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Short answer
Yes, French lenders finance buy to let purchases for non-residents, under the same rule that keeps all your loan repayments within 35% of your income. Rent can count towards your income, but lenders apply a discount and many count only part of it. The home must meet France’s energy rules: homes rated G cannot be newly let since 2025, F follows in 2028 and E in 2034. Rent from a French property is taxed in France, at a minimum rate of 20% for non-residents.
Can I get a buy to let mortgage in France as a non-resident?
Yes. The same French lending rules apply as for any home loan: all your repayments, borrower insurance included, within 35% of your income and a term of no more than 25 years. Lenders that accept non-residents usually want a deposit of around 30%.
The official guidance says rent, including future rent from the property being bought, is counted before tax and charges, with a discount for the risk of empty periods. The size of that discount is up to each lender. Brokers commonly report that 70% of the rent is counted, and some lenders count little or none of the rent from a new purchase for a borrower living abroad. Netting the rent off the repayment is not allowed.
Lenders can lend outside the 35% rule for a small share of their loans each quarter, but most of that room is kept for main homes and first-time buyers, so a buy to let case needs to fit the rule.
Sources: HCSF FAQ on its lending rules, January 2024; Pretto on borrowing for a rental investment, August 2026.
Should I let furnished or unfurnished?
| Type of let | Minimum lease | Maximum deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Unfurnished (location nue) | 3 years, or 6 years if the landlord is a company | 1 month’s rent excluding charges |
| Furnished (location meublée) | 1 year, renewed automatically, or 9 months for a student | 2 months’ rent excluding charges |
| Bail mobilité (furnished, eligible tenants) | 1 to 10 months | No deposit allowed |
A furnished let is taxed as business income, which can allow you to deduct depreciation of the property, while an unfurnished let is taxed as property income. The choice affects your tax as much as your tenants, so take advice before you decide.
Sources: Service-public.fr on unfurnished lease length and furnished lease length, October 2026; deposits, June 2026.
Which homes can I let?
France treats the worst-insulated homes as unfit to let. Since 1 January 2025 a home rated G on its energy certificate, the DPE, cannot be let on a new lease or a renewal. Homes rated F are caught from 1 January 2028 and E from 1 January 2034. Since 24 August 2022 the rent on an F or G home cannot be increased.
The way the certificate is calculated changed on 1 January 2026, which lifted many electrically heated homes out of F and G, and a further change is due on 1 January 2027. A bill before Parliament would ease the rules for flats where the co-owners refuse the works, but it is not law. Check the DPE before you offer, and budget for works if the home is rated E, F or G.
Sources: Service-public.fr on G-rated homes, January 2025; economie.gouv.fr on the 2026 DPE change; AFP on the 2027 change, August 2026; Sénat file on the housing bill, October 2026.
Are rents controlled in France?
In some cities, yes. Rent caps apply in Paris, Lille, Lyon and Villeurbanne, Montpellier, Bordeaux, Plaine Commune, Est Ensemble, the Pays Basque and part of Grenoble. The scheme is an experiment due to end in late November 2026, and Parliament is deciding whether to extend it, so check the position for the area you are buying in.
Separately, in high-demand areas, the zones tendues, the rent for a new tenant cannot exceed the previous tenant’s rent, apart from the annual index rise. This applies to leases signed from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027.
Sources: ANIL on rent caps, July 2026; ANIL on rents in zones tendues, July 2026.
How is rental income taxed if I live abroad?
- Unfurnished: if your gross rent is €15,000 a year or less you can use the micro-foncier regime, which deducts a flat 30%. Above that, or by choice, the real regime deducts your actual costs, including loan interest.
- Furnished: the micro-BIC regime deducts a flat 50% up to €77,700 of rent for 2025 income and €83,600 for 2026. Above that, the real regime allows you to deduct depreciation. You must register the let to get a SIRET number.
- Non-residents pay French income tax at a minimum rate of 20% up to €29,579 of taxable income and 30% above that, for 2025 income, or the average rate on their worldwide income if that is lower.
- Social charges are 17.2% on unfurnished rent and 18.6% on furnished rent from 2025 income. If you belong to a social security scheme in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK you pay only the 7.5% solidarity levy, according to the French tax authority.
- Under the UK-France tax treaty France taxes the rent first and the UK gives credit for the French tax against UK tax on the same income.
We do not give tax advice. Take advice from a tax adviser who knows both countries before you buy.
Sources: impots.gouv.fr on micro-foncier for non-residents, April 2026; Service-public.fr on furnished lets, April 2026; impots.gouv.fr on the minimum and average rate, April 2026; impots.gouv.fr on social charges for non-residents; Service-public.fr on social charges, June 2026; UK-France tax treaty.
Can I manage a let from abroad?
Yes, but anyone who manages it for you, such as a letting agent, must hold a professional card, carry a financial guarantee and insurance, and act under a written mandate. You must declare the rent in France each year and tell the tax office who occupies the property, through the Gérer mes biens immobiliers service, by 1 July after any change. The tax office can ask a non-resident to name a tax representative in France.
Sources: DGCCRF on estate and letting agents; Service-public.fr on the occupation declaration, April 2026.
How French Finance helps
We check your case against the criteria the lenders we work with actually use, including how they count rent, and tell you honestly how it looks. If it fits, and you agree, we introduce you to one of the leading, reputable specialist mortgage brokers and lenders we work with, who packages your application for lenders. We do not give financial or tax advice. Check your options.