The idea of renting a cottage in rural France for 6 months or even a year is very appealing. It gives you the time to explore local markets, find the best olive oil producers, discover the different wine regions and sample wonderful French cheeses (which never seem to taste quite the same when you take them home). And with so much happening throughout the year, there is always something new to discover.
Why 2027 and 2028 are great years to spend time in France
There are some interesting events and developments to look forward to in France during 2027 and 2028. One of the more surprising is that the small city Bourges in central France has been chosen as a European Capital of Culture for 2028. Bourges? Yes, not Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux or Marseille, but Bourges. The city is the capital of the Cher department (never heard of it) and once home to historical figures such as John Calvin and Jacques Cujas (nope, never heard of either of them). But good on Bourges, I hope it puts itself right on the map and celebrates the unique culture of smaller French towns and rural communities.
The 2027 Tour de France will also have a distinctly British flavour, with the men's race starting in Edinburgh before travelling through Britain and crossing into France. The Grand depart in Yorkshire a few years ago was a great success, so hopefully Scotland can do the Tour proud.
Meanwhile, Paris has some interesting developments of its own. The Palais de la Découverte science museum is scheduled to reopen in spring 2027 following a major refurbishment, while the magnificent Grand Palais will host exhibitions devoted to Marcel Duchamp and the photographer Gilles Caron. Both buildings are worth visiting for their architecture alone.
From the Cannes film festival to some wonderfully eccentric festivals
France is the world's most visited country, welcoming over 100 million international visitors a year. And it's not difficult to understand why. Beyond the famous monuments, beautiful countryside and Mediterranean beaches, France has an extraordinary calendar of festivals and events.
There are the internationally famous occasions, such as the Cannes Film Festival, the Avignon Theatre Festival and the Nice Carnival. But what I particularly love are the smaller celebrations that reveal the wonderfully eccentric side of French life.
Where else could you find a marathon where runners stop for wine and oysters (Marathon du Médoc, Pauillac, Gironde), a village that celebrates its famous pink onions (Fête de l'Oignon Rosé, Roscoff, Brittany), or a town that stages an entire festival devoted to black pudding (Foire au Boudin, Mortagne-au-Perche, Normandy)? In Saint-Gilles, near Nîmes, they even have a Peach and Apricot Feria (Féria de la Pêche et de l'Abricot, Saint-Gilles, Gard), which despite its name has very little to do with fruit and more to do with the local Camargue bulls, music and partying until the early hours.
And if that isn't enough, in the southern coastal town of Sète, you have the completely bokers Water Jousting Festival; in Lautrec in the Tarn department in central Southern France holds an annual Pink Garlic Festival (Fête de l'Ail Rose, August), complete with garlic-braiding competitions, while Sarlat in the Dordogne celebrates the highly prized black truffle (Fête de la Truffe, January), with markets, tastings and cooking demonstrations.
Checklist for renting a cottage in France long term
At Long Term Rentals in France, we personally inspect the cottages we advertise to make sure they are properly equipped for longer stays, including during the winter months. Renting a cottage for 3–12 months is very different from booking a two-week summer holiday. Good heating, reliable internet, a properly equipped kitchen and access to local shops and services all become much more important. Below, we have put together a practical checklist of things to consider before choosing a long term cottage rental in France.
Is the cottage suitable for a long term rental?
Many cottages in the South of France are very simply equipped and lack decent insulation. Whilst open beamed roofs exposing the clay ceiling tiles maybe charming in the summer, you will not think so in the midst of winter. Our previous long term rental house lacked even basic insulation and was like a fridge in the winter (and an oven in the summer). Also check that the fireplace works. All landlords in France have to get a certificate proving that the chimney is useable. Another trick to be wary of is to be proudly shown the electric wall heaters in every room as proof that the cottage is suitable for a long term let. If you are renting a house long term in France over the winter don't even think of turning these heaters on! - they drain money quicker than they heat up the room. Electricity in France is ruinously expensive. Everyone down here in the winter either picks up drift wood off the beach (there is huge quantities of it after there has been a storm), burns vine wood (burns well and gives off a beautiful smell) or uses small oil or gas cylinder heaters. I am sure that you will be fine, but it is better to be warned in advance. Also, make sure to check:
- What linen and crockery is provided in the cottage and is it sufficient?
