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I have rented a property in France but my VISA got rejected. What should I do? 🧐

A visa refusal is stressful, but acting quickly can limit your costs. Here is what happens to the money you have paid and what to do next.

Important: a visa refusal does not automatically cancel your lease. Once you have signed a rental agreement, you are committed to it. In most cases you must end it through the normal termination procedure, even if your visa has been refused.

What happens to each payment?

  • Livinfrance service fees: Not refundable. They cover the booking service already provided.
  • Security deposit: Refundable, according to your rental agreement, minus any legitimate deductions (for example unpaid rent).
  • Rent: Rent remains due under your lease until it ends, including during your notice period.
  • Agency fees and other rental charges: Normally not refundable. In exceptional circumstances, Livinfrance can ask the landlord or agency to refund or waive some charges (see below).

Ending your lease: the notice period

To end your lease, you must send your landlord a notice letter. For many rentals, the notice period is one month (préavis d'un mois), but this is not a universal rule: it depends on the type of rental agreement and the rules that apply to it. Check the termination clause in your lease, or ask us if you are not sure.

The notice period starts when the landlord receives your letter, so send it as soon as you receive the refusal. The sooner you send it, the less rent you will owe.

You can use our French template or English template, and send it as a registered letter online through La Poste.

Can Livinfrance help me get some money back?

In exceptional circumstances, Livinfrance can contact the landlord or partner property management agency on your behalf to ask for a refund or waiver of certain charges, such as agency fees or rent. However, the final decision rests entirely with the landlord or agency, and no exceptional refund can be guaranteed.

To ask for this, contact us as soon as possible with proof of your visa refusal:

What to do now: checklist

  1. Contact Livinfrance and send us your visa refusal letter.
  2. Inform your landlord and send them a copy of the refusal.
  3. Send your notice letter by registered post, following the notice period in your lease.
  4. If you want to challenge the refusal, act within 30 days: see How can you appeal a visa refusal decision?

Not ready to sign a lease yet? Livinfrance offers an official accommodation certificate that you can use for your visa application before committing to a lease. Once your visa is granted, you can then look for your accommodation. Get your accommodation certificate · Read our step-by-step tutorial

Click here