Guide › Moving in France: the checklist

Moving in France: the checklist

The general list plus what comes on top in this country: deadlines, offices and customs.

57 tasks · General checklist

Contracts and authorities

17 weeks before
Check the notice period: three months, one month in a zone tendue or furnished
Law of 6 July 1989, art. 15: three months unfurnished; one month in zones tendues, for furnished lets, job loss, first job or health reasons.
14 weeks before
Send the notice by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt
The notice period runs from receipt; hand delivery against signature or by bailiff is also valid.
13 weeks before
Arrange viewings for the next tenant
11 weeks before
Sign the new lease
10 weeks before
Pay the deposit (dépôt de garantie) and the first month's rent
Unfurnished at most one month's rent, furnished two (ALUR law).
9 weeks before
Arrange the handover date for the old flat
6 weeks before
Cancel internet and TV contracts
6 weeks before
Book a van for the cellar and small items
4 weeks before
Book time off for moving day
3 weeks before
Draw up the list of address changes
2 weeks before
Take out home insurance: mandatory before the keys are handed over
Compulsory for tenants (1989 law, art. 7); the landlord asks for the certificate at the key handover.
7 days before
Cancel the standing order for the old rent

Packing and decluttering

5 weeks before
Get moving boxes
5 weeks before
Get packing material
4 weeks before
Set a decluttering day per room
3 weeks before
Move the cellar and attic ahead of time
2 weeks before
Pack seasonal and rarely used things
10 days before
Pack the workspace
5 days before
Pack the kitchen, defrost the fridge
2 days before
Pack the first-night box
2 days before
Keep the toolbox separate

Old home

9 weeks before
Declutter: sell, give away, dispose
6 weeks before
Clear out the cellar and attic
4 weeks before
Book a bulky waste collection
7 days before
Factory-reset the smart home devices
1 day before
Read and photograph the meters
7 days after
Clean the old place for the handover
10 days after
Compare the move-out inspection with the move-in report
Only differences to the move-in report may be charged; normal wear and tear (vétusté) may not.
4 weeks after
Track the return of the deposit
One month after returning the keys if the inspections match, otherwise two; late return costs the landlord 10 % of the monthly rent per month started.

New home

9 weeks before
Move-in inspection (état des lieux d'entrée): record every room in detail
Free between the parties; report further defects within ten days, heating during the first month of the heating season.
6 weeks before
Book the electrician and tradespeople
6 weeks before
Check mounting points: shower rail, lamps, curtains
4 weeks before
Order the internet connection
4 weeks before
Decide what to buy new
2 weeks before
Draw a furniture plan per room, take measurements
7 days before
Test the internet connection
7 days before
Sign up for electricity and gas at the new home
Before moving in, with the meter reading (Linky number); cancel the old contract rather than letting it run.
1 day after
Record and report defects on moving in
3 days after
Label the doorbell and letterbox
7 days after
Set the smart home up again
7 days after
Meet the neighbours and the property manager

Moving day

13 weeks before
Fix the moving date
9 weeks before
Book the moving company
2 weeks before
Apply for a parking authorisation for the removal van
With the mairie (in Paris online with the city), usually two weeks ahead.
2 weeks before
Reserve the lift at both addresses
10 days before
Arrange care for children and pets
3 days before
Move the plants separately
3 days before
Plan bikes and bulky items separately
On moving day
Food and drink for the helpers
On moving day
Final walk-through of the old flat

After the move

7 days after
Set up mail forwarding with La Poste
laposte.fr; six or twelve months, national or international.
7 days after
Report the change of address in one step on service-public.fr
The online service tells CAF, CPAM, France Travail, the tax office, energy suppliers and La Poste at once.
7 days after
Tell the CAF and re-apply for housing benefit (APL)
caf.fr; the APL for the old home stops, the new one needs a fresh application.
10 days after
Enrol at school through the mairie, secondary school through the rectorat
Nursery and primary: enrol at the mairie with proof of address; collège and lycée through the education authority.
2 weeks after
Tell your bank, employer, mutuelle and CPAM
CPAM via ameli.fr or through the service-public.fr one-stop service.
2 weeks after
Update subscriptions and delivery services
2 weeks after
Change the address on the vehicle registration (carte grise)
Within one month on ants.gouv.fr; free up to the third move (a sticker).

In the app: when setting up the move or under Tasks → Template. Everything can be deselected; a template is a suggestion.

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The checklists in this guide are compiled with care, but without guarantee of completeness or currency. Deadlines and responsibilities change. The information of the respective authority or contracting party is authoritative.