Key takeaways
- Mid-term rentals (mobility leases - bail mobilité) address full-time continuous stays lasting 1 to 10 months restricted to specific legal reasons (including a temporary work assignment, an internship or training), billed at full monthly rent.
- Part-time rentals under a defined-days lease fulfill recurring part-time needs (e.g., 2 or 3 fixed nights per week) with no mandatory legal justification, charging rent pro-rated strictly to occupied nights (€476 per month for 2 nights/week at €55 per night).
- Mobility leases are rigid (non-renewable beyond 10 months, statutory ban on security deposits, continuous occupancy across the whole week), whereas defined-days leases offer renewable contractual flexibility and allow hosting multiple occupants on distinct day blocks.
- For a professional working 2 nights per week in another metropolitan area, a defined-days lease generates savings exceeding 60 % compared to mobility leases or full-time monthly rentals.
You are seeking temporary accommodation for a few months or for two fixed days every week, and you type “mid-term lease or part-time rental” into your search engine. The top search result almost systematically points toward the mobility lease (bail mobilité): a 1-to-10-month furnished rental created by France’s 2018 ÉLAN Law. The issue is that this legal framework describes a situation fundamentally different from what many mobile active professionals experience: it governs continuous 24/7 full-time occupancy, not a long-term recurring schedule of a few fixed days per week.
This article clearly distinguishes mid-term rentals from part-time leases: two legal frameworks designed for opposite occupancy patterns. You will know exactly which contract matches your actual work rhythm before signing.
Mid-term lease or part-time rental: where does the confusion stem from?
Since the enactment of the ÉLAN Law in 2018 (the lease itself is defined in Article 25-12 of the law of 6 July 1989), the mobility lease is the sole rental format officially designated as “intermediate duration”: situated between single hotel nights and standard 1-year renewable residential leases. Because it is the only contract holding a dedicated statutory name in this duration window, comparison platforms and real estate agencies default to it whenever a user inquiry mentions a need lasting several months.
However, not all professionals seeking temporary housing are planning a continuous relocation. Many actually seek to establish a recurring weekly schedule: 2 or 3 fixed nights per week, extending across several months or years, while maintaining their primary family household elsewhere. This is a fundamentally different need that mobility leases cannot fulfill, falling squarely under a defined-days lease.
Mobility lease vs defined-days lease: legal comparison
The two contracts present major structural differences:
| Legal criterion | Mobility lease (Mid-term) | Defined-days lease (Part-time) |
|---|---|---|
| Legal framework | Law of July 6, 1989 (ÉLAN Law) | French Civil Code (Articles 1714 and following) |
| Contract duration | 1 to 10 months maximum, non-renewable | Freely set in contract, renewable |
| Required legal reason | Mandatory (including assignment, training, internship, studies) | None required (mutual agreement) |
| Occupancy mode | Continuous 24/7 | Fixed assigned days (e.g., Mon evening to Wed morning) |
| Rent calculation | Full monthly rent (7 nights paid/week) | Rent pro-rated to occupied nights (€476 / month) |
| Security deposit | Forbidden by law (Visale guarantee allowed) | Free |
| Multiple occupants | Allowed as a flatshare (single lease or one lease per flatmate) | Allowed (co-occupancy on distinct days) |
Financial breakdown: budget for 2 fixed nights per week
Consider the real costs for a common routine of 2 fixed nights per week (Tuesday to Thursday) in a major metropolitan area:
- Defined-days lease (€55 per night): monthly rent totals €476 per month (based on an average of 4.33 weeks per month), calculated exclusively on assigned nights.
- Mobility lease (Full-time monthly rental): rent is calculated on continuous full-time studio occupancy (between €1,200 and €1,500 per month), even if the occupant sleeps there only 2 nights per week.
- Traditional hotel: approximately €1,100 per month for the same frequency.
- Short-term tourist rental: approximately €780 per month with changing addresses and fees.
The financial gap stems directly from contract mechanics: mobility leases bill for full-time living, whereas defined-days leases adjust strictly to the tenant’s actual usage.
