Guides

The Agent’s Licence: How to Check a French Estate Agent, and Who Pays When They Get It Wrong

Every French estate agent operates behind a licence, a financial guarantee and compulsory insurance. How to verify the carte professionnelle in two minutes, what protects your deposit, and the case law making agents answer for the deals they touch.

The Agent’s Commission: What You Owe a French Estate Agent, and When You Owe Nothing

France hangs an agent’s entire right to payment on a written mandate, a register number and a completed sale. When the commission is owed, who owes it, and the five decades of case law on agents who tried to get paid anyway.

Beyond 90 Days: the Long-Stay Visitor Visa for French Second-Home Owners (2026)

Owning a French home gives you zero right to stay past 90 days. The visitor visa fixes that: VLS-T vs VLS-TS, what the consulate wants to see, the real 2026 costs, and the two clocks - Schengen and tax - that owners most often confuse.

How to Raise the Rent on a French Property: A Landlord’s Guide to Revising a Residential Rent

A landlord's guide to the three legal routes for raising a French residential rent: the annual IRL revision, increases after improvement works, and re-pricing an under-valued rent at renewal.

SCI or Your Own Name? The Decision Guide to Holding French Property

SCI or your own name? The 2026 decision guide for foreign buyers of French property: what an SCI really changes when you buy, hold, sell and pass it on - and the five questions that settle it.

Spotted a Mistake on Your French Tax Return? How to Correct It in 2026

Spotted an error on your French tax return after filing? You can still fix it. Here is the 2026 timetable for the online correction service, the réclamation route, and the deadlines that matter.

Renting Your Own French Home Short-Term: The Rules for a Primary Residence in 2026

Letting your own French home for a few weeks a year is legal, but tightly framed. Here are the 2026 rules: the 120-day cap, the new nationwide registration, and the tax that follows.

Compromis vs Promesse de Vente: Which Pre-Sale Contract Foreign Buyers Actually Want in 2026

What's the difference between a compromis de vente and a promesse de vente? Here's the structural map for foreign buyers — the 10-day rétractation, the loi Scrivener financing condition, séquestre vs indemnité d'immobilisation, and remote signing via apostille.

Bail à Vie at French Auction: A 2010 Ruling British Buyers Must Know

In 2004, two buyers won a French house at auction — only to discover the existing tenant had a lifetime clause they'd inherited. The 2010 Cour de Cassation ruling every British investor must know.

French Capital Gains Tax for Non-Residents: A British Investor’s 2026 Guide

Selling French property as a UK resident? A precise 2026 guide to plus-value immobilière: the 19% + 17.2% rate, the 22- and 30-year abattement schedules, the de Ruyter UK national-insurance carve-out giving a 26.5% effective rate, the représentant fiscal threshold, and the loi de finances 2026 LMP update.

Commandement de Quitter les Lieux 2026: The French Eviction Notice Explained

What the commandement de quitter les lieux must contain, when it can be voided, and the réintégration risk for British landlords. A precise guide to the French eviction notice and the four mandatory mentions of article R. 411-1 CPCE.