can't profit at the landlord's expense. The subtenant has no direct link with the landlord. Subletting without authorisation is banned and is grounds for ending the lease. Note: letting your home short-term (Airbnb-style) follows its own rules (town-hall declaration, landlord's consent, day cap).
📋 The rules
- Subletting only with the landlord's written consent
- Consent covering the principle and the price
- Sublet rent ≤ main rent (per m²)
- Subletting without consent: grounds to end the lease
- Short-term letting (Airbnb): specific rules
🔓 Exceptions
- Social housing: subletting very restricted, often banned
- House-share: distinct regime (each flatmate holds the lease)
- Hosting a relative for free: that's not subletting
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Subletting without the landlord's consent, or at a higher rent than yours, exposes you to ending the lease and to the duty to return the sublet rents wrongly collected to the landlord (case law treats these sums as the landlord's). The subtenant can be left without title and have to leave. For short-term letting, breaching the rules (declaration, 120-day cap for a main residence) brings specific fines.
📎 Official sources
- Service-Public.fr · Subletting a home →
- Légifrance · Law of 6 July 1989 (subletting, art. 8) →
- ANIL · Subletting →
❓ Frequently asked
Can you sublet your flat?
Yes, but only with the landlord's written consent, covering the principle and the price. Without this consent, subletting is banned and is grounds for ending the lease.
Is the sublet rent capped?
Yes. The rent charged to the subtenant, per square metre, can't exceed what you pay the landlord yourself. You can't make a profit on the subletting.
What's the risk of subletting without consent?
Ending of the lease and the duty to return the sublet rents collected to the landlord, treated as the landlord's. The subtenant, with no link to the landlord, can be forced to leave.
Does Airbnb count as subletting?
Yes, and it's regulated: to let short-term you need the landlord's consent if you're a tenant, and to respect the applicable rules (town-hall declaration, 120-day cap for a main residence, registration number).
And in social housing?
Subletting is very restricted, even banned, in social housing. Exceptions exist (e.g. subletting part to someone over 60 or with a disability), but they require the social landlord's consent.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “sublet flat landlord consent”
- “sublet rent cap”
- “subletting without authorisation penalty”
- “sublet airbnb tenant”
- “subletting social housing”
- “return sublet rents landlord”