Renting an Apartment in Monaco: Process, Costs and Documents (2026)
For most people moving to the Principality, the apartment comes first. A home in Monaco is not only where you will live: a registered lease is one of the documents the Residency Section asks for when you apply for a residence permit. Getting the rental right, and getting the paperwork in the right order, makes the rest of the move far easier.
This guide walks through how renting works in Monaco, the documents you will be asked for, the costs to budget for beyond the rent itself, and the practical choices between furnished and unfurnished homes. It is part of our Moving to Monaco guide.
How the Monaco rental market is organised
Monaco has three broad types of residential housing, and only one of them is open to most newcomers.
- State-owned (domanial) housing is allocated to Monegasque households.
- The protected sector covers certain residential premises built or completed before 1 September 1947. Its rental conditions are set by Act no. 1.235 of 28 December 2000, and these apartments are reserved for specific categories of protected people, subject to resource thresholds.
- The free sector is everything else, and it is where almost all newcomers rent. Rent, length of lease and most conditions are agreed between landlord and tenant in the contract.
In practice, this means your search will be in the free sector, usually through one of the Principality’s estate agencies. Supply is limited by geography, so good apartments in popular districts can be let quickly. If you are still deciding where to look, our guide to the best areas to live in Monaco compares the main neighbourhoods.
The renting process, step by step
Every agency works slightly differently, but the sequence below is typical.
- Define your brief. Budget, district, number of bedrooms, parking, cellar storage, and whether you need the apartment furnished.
- Visit and shortlist. Many agencies will arrange several viewings in a single day if you are travelling in for the search.
- Make a written offer. According to Savills’ Monaco rental guide, a copy of your identity document is annexed to the offer, and a bank reference is often required at this stage.
- Agree the lease. The agent prepares the contract. Read the duration, renewal and notice clauses carefully, and ask who pays which service charges.
- Sign and pay the move-in costs. Savills notes that the security deposit is usually lodged with the offer. Ask your agent exactly when the agency fees and the first rent fall due.
- Register the lease. Tenancy agreements must be registered with the Direction des Services Fiscaux within three months of signature. Do this promptly: the registered lease is what the Residency Section expects to see.
- Check-in and inventory. A detailed record of the apartment’s condition, often drawn up by a bailiff (huissier), protects both sides at the end of the lease.
Documents you will usually need
Landlords and agents set their own requirements, so expect some variation. Most will ask for:
- a valid passport or national identity card;
- a bank reference, or other evidence that you can meet the rent;
- proof of income or employment where relevant, such as an employment contract;
- details of any company that will hold the lease, if it is not in your own name.
Think ahead to your residence permit at the same time. According to Monaco’s official public services portal, a first application asks for proof of accommodation (for a tenant, the lease registered with the Direction des Services Fiscaux), proof of sufficient resources (for example, a bank reference in the approved format from a Monaco bank, less than one month old), a criminal record extract less than three months old from the countries you have lived in over the past five years, and, for non-EEA nationals, a long-stay visa. The fee for a first permit is €80. Our article on opening a bank account in Monaco explains the banking side in more detail.
Deposits, agency fees and other costs
The rent is only part of the picture. Budget for the following before you sign.
| Cost | What to expect | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Leasehold (registration) duty | 1% of the rent and charges for the full term of the lease, paid by the tenant when the lease is registered (for leases over three years, payment in three-year instalments can be requested) | Official: Direction des Services Fiscaux |
| Registration deadline | Within three months of signing, or penalties apply | Official: Direction des Services Fiscaux |
| Security deposit | Commonly three months’ rent | Market practice cited by Savills |
| Agency fees | Commonly 10% of the annual rent plus 20% VAT, paid by the tenant | Market practice cited by Savills |
| Inventory by bailiff | Often cited at around €500 to €700 | Market practice cited by Savills |
| Service charges | Set by each building and lease | Check your contract |
The figures in the last four rows are not set by law. They reflect what agents commonly quote, so confirm them in writing with your agency before you commit. On the registration duty, the Direction des Services Fiscaux will confirm exactly how the 1% is calculated for your lease.
