Finding an apartment rental for a few months in Marseille

Renting an apartment in Marseille for a few months is possible, but you need to know which contract you will be signing. Three frameworks exist: the standard furnished lease, concluded for one year (nine months if you are a student), the mobility lease, from one to ten months, reserved for certain situations, and the seasonal rental of a tourist furnished property, limited to 90 consecutive days per year for a single customer. They give you neither the same rights nor the same entry costs.

The Marseille market remains tight. According to the SeLoger barometer of September 2026, the average rent for an apartment reaches €16.77 per square metre per month. Allow from €390 for a studio in an accessible area to €700 for a furnished studio in the centre or a sought-after neighbourhood, and €550 to €900 for a two-room apartment, excluding charges. Many landlords prefer a tenant who will settle for several years: a request for a few months must therefore be clear and well prepared.

Here is how to choose the right contract, where to search, what budget to plan and how to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Which contract for a rental of a few months?

The mobility lease: 1 to 10 months, no deposit

This is the contract designed for temporary stays. It covers a furnished property and lasts a minimum of one month and a maximum of ten months. It cannot be renewed or extended automatically: its term can be changed only once by an amendment, without exceeding ten months in total. If you then stay, a standard furnished lease must be signed.

It is reserved for tenants who, at the start of the lease, are in one of these situations: vocational training, higher education, apprenticeship, internship, civic service, job transfer or temporary assignment. The landlord may ask you for proof (internship agreement, apprenticeship contract, assignment letter).

• No deposit: the landlord is not allowed to ask for one. They can, however, require a guarantor, and you can use the Visale guarantee, including if you are a student.
• Flat-rate charges, paid at the same time as the rent, with an amount stated in the lease.
• One month's notice if you leave before the end of the lease.
• Fixed rent: it cannot be revised during the lease. In Marseille, classed as a high-demand area, the rent increase between two tenants is also capped.

The standard furnished lease: one year, or nine months for a student

If you do not meet the conditions for the mobility lease, the furnished lease remains the usual solution. It is concluded for a minimum of one year, or nine months if the tenant is a student. You can leave at any time with one month's notice, which in practice allows you to stay only a few months. The deposit is capped at two months' rent excluding charges. State your length of stay from the first conversation: some landlords accept, others do not.

Seasonal rental: for a few weeks

A tourist furnished property is let by the day, week or month, to guests who do not make it their residence. A single customer cannot total more than 90 consecutive days there per calendar year. The price is set freely by the host, and the contract must specify the dates, the price, the down payment or deposit, the charges, the tourist tax and any deposit. It is flexible for a short stay, but often more expensive per month than a furnished lease, and you do not get the protections of a residential lease.

Where to search in Marseille depending on your stay

• Castellane, Vauban, Notre-Dame-du-Mont (6th): central, well served by the metro, in high demand among young professionals.
• La Plaine and Cours Julien (5th and 6th): lively neighbourhood, popular with students, mid-range rents.
• Baille and La Conception (5th): close to the hospitals and medical schools, handy for a healthcare internship or residency, moderate rents.
• Joliette, République, Docks (2nd): the Euroméditerranée business district, useful for a corporate assignment. Rents per square metre there are among the highest.
• Saint-Charles and Noailles (1st): around the station, very accessible, with rents among the most affordable in the centre.
• Prado, Périer, Bonneveine (8th) and Endoume, Catalans (7th): residential, close to the sea, more expensive, especially for a property with a view.

The northern arrondissements, notably the 14th and 15th, remain the most affordable. Always check the journey to your workplace or place of study before committing.