Flexible payments and payment holidays on a mortgage

What the contract can provide

Flexible monthly payments. For a fixed-rate loan, ANIL (the national housing information agency) states that monthly payments can be constant, adjustable (with a possible effect on the length of the loan) or “smoothed” (our translation) where the financing is made up of several loans. The option to adjust, its limits and its conditions are therefore set out in the offre de prêt (loan offer), which sets your rights and obligations for the whole repayment period (ANIL).

Deferred repayment of capital. The loan offer may also provide for a différé d’amortissement (period during which no capital is repaid) (ANIL): check its length and cost before signing.

Measures in case of difficulty. If you are struggling to repay, the lender may offer suitable measures before any déchéance du terme (acceleration of the loan): extending the term, suspending or deferring all or part of the instalments, changing the rate, reducing payments, partial write-off or consolidating loans (ABE Info Service, Banque de France). Warn the bank as soon as an event is likely to put you in difficulty.

Ask in writing. Service-public.gouv.fr recommends sending the request for more time by a method that proves the date, for example a lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception (recorded-delivery letter with acknowledgement of receipt), and provides a template letter. The lender is not obliged to accept.

Think of your insurance. Your borrower insurance may cover the monthly payments depending on the cover taken out (death, disability, incapacity, loss of employment). You then avoid the late-payment penalties that the contract generally provides for (service-public.gouv.fr). The types of cover are detailed in our guide on assurance emprunteur (borrower insurance).

How much does adjusting or deferring cost?

The longer the term, the slower the capital is repaid and the higher the interest (ANIL). A lower monthly payment obtained by lengthening the term is therefore paid for in extra interest.

Worked example (excluding insurance and fees). Loan of €200,000 at 3% over 20 years: monthly payment of €1,109.20. After 5 years, the outstanding capital is about €160,618.

The monthly payment falls by €103.13, but the interest still to pay rises by about €5,582. Ask the bank for the new amortisation schedule and the total cost before accepting.

The grace period granted by the court

If the bank refuses, you can ask the judge for a délai de grâce (grace period). The Civil Code allows the judge, taking into account the debtor’s situation and the creditor’s needs, to “defer or spread out, within a limit of two years, payment of the sums due” (art. 1343-5).

For a mortgage, article L314-20 of the Consumer Code specifies that:

• the suspension is ordered by an order of the consumer protection judge, in particular in the event of redundancy or of becoming entitled to the allocation journalière de présence parentale (daily allowance for a parent caring for a seriously ill child) (this second case was added by the Act of 12 June 2026, in force since 14 June 2026);
• the order may decide that the sums due will not bear interest during the grace period;
• the judge may set the terms for paying the sums due at the end of the suspension, provided the last payment is no more than 2 years after the original end date of the loan.

The procedure (service-public.gouv.fr): a requête (written application) to the consumer protection judge, whatever the amount of the loan, with evidence of your income, outgoings, current repayments and the reasons for your difficulties (redundancy, extended sick leave, divorce, death of a spouse or partner). A template application is provided.

A discrepancy to be aware of. Service-public.gouv.fr presents the suspension as granted “without incurring any surcharges or late-payment penalties”. The text of article L314-20 in force only says that the judge may decide that the sums will not bear interest: it is an option, not an automatic rule.

Adjusting, renegotiating, refinancing: the differences

Sources: service-public.gouv.fr (page F146); Consumer Code, art. L313-39; ANIL.

Renegotiation assumes a lower rate; adjusting payments does not change the rate. With a mortgage, the change of rate or term must be registered by a notary with the service de la publicité foncière (land registration office) (page F146). On refinancing, the early repayment penalty, if the contract provides for one, cannot exceed either 6 months’ interest on the capital repaid or 3% of the outstanding capital (Consumer Code, art. R313-25). See our guides on renégocier son prêt (renegotiating your mortgage) and indemnités de remboursement anticipé (early repayment penalties).

Which professional to consult

A courtier en crédit (mortgage broker) compares the cost of adjusting payments, renegotiating and refinancing, including fees and insurance. If your loan is secured by a mortgage, the notaire (notary) registers the renegotiation amendment with the land registration office.