You have just been posted to Cayenne, landed a job in Kourou or you are preparing your move to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni: very quickly, housing becomes the central question. And from the very first listings, a choice imposes itself. Should you sign a furnished rental lease or a standard lease (unfurnished rental)? The two formulas answer very different needs, with commitment periods, notice periods, security deposits and tax rules that have nothing in common. Getting it wrong when you sign can be costly: several months of rent tied up, a notice period that is far too long just when you need to move out, or a home that does not match your real situation on the ground.
In French Guiana, the rental market has its own quirks: strong demand in Cayenne and its outskirts (Rémire-Montjoly, Matoury), a large presence of civil servants and Space Centre employees in Kourou, and turnover driven by postings. This guide helps you understand the real differences between furnished and unfurnished lets, spot the traps before you sign, and decide which formula fits your relocation plans.
Furnished or unfurnished: two distinct legal regimes
In France — and therefore in French Guiana, where mainland law applies — renting a main residence is governed by the law of 6 July 1989. But furnished and unfurnished lets do not follow exactly the same rules.
The unfurnished rental (standard lease)
The standard lease covers a home rented without furniture, or with furniture insufficient to live there immediately. Its main characteristics:
- Lease term: a minimum of 3 years when the landlord is a private individual (6 years if it is a legal entity, such as an SCI or a company).
- Tenant’s notice period: 3 months as a rule, reduced to 1 month in certain cases (job transfer, first job, job loss, health reasons, allocation of social housing).
- Landlord’s notice period: 6 months before the end of the lease, and only for a legitimate reason (repossession, sale, serious grounds).
- Security deposit: capped at 1 month’s rent excluding charges.
This is the formula for long, stable relocations: you are arriving in French Guiana for several years, with or without family, and you furnish the place yourself.
The furnished rental
A furnished let requires a home equipped with a list of items defined by decree (bedding, hob, fridge, crockery, table, chairs, storage, light fittings, cleaning equipment, and so on). Its rules are more flexible:
- Lease term: 1 year, renewable, or 9 months non-renewable for a student lease.
- Tenant’s notice period: 1 month in all circumstances.
- Landlord’s notice period: 3 months before the end date.
- Security deposit: up to 2 months’ rent excluding charges.
The furnished let is designed for flexibility: quick move-in, short commitment, the option to leave with one month’s notice. It is often the preferred formula on arrival, while you get to know French Guiana and look for a longer-term home.
The crux of the matter: commitment period and notice
This is probably the most important criterion for someone arriving from mainland France without yet knowing exactly what their local situation will be.
With a 3-year unfurnished lease, you are committed for the long haul — even though, in practice, you can leave at any time provided you give notice. The sensitive point is precisely that 3-month notice period. Good news for newcomers: the grounds for reducing notice to 1 month cover most relocation situations. A job transfer, a first job or a job loss allow you to bring the notice period down to 1 month, with supporting documents.
With a furnished let, the notice period is always one month, with no justification required. That is maximum freedom: if you find your neighbourhood does not suit you, that you would rather be closer to your workplace in Kourou than stay in Cayenne, or that your posting changes, you can move quickly.
As a rough guide: many people on a job transfer first choose a furnished let for the early months, then switch to an unfurnished lease once they know the city, the commute times and the neighbourhood that suits them.
What it means for your budget
Both the upfront cost and the monthly cost differ depending on the formula.
The security deposit and the furniture
With an unfurnished lease, the deposit is limited to 1 month’s rent excluding charges — but you have to buy all your furniture. And in French Guiana, appliances and furniture are often more expensive than in mainland France because of shipping costs (octroi de mer dock dues, sea freight). Kitting out a home from scratch can represent a substantial budget, to be anticipated as an indicative figure in your relocation envelope.
With a furnished let, the deposit can go up to 2 months’ rent, so the initial cash outlay is higher — but you are not buying any furniture. For a stay of a few months to two years, it is very often cheaper overall.
The rent
For an equivalent floor area, a furnished home generally rents for more than an unfurnished one: the landlord passes on the cost of the furniture and the more frequent turnover. The gaps vary by town, neighbourhood and season, and should be treated as orders of magnitude, not as fixed rules.
Neighbourhood pointers in French Guiana
Purely as a guide, to place the areas:
- Cayenne: the centre (Cépérou, the Crique district), Montabo and Bourda hold a good share of the urban supply.
- Rémire-Montjoly: a residential town popular with families, close to the beaches, often quieter.
- Matoury: close to Félix-Éboué airport, convenient for getting around.
- Kourou: shaped by the Guiana Space Centre, with a market tied to space-sector postings.
- Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni: on the river, to the west, with a smaller market.
Tax: a point often overlooked before signing
The tax difference mainly concerns the landlord, but it has indirect consequences for the tenant (the type of lease offered, the stability of supply).
- Unfurnished rentals fall under property income (micro-foncier or actual-expenses regime).
- Furnished rentals fall under BIC (industrial and commercial profits), with the widely used LMNP status (non-professional furnished landlord), which notably allows depreciation of the property and the furniture.
If you yourself own a property in mainland France that you are renting out before leaving, or if you are considering investing in French Guiana, this choice has a real impact on your tax bill. It is a point to confirm with a professional based on your situation. If you own a property in French Guiana that you cannot manage remotely, our team can help: discover our property management service.
