Real estate notary: renting, buying, selling real estate

Updated on Friday 5 December 2025

Inquire

Buying and selling : the various stages

Updated on

The promise to sell and the sales agreement

Are you about to sign a preliminary contract? This is known as a "pre-contract". The preliminary contract and the sales agreement are two contracts with different consequences for the buyer and the seller
Read more

Updated on

Act of sale: Timelines after signature

You leave with the keys, but without your Ownership Title. However, the notaire has given you the Certificates of Ownership. These certificates represent, in some way, a provisional and simplified Ownership Title.
Read more

Updated on

Obligations related to a real-estate sale

A building’s seller (apartment, house, land) is obliged to inform his buyer as soon as the preliminary contract has been signed. It is important to get advice before putting a property up for sale.
Read more

Buying a property

Updated on

The joint-ownership system

Joint ownership is the legal situation in which two or more people jointly own the same property. Theoretically, it allows easier financing, maintenance, and management.
Read more

Updated on

Co-ownership, your rights, and obligations

The legal regime of co-ownership allows the distribution of the ownership of an apartment building between several people, known as co-owners.
This system sets the operating rules of this small community, so that the latter is experienced peacefully.
Read more

Updated on

Private water body: what is the regulation?

Buying a private water body can be useful to produce fish, irrigate one’s crops, provide water to life stock or fight a fire. But it can also help to do a hobby like fishing or hunting.
Read more

Updated on

Buy or sell a forest: how to go about it ?

Purchasing a forest isn’t an insignificant act, which is bought on an impulse. It is an ecological, environmental, civic, economic, heritage-like approach... regardless of the motivation, purchasing a forest needs to be mulled over, carefully.
Read more

Updated on

Purchase in France by a non-resident

Before any real estate investment in France, a foreign national must contact a professional to find out the conditions for the investment in question. Several aspects need to be examined.
Read more

Updated on

Buying property with the interest free loan (IFL)

IFL (or "Interest Free Loan") is a government regulated loan, with no interest or administration fees. It is granted depended on the conditions for resources, to acquire a main residence or financing certain works.
Read more

Updated on

Wealth tax (IFI)

The wealth tax (IFI) is a tax on the real estate assets for individuals, which has replaced the solidarity wealth tax (ISF) since January 2018.
Read more

Selling a property

Updated on

Capital gains on real estate in France

The real estate capital gain is equal to the difference between the sale price and the purchase price or the declared value, when the property has been received by donation or inheritance.
Read more

Updated on

Buy or sell a forest: how to go about it ?

Purchasing a forest isn’t an insignificant act, which is bought on an impulse. It is an ecological, environmental, civic, economic, heritage-like approach... regardless of the motivation, purchasing a forest needs to be mulled over, carefully.
Read more

Updated on

VAT on property

Property Value Added Tax on property (VAT on property) is a tax levied by the French State, when the sale concerns a new property whether it is housing or building land.
Read more

Updated on

Sale of real-estate renovation (VIR)

The seller of real estate for residential and/or professional use, who undertakes to carry out work within a specified period and receives sums from the purchaser before the completion.
Read more

Building up a real estate portfolio

Updated on

SCI family

A SCI family (real estate company) allows members of the same family (relationship or alliance) to be owners, in different proportions or not, and manage one or more real estate together, for a non-commercial purpose. 
Read more

Updated on

Rental investment : DENORMANDIE scheme

The "Denormandie" tax incentive scheme aims to encourage individuals to purchase a property to renovate in a deteriorated old district with the intention of renting it out. It is an extension of the Pinel rental investment scheme.
Read more

Updated on

Professional furnished lessor

The activity of direct or indirect rental for furnished or intended to be furnished accommodation is implemented on a professional basis, when the following three conditions are met.
Read more

Rent

Build and develop on a daily basis

Updated on

French property law: prior declaration of works

Generally required to carry out minor developments, the prior declaration is an administrative act which gives the administration the means to check that your construction project is in keeping with the town planning rules in force.
Read more

Updated on

Development permit in France

A development permit is an administrative act which allows the administration to monitor the works, installations, and developments, which shall impact the use of the land on a given site.
Read more

Updated on

Demarcation

Demarcation is about definitively fixing the limit of two adjacent sites and marking these limits through marker materials known as “bounds”. Demarcating a land is not compulsory (with exceptions). However, it is highly recommended.
Read more

Updated on

Joint ownership

Joint ownership can be defined as a regime of forced co-ownership of dividing barriers such as walls, hedges and ditches. These are not easements but genuine rights of ownership held in common by two people.
Read more

Updated on

The building permit : the steps to take

The building permit makes it possible to undertake any new construction (such as a house) but extension works for an area greater than 20 sqm or work for historical monuments.
Read more

Updated on

Sewerage systems in France

Nearly 20% of the french population is not connected to the public sewage collection network and must be equipped with non-collective sanitation facilities that are particularly suitable for dispersed settlements.
Read more

A question ? Need help ?

Will the 3 partners be exempt from real estate capital gains? No. Capital gains realized on the sale of the main residence of the seller on the day of the sale are exempt (article 150 U, II-1° of the General Tax Code). When the property is held through a company…
See more

Yes. The tenant's right of first refusal exists only in specific cases defined by law, such as for unfurnished residential leases (Article 15 II of the law of July 6, 1989). In the case of selling a parking space, no law provides a right of priority for the tenant. Therefore…
See more

....deed to be in German. Is this correct? Yes. While it is possible to draft a private agreement in a foreign language under certain conditions, documents prepared by a notary must be written in French.
See more

Yes. While selling a lot of co-ownership, the seller must present to the notary a certificate from the property administrator, which is dated less than a month, attesting that he is free of any obligation with regard to the unions. Otherwise, the notary must notify the trustee that the co-owner…
See more
View our FAQ