Registered office at a tenant's home: the law allows it for up to five years, but "domiciling is not operating" — and a domiciliation provider must be licensed
A Paris law firm sets out (27 September 2026) what Article L. 123-11-1 of the French Commercial Code allows, with two court rulings, and that only a provider licensed by the administrative authority may domicile a company. Front desks hear these questions every day.
In an article dated 27 September 2026, the firm Kohen Avocats (Paris) details what the law allows: a company may set its registered office at its legal representative's home; where the lease or co-ownership rules forbid it, this is possible for five years at most from the company's creation, after prior written notice to the landlord or building manager. Two rulings show the line: the Versailles Court of Appeal (6 February 2024) refused to terminate a lease for lack of proof of real activity, while the Paris judicial court (23 October 2025) ordered three occupants to stop their activity and terminated their leases. The article also recalls that no one may run a domiciliation business without prior approval from the administrative authority (Art. L. 123-11-3), and that a provider's licence should be checked before paying.
For a domiciliation branch, these questions arrive at the counter and by message: "can I put my registered office at home?", "does my lease forbid it?", "how do I check my provider is licensed?". An assistant can give the general pointers, name the documents to re-read (lease, co-ownership rules) and direct people to the branch or a legal professional; a person at the branch answers on the specific case.
For AppH
- Repetitive, well-framed questions: an assistant can give pointers, the documents to check, and hand over to the branch as soon as a case gets specific.
- The reminder about prior licensing is a useful message to convey clearly at the front desk of a licensed provider.
Against / the honest limit
- AppH gives no legal advice and does not say whether a lease or co-ownership rules allow a domiciliation: each case is for the branch team or a lawyer. The assistant decides nothing on AML/CFT or identity checks.
- The text is a law firm's analysis, not an official position; it states itself that each situation depends on the signed contract and the evidence.
A good front desk does not answer in place of the lawyer: it gives pointers, saves pointless back-and-forth and hands over at the right moment. The team keeps the decision.
Reviewed by a human at AppH