🇫🇷 Property investment in France
Market data for the 10 most internationally recognised French cities. Compare rental yields, median prices, and population growth. For a full comparison of all 50 French cities, see the French-language listing.
Paris
Île-de-France
Lyon
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Marseille
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Nice
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Toulouse
Occitanie
Bordeaux
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Nantes
Pays de la Loire
Montpellier
Occitanie
Strasbourg
Grand Est
Lille
Hauts-de-France
Investing in French property as a foreign buyer
Notary fees — the key cost to model
Unlike the UK or Netherlands, French property transactions incur notary fees (frais de notaire) of approximately 7–8% on existing properties. These fees cover registration taxes, notary charges, and administrative costs. New-build purchases typically attract lower fees of around 2–3%. Factoring these into your return calculations significantly reduces first-year yields.
Rent control: encadrement des loyers
Rent control applies in Paris, Lyon, Lille, Montpellier, and Bordeaux. In these cities, landlords must set rents within a reference range based on property type, size, and neighbourhood. Violations can result in rent reduction orders and fines. Properties outside these zones have no rent caps.
LMNP — the furnished rental tax advantage
The LMNP (Loueur en Meublé Non Professionnel) regime allows non-resident landlords to depreciate the property and furnishings, often reducing taxable rental income to near zero for several years. This makes furnished lets particularly attractive for foreign investors. Unfurnished rentals are taxed as regular income (revenus fonciers).
Key data sources
All price and rent data is sourced from DVF (Demandes de Valeurs Foncières), the French government's property transaction database, and the Notaires de France statistics. Population data from INSEE. Data reflects 2024–2025 transactions.
Explore all 50 French cities
Full data including smaller markets — available in French with detailed analysis per city.