Real estate notary: renting, buying, selling real estate

Updated on Friday 21 August 2026

Inquire

Buying and selling : the various stages

Updated on Friday 19 June 2026

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

Updated on Tuesday 9 December 2025

Real-estate diagnostic: when, how, who pays?

Before the sale or rental, the law requires the establishment of a technical diagnostic file (DDT). Its objective: to inform and protect the buyer or the tenant.

Updated on Friday 13 March 2026

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.

Updated on Tuesday 17 March 2026

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.

Buying a property

Updated on Wednesday 11 February 2026

Property purchase: acquisition costs (known as French notaire's fees)

The acquisition costs, improperly called “French notaire's fees”, are added to the purchase price of the real property. Generally, they are settled by the purchaser but not received by the seller or the Notary for their greater share.

Updated on Friday 10 April 2026

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.

Updated on Thursday 27 November 2025

Buying on plan: VEFA (sale in future state of completion (VEFA)

The majority of new homes (flats or houses) are sold even though they have not yet been built or construction has not been completed. This is known as off-plan purchase or sale before completion (VEFA).

Updated on Tuesday 14 April 2026

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.

Updated on Friday 13 March 2026

Buying or selling property in life annuity (viager)

To improve one’s income or retirement, life annuity makes it possible to sell one’s property (house, apartment or other) in exchange for a payment in the form of a life annuity by the buyer.

Updated on Tuesday 5 May 2026

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.

Updated on Tuesday 5 May 2026

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.

Updated on Monday 24 July 2023

French property and sustainable development: ask your notaire

Sustainable development is a mode of economic development that seeks to combine economic and social progress with the preservation of the environment. It is important in water management, housing, urban planning, noise.

Updated on Monday 18 September 2023

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.

Updated on Tuesday 21 October 2025

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.

Updated on Wednesday 11 February 2026

Property purchase: acquisition costs (known as French notaire's fees)

Updated on Monday 10 August 2026

Mortgage or bank guarantee?

The bank that grants a mortgage is taking a risk. To protect itself, it requires a financial guarantee.

Updated on Friday 24 March 2023

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.

Selling a property

Updated on Tuesday 13 January 2026

Mandatory property diagnosis for selling : technical diagnostic file (DDT)

The various real diagnosis are intended to improve the information of the buyer. There are many mandatory real estate diagnoses: ASBESTOS, LEAD, ELECTRICITY, GAS, TERMITES...

Updated on Tuesday 7 April 2026

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.

Updated on Friday 13 March 2026

Buying or selling property in life annuity (viager)

To improve one’s income or retirement, life annuity makes it possible to sell one’s property (house, apartment or other) in exchange for a payment in the form of a life annuity by the buyer.

Updated on Tuesday 5 May 2026

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

Updated on Tuesday 24 March 2026

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.

Updated on Tuesday 21 November 2023

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.

Building up a real estate portfolio

Updated on Tuesday 12 May 2026

Definition of movable and real-estate inheritance in France

In everyday language, inheritance is the common heritage of a group or community, which is passed onto future generations. It can be very diverse in nature: culture, history, language, value system, monuments, artistic works…

Updated on Friday 12 June 2026

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.

Updated on Thursday 27 November 2025

Investment in rental property : PINEL system

The PINEL system is a rental investment mechanism to obtain a tax reduction (tax exemption system). Since September 1, 2014, it has replaced the DUFLOT system.

Updated on Monday 5 January 2026

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.

Updated on Thursday 16 October 2025

Non-professional furnished rental (LMNP)

A furnished accommodation can be rented for use as the tenant's main residence or on a seasonal basis, for occasional customers.

Updated on Tuesday 25 November 2025

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.

Rent

Updated on Wednesday 15 July 2026

Rent: the advantages of a notarial lease

The rental or residential lease is a contract which is rounded off between a tenant called "lessee" and an owner called "lessor".

Updated on Friday 13 October 2023

Shared Housing : What Are the Rules ?

Shared housing is the practice of renting a single dwelling unit by multiple tenants, whether strangers or friends, as their primary residence.

Build and develop on a daily basis

Updated on Tuesday 28 November 2023

Destination of buildings

The destination of buildings and the use of buildings are traditionally distinguished.

Updated on Wednesday 28 June 2023

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.

Updated on Wednesday 20 December 2023

The planning permission

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.

Updated on Monday 20 November 2023

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.

Updated on Thursday 11 January 2024

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.

Updated on Tuesday 7 February 2023

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.

Updated on Wednesday 27 December 2023

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.

A question ? Need help ?

No. Unlike partitions following legal separation, divorce or the dissolution of a civil partnership (PACS), cohabitation does not benefit from the preferential partition duty of 1.10% on the net assets divided. The applicable rate between cohabitants is 2.50%, or even 5.80% where balancing payments are made (Arts. 746 and 747…

No. Verbal promises are risky. The neighbor may sell, and the new owner could deny access. It’s better to establish a notarized right-of-way. If they refuse, you can go to court (Articles 686 and 682 of the Civil Code).

..do they have the right? Yes. The law is clear: Article 1094-3 of the Civil Code states that " Children or descendants may, notwithstanding any stipulation to the contrary by the donor, require that an inventory of movable property and an appraisal of immovable property subject to usufruct be made

Yes. Article 815-14 of the French Civil Code establishes a right of priority for co-owners only in the event that one of them wishes to sell his or her rights to a third party. In your case, your brother is selling his share to another co-owner. Therefore, you have no…

View our FAQ

Real estate notary: renting, buying, selling real estate

Buying and selling : the various stages

Buying a property

Selling a property

Building up a real estate portfolio

Rent

Build and develop on a daily basis

A question ? Need help ?

I am cohabiting and I intend to buy out my partner’s share. I have been told about a preferential partition duty. Can I benefit from it?

I bought a landlocked property. My neighbor says I can use their access. Is that enough?

My spouse passed away. I am the beneficiary of a spousal donation which states that if I choose to be the usufructuary, I am exempt from making an inventory and an appraisal of the property. However, my stepchildren are demanding these...

What are the advantages of cross-membering?

Following the death of our grandfather, my brother and cousins and I have joint ownership of a house. My brother wants to sell his share to one of the cousins without offering it to me first. Does he have the right to do so?