For a wider view of what life here costs once the lease is signed, see the real cost of living in Monaco in 2026.
Lease length and terms
In the free sector, the length of the lease, renewal and notice periods are defined by the contract rather than by a standard national template. Some leases run for a fixed initial term and renew automatically; others are shorter. Before you sign, check:
- the initial term and how renewal works;
- how much notice you must give, and how much the landlord must give;
- whether rent can be revised during the lease, and on what basis;
- whether you may make changes to the apartment, such as painting or fitting shelving;
- which service charges are included in the rent and which are billed separately.
This is general information rather than legal or tax advice. For a lease of any significance, it is worth asking a Monaco lawyer or your relocation adviser to review the contract for your situation.
Furnished or unfurnished
Both exist in Monaco, and the right choice depends on how long you plan to stay and how much of your own life you want around you.
Furnished apartments make sense for a first year, a trial period or a second home you visit occasionally. They remove the immediate logistics of a move. The trade-off is that the furniture reflects the landlord’s taste, and quality varies widely.
Unfurnished apartments give you more choice and usually suit a longer stay. They do mean organising furniture, lighting and sometimes kitchen appliances, often within tight building access rules and delivery windows.
A middle path is to rent unfurnished and furnish with carefully chosen pre-owned pieces. On Meubles Monaco you can browse designer furniture already in Monaco and on the Riviera, reserve a piece for €25, view it in the seller’s home and pay through a secure link at the viewing. Collection is arranged with the seller, and we recommend trusted local transport partners. If you would rather hand the whole project over, our turnkey furnishing service sources and styles an apartment to your brief.
Realistic timelines
There is no official timeline for finding a rental, and it depends heavily on budget, district and the season. What you can plan around are the fixed points:
- the lease must be registered within three months of signature;
- the bank reference used for a residence permit must be less than one month old when you apply;
- the criminal record extract must be less than three months old.
Because these documents expire, it pays to line them up so that they are all valid on the day you submit your residence application. Our guide to how long Monaco residency really takes covers the wider sequence.
Moving in: the practical checklist
- Lease signed and registered with the Direction des Services Fiscaux.
- Inventory completed and signed, with photographs.
- Electricity and gas contracts opened with SMEG, the Principality’s electricity and gas operator.
- Home insurance in place before the keys are handed over.
- Building rules obtained from the concierge or managing agent: lift bookings, delivery hours and where removal vehicles can stop.
- Internet and telephone installation booked.
- Furniture plan agreed, including what to bring, what to buy locally and what to sell.
If you are leaving pieces behind elsewhere on the Riviera, you can sell your designer furniture through Meubles Monaco.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a lease to apply for Monaco residency?
You need proof of accommodation. For a tenant, that means a lease registered with the Direction des Services Fiscaux. Owning a property or living with a close relative or partner are the other recognised options.
Who pays the agency fees in Monaco?
According to Savills, the tenant pays the agency commission, commonly quoted at 10% of the annual rent plus 20% VAT. This is market practice rather than a legal rate, so confirm it with your agency.
How much is the lease registration duty?
The leasehold duty is 1% of the rent and charges for the full term of the lease, and is paid by the tenant. The lease must be registered within three months of signing.
Can I rent in the protected sector?
Protected-sector apartments, in buildings completed before 1 September 1947, are reserved for specific categories of protected people under Act no. 1.235. Most newcomers rent in the free sector.
Should I rent furnished or unfurnished?
Furnished suits a short or trial stay. Unfurnished gives you more control over a longer stay, and can be furnished efficiently with pre-owned designer pieces sourced locally.
Last updated: October 2026
Sources
- Monaco public services: how to apply for a residence permit
- Monaco public services: how to pay the leasehold duty
- Monaco public services: registration duty
- Monaco public services: State-owned (domanial) housing
- Légimonaco: Ordinance no. 5.493 (Act no. 1.235)
- SMEG
- Savills Monaco rental guide 2025 (market practice)
