A new decree sets the rules for creating and managing cohousing communities — intentional groups of co-owners. These housing cooperatives are considered legal entities, enabling people to come together to design, build and run their housing groups. In 2014, the Alur law — law on access to housing and renovated town planning — officially recognized […]

When investing in new rental property, choosing the right location is key. A recent study reveals the top locations to buy freshly built real estate in 2016 in France. As is shown by the steady recovery of the new build sector, the Pinel law has proven to be a success. The legislation, which came into […]

The French government has reintroduced extra capital gains taxes on property sold in France by non-residents, using a not so subtle legal subterfuge that may well be contested by the European Court of Justice in coming months. The issue of capital gains overpaid by non-resident property sellers in France has been a widely disputed issue, […]

No longer merely the realm of tech start-ups and innovative consumer products, crowdfunding is increasingly used in the French real estate market. In the past couple years, several building projects have seen the light thanks to participative financing. The French real estate sector has found an innovative way to source capital while involving communities in […]

Effective since 1st August 2015 rent control is not being observed by a large portion of landlords, according to a new study. Implemented in Paris as a trial, there is little chance the regulation will spread to the Île-de-France region. The National Association of Consumers (CLCV) has found that 42% of properties advertised for rent […]

The City of Paris has finally announced the 22 winners of the “Réinventer Paris” competition, launched in November 2014. The Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo recently announced the 22 winning projects of the urban design competition “Réinventer Paris”, or “Reinventing Paris”. A call for projects to rebuild and renovate select spots across the city was […]

Paris gained three spots in an international ranking of real estate destinations around the world, climbing from the 10th spot in 2014 to the seventh in 2015. According to Barnes International, the decline of the euro contributed to Paris cementing its place last year in an annual ranking of the 10 most popular cities in […]

Commonly called chambres de bonne — or maids’ rooms — thousands of small properties lie empty under Parisian roofs. The City of Paris plans to buy these spaces and turn them into private or social housing. The City of Paris has turned its attention towards the capital’s roofs, or rather, what lies directly underneath them. […]

“To recover or not to recover, that is the question.” The latest report from Meilleurs Agents celebrates the French real estate market’s high performance in 2015 and explores whether this trend will continue through 2016. The Paris notaires hailed 2015 as a very positive year for the real estate market in Paris and Île-de-France. Sales volumes were up by more than 15% […]

A market survey released by Barnes Realty International finds that Paris’ luxury real estate remains highly sought after, partly due to the city’s comparatively low prices. According to Barnes Realty International, the French capital “retains a special place in the heart of international investors,” especially when it comes to purchasing luxury real estate. Despite the […]