- Is there decent lighting for those longer winter evenings?
- Is there enough storage facilities?
- Is there adequate heating in the cottage for the winter months?
What is the area like in the winter?
Many French towns and villages are quite different once the tourists have left at the end of summer - especially in some of the popular holiday rental areas such as Dordogne, Provence and the Languedoc. If you are renting 'out of season' just ask the question - what is the area like during the winter? So for instance,
- do the weekly markets still take place?
- what are the average rainfall and average temperatures like in the winter months
- are there strong winds during the winter (like the Mistral in the Rhone valley or Tramontane in the Pyrenees)
- what do people do here in the winter?
A long term let is different from a holiday rental and you want to make sure that you see more than one person a day. Even our own village, Nezignan L'Eveque near Pezenas in the Languedoc, which is a lively little place, gets noticeably quieter from October through to March with about 20% of the houses closed up. So just make sure that your proposed long term rental location does offer some signs of life in the winter months. I always advise customers to be based near a large town which has life to it all year around.
Long term cottage rentals in the Languedoc
Roquebrun Haut Languedoc Regional Park
So in the Languedoc I recommend that clients base themselves around
- Uzès - lovely market town and the gateway to the Cevennes region
- Sommieres - another popular market town close to Montpellier
- Pezenas - formerly the capital of the Languedoc region and one of the most beautiful towns in France
- Marseillan - a coastal town on the Etang du Thau salt water lake
- Lagrasse - a picturesque small town on the edge of the Corbieres hills
- Narbonne - a former Roman garrison town, 10 km from the coast
- Collioure - a beautiful coastal town close to the Spanish border
- Mirepoix - a colourful market town, south of Carcassonne
Cottages to rent long term in Provence
Roussillon Provence France
In Provence, you have:
- Aix-en-Provence - a stunning university town with a TGV train station and close to Marseille airport
- St-Remy-de-Provence - a market town with a population of 10,000 people and the birthplace of Nostradamus.
- L'Isle-sur-Sorgue - a town of 20,000 people located close to Avignon.
- Manosque - a bustling town located on the edge of the Luberon National park in Northern Provence
Long term cottage rentals on the French Riviera
Cassis Cote d'Azur
In Cote d'Azur, in addition to the well known places such as Nice, Cannes, Antibes and the resorts along the French Riviera, I would also recommend these locations:
- Mougins - a hilltop town close to Cannes. There is an excellent International School
- Menton - a lovely coastal town located close to the Italian border
- Vence - a medieval hilltop town
- Grimaud - a hilltop village located close to St Tropez
- Valbonne - a market town very handy for the nearby Sophia Antipolis technology park
Cottages to rent long term in Dordogne and south-west France
Eymet Dordogne France
In Dordogne, it can be quite difficult to find good sized towns to be based around. The department only has 4 towns with more than 10,000 inhabitants. So it is more likely that you will need to find a village within striking distance of a popular tourist site or town. So I would recommend searching out locations within 15-20 mins from:
- Sarlat (or Sarlat-la-Canéda as it is formally known), a stunning medieval town located in the Dordogne river valley.
- Cahors, the capital of the neighbouring Lot department, to the South of Dordogne
- Périgueux, the capital of Dordogne, located in the north of the department
- Bergerac, the famous wine town and also the location of the regional airport
- Brantôme (or Brantôme en Périgord as it is formally known), a beautiful small town in the north of the department with a Benedictine Abbey
- Domme, a stunning village in the Dordogne valley often regarded as one of the prettiest villages in France
- Eymet, a pretty market town located in the south of Dordogne and popular with ex-Pat residents
What is included when renting a cottage long term?
