Property templates and checklistsFrance

Reviewed October 28, 2026. Not legal advice. Have a notary or lawyer check your case before you sign.

Buying

1
Written offer (offre d'achat)
The buyer usually starts with a written offer to the seller or the estate agent.
2
Preliminary contract
When the seller accepts, the parties sign a compromis de vente (bilateral) or a promesse de vente (unilateral). An estate agent or a notary drafts it.
3
10-day withdrawal period
A private buyer of a home then has 10 days to withdraw.
4
Loan and notary checks
The buyer applies for a loan. The notary collects the title, the mortgage search, the planning information and the pre-emption waiver.
5
Deed of sale (acte authentique)
Both parties sign the deed before a notary, usually a few months after the preliminary contract. The sale completes at this signature.
6
Registration and taxes
The notary registers the deed with the land registry (service de la publicité foncière) and collects the transfer taxes.
7
Alsace and Moselle
In Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Moselle, the notary registers the deed in the livre foncier.

Governing law: Loi n° 89-462 of 6 July 1989 governs the letting of a main home. Most of its rules are mandatory.
Model lease: Unfurnished: décret n° 2015-587, updated by décret n° 2026-596 for leases signed or renewed from 1 October 2026.
Minimum term: 3 years when the landlord is an individual.
Deposit cap: One month's rent excluding charges.
Tenant notice: 3 months. 1 month in a high-demand area (zone tendue) and in other listed cases.
Landlord notice: 6 months before the term, only to live in the home, to sell it, or for a serious reason.
Decent home: Since 1 January 2025, a home rated G on the energy certificate (DPE) cannot be let under a new or renewed lease.
Rent limits: Rent increases at reletting are capped in high-demand areas. Some cities apply reference rents.