when does a holiday let become a long-term let?

[altycol]

How long can you rent a holiday let to one person? With all the restrictions(protections) for tenants if they have a long term rental, we would rather renew/relet to our possible tenant every 3-6 months as we also have the property up for sale and our prospective tenant is only looking for a stopgap. I understand the minimum long term rental is 1 year and we couldn't ask our our tenant to leave just because we sold the house, or could we if we put that in the initial contract e.g. 2 months notice [even over Winter]? Any advice or pointers in the direction of advice gratefully received. We'd like to help someone in a difficult position but we don't want to end in one ourselves.

[breizh]

If it was so easy[:D]

Holiday letting contracts are based on the property not being the lettor's residence principal. It is nothing to do with the length of the contract. There is a standard scam during the holiday season, where homeless people take a holiday let, then refuse to leave. The courts will infer a standard furnished contract, and they can't be shifted!

Neither can you change the duration of a standard letting contract. The duration terms are in the Code Civile, and that's that. Furnished 1 year, unfurnished 3 years.

That said. We let several properties on standard contracts, and have never had any issues. Vetting tenents is critical. We only take people recommended by local family members.

If you feel confident with the propestive tenent, go with it, but don't expect the French legal system to help you if it goes wrong.

[altycol]

Thank you, I had a feeling that might be the case. It makes sense if the state is trying to protect tenants. We just have to assess the risk. Shame there isn't a balance of risks rather than high risk for landlord and low risk for tenant, especially if both parties agree.