How and when are utilities charged ? What extras do you need to pay for: logs, linen, gas cylinders? Are local taxes included (especially the taxe d'habitation)? Ensure you are fully advised as to what exactly is included in your monthly rental and what is payable as an extra. In France there are two property taxes, (taxe d'habitacion and taxe fonciere - see French property taxes) make sure that the rental contract is clear about who pays for what. The Landlord should always pay the taxe fonciere, but the taxe d'habitation, which is a local community tax can be paid by either the tenant or landlord, depending on the duration of your stay. Usually if you are staying longer than 8 months, then you will be expected to pay this local tax (or at least contribute towards it).
When renting a cottage in France long term, make sure you understand exactly what is included in the monthly rent. Electricity, water, heating, internet and other running costs may be charged separately (in addition to the rent). With the rentals we organise, we normally put in place a monthly provision for the utility bills, which is then reconciled at the end of the lease. Actual consumption is reconciled against the provision paid. If you have paid too much, the landlord will reimburse you, if you have use more than the provision, then you will either pay a top-up or a deductions is made from the security deposit. But normally it works out OK.
It is also important to clarify whether any contribution towards local property taxes is expected.
In France, the owner is responsible for the taxe foncière (property ownership tax), although certain charges, such as the household waste collection tax, may be recoverable from tenants where applicable. The taxe d'habitation has been abolished for 90% of French homes (principal residences), but it remains in place for second homes. As many of the properties we advertise are second homes, this is still relevant to long term rentals.
Some French communes have increased the taxe d'habitation on second homes considerably. We don't think it is reasonable for tenants to pay the full amount, particularly when part of the bill reflects a surcharge imposed on second-home owners. However, tenants do benefit from local services and facilities, so we believe a contribution is fair. For longer rentals, we generally try to agree a 60/40 split, with the owner paying 60% and the tenant contributing 40%. This is a negotiated arrangement and is explained and agreed before the rental contract is signed.
What deposit is required for a long term cottage rental?
Ah, this is a real moot point with us. We rented a house long term in France for 14 months. Everything was sweetness and light until we came to move out and our Landlord turned into Dr Jackal. In particular be wary of clauses in the rental contract that call for you to "return the property back to the condition in which you found it" as this makes no allowance for wear and tear and you could find, like we did, that the most unbelievable deductions are taken out of your deposit. We almost ended up in court over the matter. Again you shouldn't find too many problems and most Landlords are reasonable people, but make sure you check through your long term rental contract thoroughly before signing it.
What facilities should a long term rental cottage have?
From our own experience, the key items to look for when considering a property for long term rental in South France are:
- Proximity to local airports and motorway network
- Good cooking facilities - the equipment has to be more than just what you need for a 2 week holiday
- Large refrigerator/freezer
- Washing machine/dryer and/or outdoor clothes drying space
- Good Telephone & internet connection - at least 4G reception in village and +30mbps download speed
- Indoor & outdoor seating
- Close to a Supermarket
- Car parking
- Heating for winter - a decent heat source, not just electric wall radiators
10 cottages to rent in France long term in 2027 and 2028
Below we have selected 10 good cottages to rent in France over the winter period and for long rentals during 2027 and 2028. If you have any specific requirements, please get in touch and we can suggest some alternative options for you based on our knowledge of the properties and the locations.
