You've found a wonderful new home in and you are ready to move. Where do you start? Let us walk you through the details and information you'll need to know for an easy transition to your new home, either in France or abroad.

Proprietor: First and foremost, if you are moving from or within France keep in mind that terminating your current rental contract may require up to three months notice, according to the loi du 6 juillet 1989. For furnished residences, the required notice time is often less than three months. In any case, this information can be found in your rental contract.

In order to terminate a rental contract you must send a letter of notice to your proprietor with receipt confirmation, called lettre recommandee avec AR.

Set a date with your landlord for the etat des lieux, which is to be completed after you have moved out.

What is a lettre recommandee?

For official documents such as contracts, notices, and declarations, La Poste offers a secure mailing service called lettre recommandee. This service includes proof of mailing, signature upon delivery, as well as receipt confirmation for the sender. There are three levels of security from which you may choose (R1, R2, and R3).

You may send a letter using the lettre recommandee service from any La Poste office.

EDF and GDF: At least one week prior to moving, contact your local agent in order to terminate the existing contract and set up an appointment to read the meter. This reading is done at no extra cost to you. Let the agent know when and where you will be moving so that they can set up a new contract.

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About the Author Kari Masson has a very colorful collection of stamps in her passport. She grew up in Cote d'Ivoire, studied in the UK, camped in the Swedish tundra, spent time with the Maasai people of Kenya, worked in a health clinic in Senegal, and currently lives in Lyon, France with her husband. She uses her experiences as inspiration for articles that have appeared in travel, cross-cultural, and expatriate-focused publications. More than 50 of her articles have appeared in North America, Europe, and Africa. jkmassonprint. blogspot.com

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First Published: Nov 04, 2006