SCI & Legal Structures

When the Architecte des Bâtiments de France Blocks Your Insulation

Nearly a third of French homes sit inside a heritage perimeter where one official can veto your insulation. What the architecte des bâtiments de France can refuse, how to appeal, and why a refusal does not make an F-rated flat lettable again.

The Commission Départementale de Conciliation, Explained

A tenant or landlord can bring the other before a free, State-run conciliation body long before any court is involved. What it can examine, whether its findings bind anyone, and why not turning up is the worst move available.

No Attestation, No Lease: the One-Month Insurance Rule That Can End a French Tenancy

A Montpellier court has evicted a tenant not for unpaid rent but for failing to hand over an insurance certificate. Why the judge had no discretion, the one-month clock behind the ruling, and the two levers every French landlord should understand.

Buying or Selling a Tenanted Property in France? The Lease Survives the Sale

In France the lease follows the walls. Article 1743 hands the tenant to your buyer, deposit obligations included, and the congé pour vendre is the only clean way to sell empty. What buyers inherit, what sellers keep, and where the traps are.

Who Can Actually Sign Your French Lease? Indivision, Usufruct and SCI Traps That Get Tenants Evicted

After an inheritance or through a family SCI, many foreign landlords sign French leases without fully owning the property. Article 595, article 815-3 and the two-thirds rule decide whether that lease stands - or gets the tenant evicted.

Compte Courant d’Associé: When Your SCI Can Block or Delay Reimbursement

Your CCA is reimbursable on demand — in principle. But blocking clauses, statutory grace periods, and insolvency rules can restrict or delay your right to withdraw funds from your French SCI. Here is what every foreign investor needs to know about the limits on CCA reimbursement.

Compte Courant d’Associé in a French SCI: Your Right to Get Your Money Back at Any Time

You’ve lent money to your own SCI through a compte courant d’associé. Can you get it back whenever you want? French law says yes — and the Cour de cassation has been remarkably firm about it. Here’s what every foreign investor needs to know.

The Unofficial Bank: The Ultimate Guide to Managing Partner Current Accounts (CCA) in Your French SCI

You have formed your Société Civile Immobilière (SCI). You followed the common advice to keep the share capital low—perhaps €1,000—to minimize setup costs and keep the...

French SCI Accounting: Your Guide to Reporting, Profits, and Legal Obligations

You own the property. You have the keys. You have even navigated the initial setup. But now, a year has passed, and a quiet...

How to Change the Statuts of a French SCI (2026): Procedure, Votes and Costs

You have done it. The Société Civile Immobilière (SCI) is set up. The property is bought. The keys are in your pocket. You might think the...

The Golden Cage: The Complete Guide to Owning Shares in a French SCI

So, you have successfully navigated the French bureaucracy. You have your Société Civile Immobilière (SCI), the K-bis is in the safe, and the champagne has been...