1. Charming cottage in the Faugères vineyards near Béziers
This stunning 2 bed stone cottage for winter rentals in South France, is located in the heart of the Faugères wine region, 25 mins from Beziers and 35 mins to the Mediterranean coast. The cottage is located in the small village of Caussiniojouls, which is surrounded by vineyards and wooded hills. Available for winter stays of 3–6 months between October and April. Available nowCaussiniojouls 2 bed stone cottage for winter rentals in South France (Ref: 2414)
2. Beautifully restored stone barn in the Dordogne countryside
A restored 4 bed stone barn for long term rentals in Fajoles, Dordogne. It has central heating and generous living space for up to eight people. The Dordogne river and villages including Domme, La Roque-Gageac and Sarlat are within reach. Available nowBarn in Dordogne France for long term rentals sleeps 8 (Ref: 1502)
3. Traditional French cottage in the Loire Valley
Le Tuffeau is a 2 bed cottage for long term rentals in the Loire Valley area, within reach of Tours and Poitiers. A countryside base for exploring the region’s historic towns, villages and landscapes. Ideal for house hunters exploring the Loire Valley. Available nowLe Tuffeau long term cottage rentals Loire Valley France (Ref: 1937)
4. Coastal cottage close to the Mediterranean beaches
A 2 bed house for long term rentals in the coastal town of Marseillan, South France. Arranged over three floors, it has a sunny courtyard for outdoor meals. The harbour, restaurants and local shops are within easy walking distance. Available from: 1 December 2026Marseillan 2 bed house rent long term France by coast (Ref: 1799)
5. Character cottage beside the Canal du Midi
A refurbished 2 bed cottage for long term rentals opposite the Canal du Midi in central Carcassonne. The single-level accommodation has step-free ground-floor access, air conditioning and a private terrace. The railway station and city amenities are a short walk away. Available from: 16 May 2027Carcassonne cottage to rent in France long term (Ref: 1117)
6. Rural cottage near Sarlat and Rocamadour
A modern 2 bed house for long term rentals overlooking the village of Payrac, close to Sarlat in Dordogne and Rocamadour in the Lot department. It has a large garden and countryside views. Enjoy a quiet rural setting just a few minutes from the village. Available nowPayrac long term rental near Sarlat and Rocamadour in South West France (Ref: 2047)
7. Dordogne cottage near the historic towns of Bergerac and Issigeac
Le Petit Capelier is a charming 3 bedroom stone cottage available for long-term rental in the Dordogne, set in peaceful countryside close to the beautiful medieval village of Issigeac and within easy reach of Bergerac and Eymet. Fast Wi-Fi. Fireplace. Swimming pool. Garden. Terrace. Washing machine. Available nowLe Petit Capelier 3 bed cottage in Dordogne near Issigeac, Bergerac & Eymet (Ref: 2402)
8. Traditional stone cottage in the Charente countryside
L'ancienne étable is a charming stone built cottage set in 2 hectares of pasture and woodland, deep in the Charente countryside in south-west France. The cottage is just 40 minutes from the city of Angoulême and less than 15 mins from the popular sites of Ruffec, Nanteuil-en-Vallée and Verteuil-sur-Charente. The property comes with one large bedroom, an open plan living room with wood burner, good Wi-Fi, a large covered veranda, English/French TV, a large garden and plenty of parking. Available nowL'ancienne étable - long term rentals in Charente France (Ref: 2386)
9. Pet-friendly cottage in the Minervois wine region
This cute 1 bed house in Caunes-Minervois, near historic Carcassonne in Southern France, is an ideal choice for anyone looking for a cheap, pet-friendly long term rental in France. The house has a private enclosed garden and comfortable accommodation over three floors. Available from: 4 October 2027Caunes-Minervois pet-friendly house long term rental France (Ref: 2104)
10. Rural cottage with beautiful views of the Languedoc countryside
A spacious rural house for long term lets in the South of France, near Murviel-lès-Béziers. This restored former vineyard barn has central heating and countryside views towards the Haut-Languedoc hills. Béziers is close enough for shops, transport and everyday services. Available from: 6 December 2026Murviel les Beziers long term lets in South of France (Ref: 1893)
Explore this topic
Thinking of spending several months in France? Whether you are house hunting, planning a move or simply enjoying a longer stay, these guides will help you prepare. You can also read our Moving to France guide for more information about relocating.
How to rent a house in France long term
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French long-stay visa requirements
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Cost of living in France
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Best places to live in France
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Pet-friendly long term rentals in France
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Opening a bank account in France
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If you have any questions about renting a cottage in France for 3–12 months, please contact us. We can help you find a suitable property and location for your stay.