Fiscal and administrative aspects to consider
Beyond occupancy flexibility, both housing frameworks obey distinct accounting and tax rules:
1. LMNP tax status and rental income
Rent received under mobility leases as well as civil defined-days leases falls under Industrial and Commercial Profits (BIC) under Non-Professional Furnished Rental (LMNP) status. Hosts benefit from micro-BIC (with a 50 % flat-rate deduction on gross income) or the actual expense regime allowing property and furniture depreciation. The difference lies in regularity: a defined-days lease produces predictable year-round revenue without vacancy breaks between 10-month limits.
2. Security deposits and the Visale guarantee
The ÉLAN Law expressly forbids landlords from requiring a security deposit under a mobility lease. The landlord may still ask for a guarantor, says Service-public.fr, and the tenant can then use, among other options, the Visale guarantee. A defined-days lease, by contrast, is free on this point under contract law.
3. Local housing taxes and primary residence status
Under a mobility lease, the occupant can establish the property as a temporary primary residence (particularly students or long-term interns). Conversely, under a Kowo civil part-time lease, the occupant imperatively maintains their primary residence elsewhere. The property remains the host’s secondary residence or weekday home, preventing any legal reclassification disputes.
What this changes for property hosts
For a host owning an apartment or secondary residence available during weekdays, contract choice dictates property monetization strategy:
- Under a mobility lease: the property is let full-time, to one tenant or to flatmates, for 1 to 10 months. The host receives fixed monthly rent but forfeits all personal access during this period. The mobility lease is non-renewable, with no tacit rollover: if, at the end of the term, the parties sign a new lease for the same furnished home, that new lease falls under Title I bis of the 1989 law, the regime for furnished homes let as a main residence (Article 25-14).
- Under part-time co-occupancy: the host offers the property under a defined-days lease to 2 or 3 occupants succeeding one another on distinct day blocks without ever meeting. This setup achieves optimal weekday occupancy while allowing the host to retain personal weekend access.
Each occupant holds an independent contract with zero financial joint liability. To explore market comparisons further, read our analysis comparing WeekAway, Flexliving, and Kowo.
Do not confuse: mobility lease, tourist rental, and civil lease
To prevent misunderstandings during your search:
- Mobility lease: a rigid full-time contract capped at 10 months, open only to a tenant in one of the seven situations listed by law: vocational training, higher education, apprenticeship, internship, civic service, a job transfer or a temporary work assignment.
- Short-term tourist rental: a short-term commercial contract billed by the night, lacking long-term rate stability or address continuity.
- Defined-days lease: a custom secondary residence civil lease tailored to commuters and professionals working a few days per week in another city.
Essential checklist before signing your lease
- Determine your actual schedule: do you require 24/7 housing for 6 months (mobility lease) or 2 to 3 fixed nights per week year-round (defined-days lease)?
- Verify legal eligibility: mobility leases require official documentation (internship agreement, employer assignment letter).
- Calculate cost per actually occupied night to evaluate total financial commitment.
- Review contractual notice and renewal clauses.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between mid-term and part-time rentals?
Mid-term rentals (mobility leases) involve continuous 24/7 occupancy for 1 to 10 months. Part-time rentals involve recurring presence on specific weekly days (e.g., 2 nights/week).
Can a mobility lease be converted into a defined-days lease?
No. They are distinct legal regimes. Mobility leases fall under the 1989 Housing Act, whereas defined-days leases are civil contracts under the French Civil Code.
Does a mobility lease allow several occupants?
Yes, flat-sharing is possible, for instance with a single mobility lease signed by all the co-tenants. A mobility lease runs from 1 to 10 months and falls under the 1989 Housing Act.
Does a defined-days lease require official assignment proof?
No. It is a civil agreement freely concluded between host and tenant by mutual consent.
To study civil contract law further, browse our complete Legal dossier and read our guide to the defined-days lease explained. To establish part-time living routines, read our guide to long-term part-time rentals and all studies gathered in the Comparisons dossier.