🇫🇷 France · Housing
Renting and buying property in France — typical rents, deposits, contracts, and official tenancy rules.
Quick answer
France places no restriction on foreigners buying property. Renting is tenant-protective (the 1989 law): the deposit (dépôt de garantie) is capped at one month's rent for unfurnished homes (two for furnished), and agency fees are regulated. Buying goes through a notaire, is registered at the land registry (publicité foncière), and carries 'frais de notaire' of roughly 7–8% (mostly transfer duties).
French residential leases (bail) are governed by the law of 6 July 1989 — unfurnished leases run three years and furnished leases one year. The official ANIL/ADIL network gives free housing-rights advice, and the security deposit is capped by law. There is no nationality restriction on renting or buying; a notaire handles property purchases.
- The security deposit (dépôt de garantie) is capped at one month's rent for unfurnished and two months for furnished lets.
- Landlords often require a guarantor (garant) or the free state-backed Visale guarantee; income is typically expected at ~3× the rent.
- Foreigners may buy property without restriction; the purchase is completed before a notaire.
Step-by-step
- 1
Decide rent vs buy and set a budget
Decide rent vs buy and budget; buyers add frais de notaire (~7–8%) and any agency fee.
- 2
Search listings or engage an agent
Search portals or use an agence immobilière; agency fees for tenants are capped by zone.
- 3
Check the lease or purchase terms
Review the lease (bail) and mandatory diagnostics, or for a purchase the compromis de vente and the notaire’s checks.
- 4
Provide documents, deposit or financing
Provide ID, income proof (and often a guarantor) and the deposit (1 month unfurnished, 2 furnished); buyers arrange a mortgage.
- 5
Sign, register and pay taxes/fees
Sign the lease, or sign the acte de vente before the notaire, who registers the sale and collects transfer duties.
- 6
Set up utilities and know your rights
Set up utilities and home insurance (compulsory for tenants); the 1989 law gives strong protection on notice and rent rises.
Checklist
- Rent vs buy decided + budget set
- Foreign-buyer / eligibility rules checked
- Listing search / licensed agent
- Lease or purchase contract reviewed
- Documents + deposit / financing
- Registration + taxes/fees paid
- Utilities set up
- Tenant / owner rights understood
Official authorities
- service-public.fr — Logement
Official housing rights and procedures.
- ANIL — Agence nationale pour l'information sur le logement
Free, neutral housing-law advice (ADIL network).
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners buy property in France?
Yes — there is no restriction; the purchase is completed before a notaire who registers it and collects transfer duties.
How much is the rental deposit?
One month’s rent for an unfurnished home and two months’ for a furnished one, by law.
What are frais de notaire?
The costs paid at purchase — mostly transfer duties plus the notaire’s regulated fee — totalling roughly 7–8% of the price for existing homes.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.
Typical rents by city
| Cities | 1-bedroom rent |
|---|---|
| Paris | €1,300–2,700/mo (within Paris 20 arr.); €850–1,500 (suburbs) |
| Lyon | €750–1,200/mo (centre); €550–850/mo (outer) |
| Marseille | €650–1,000/mo (centre); €500–750/mo (outer) |
| Toulouse | €650–1,000/mo (centre); €500–750/mo (outer) |
| Nice | €850–1,400/mo (centre); €650–1,000/mo (outer) |
| Nantes | €650–1,000/mo (centre); €500–750/mo (outer) |
| Bordeaux | €700–1,100/mo (centre); €550–850/mo (outer) |
| Lille | €650–1,000/mo (centre); €500–780/mo (outer) |
| Strasbourg | €650–1,000/mo (centre); €520–800/mo (outer) |
| Montpellier | €600–950/mo (centre); €480–750/mo (outer) |
| Rennes | €600–950/mo (centre); €480–750/mo (outer) |
Tools & platforms
Government portals
- Government of France — Office of the French Prime Minister — government policies, ministers, and key legislation
- France Public Services (Service-Public) — France's unified administrative services — residence permits, taxes, social security, civil records
- French General Tax Directorate (DGFiP) — French income tax, VAT, wealth tax filing; tax residency determination; French tax number (NIF) application