French property and mortgage glossary

Last reviewed 22 October 2026

Buying in France means paperwork in French and a process that works differently from most other countries. This glossary explains the words estate agents, notaires and lenders will use with you. Figures are dated in the guides we link to.

Acte authentique the final deed of sale

The deed signed before a notaire that transfers ownership to you. With a mortgage it is usually signed about three months after the compromis, against about two months for a cash purchase. The deed itself cannot be signed remotely, but you can give someone a procuration to sign it for you. See buying in France step by step.

AERAS convention for borrowers with health risks

A French convention that helps people with serious health risks obtain borrower insurance, and so a loan, within limits set by the convention. Separately, under the droit à l’oubli, cancer or hepatitis C need not be declared 5 years after treatment ends, provided the loan ends before age 71. See age limits and borrower insurance.

Agent immobilier (carte T) estate agent

An estate agent in France must hold a carte professionnelle transaction, the carte T, issued by the chamber of commerce (CCI) and valid for 3 years. Agents also need a financial guarantee and liability insurance, must work under a written mandate and cannot take a fee before the sale completes. Fees are free to set but the maximum fee schedule must be displayed including tax. See buying costs.

Assurance emprunteur borrower insurance

Insurance on the borrower that protects the loan. It is not a legal requirement but almost all lenders require it. When it is required its cost counts in the TAEG and in the 35% taux d’effort. See why insurance matters for your rate.

Attestation de financement financing certificate

A certificate issued by a bank or broker after reviewing your file. It has no legal value: it is not a loan offer, it binds no one and it is not legally required. Buyers use it to reassure sellers and agents before the compromis, and it should be less than 2 months old. See our financing certificate guide.

Caution loan guarantee

A guarantee from a specialist company such as Crédit Logement, used instead of a charge on the property. It costs about 1.5% of the loan, around 70% of the guarantee-fund contribution is refunded at the end and no mainlevée is needed. Guarantee companies usually decline non-resident files, so UK and international buyers usually get a hypothèque or HLSPD instead. See buying costs.

Compromis de vente binding sale contract

The preliminary contract that binds both buyer and seller. You usually pay a deposit of 5% to 10% of the price, held by the notaire, and a non-professional buyer of a home then has a 10-day délai de rétractation. If you are borrowing, a condition suspensive protects your deposit if the loan is refused. See buying in France step by step.

Condition suspensive condition the sale depends on

A condition in the compromis that must be met for the sale to go ahead, most importantly the loan condition or condition suspensive d’obtention de prêt. A firm loan offer meets it within a period that must be at least 1 month and is typically 45 to 60 days. You must apply in good faith for loans matching the amount, rate and term in the contract, and if the loan is refused your deposit is refunded. See buying in France.

Copropriété co-owned building

A building such as a block of flats where each owner holds their own unit plus a share of the common parts. If you buy into a copropriété, budget for your share of the building’s running costs as well as the mortgage. See buying costs.

CSI (contribution de sécurité immobilière) land registry contribution

A charge collected by the notaire for registering the sale. It is 0.10% of the price with a minimum of €15, and 0.05% with a minimum of €8 when a mortgage is registered. It forms part of the frais de notaire. See buying costs.

Délai de réflexion 10-day wait before accepting a loan

The reflection period under the Loi Scrivener. You cannot accept a loan offer until 10 days have passed, counting from the day after you receive it, so an offer received on 1 February can be accepted from 12 February. See buying in France.

Délai de rétractation 10-day cooling-off period

The buyer’s right to withdraw within 10 days of signing a compromis or promesse, for a non-professional buyer of a home. The period starts the day after the registered letter notifying the signed contract is first presented, or after hand delivery. You withdraw by registered letter. See buying in France.

Délégation d’assurance using your own insurer

Choosing an outside insurer for your borrower insurance instead of the bank’s own policy. The cover must give equivalent guarantees, and the bank cannot change your rate or charge fees for accepting it. See mortgage rates and insurance.

Dépôt de garantie deposit paid at the contract stage

The sum a buyer pays on signing the compromis, usually 5% to 10% of the price and held by the notaire. Under a promesse unilatérale it is called the indemnité d’immobilisation. No money may be paid at the earlier offre d’achat stage. See buying in France.

Diagnostics (DDT) the seller’s survey reports

The dossier de diagnostic technique the seller must provide. Depending on the property it covers the DPE, lead if built before 1949, asbestos if the permit predates 1 July 1997, electricity and gas installations over 15 years old, non-mains drainage, termites in zones set by the prefecture and natural and technological risks including radon. Houses rated E, F or G also need an energy audit. See buying in France.

DPE (diagnostic de performance énergétique) energy rating

The energy rating of a home, valid for 10 years. A change in how electricity is counted from 1 January 2026 moved about 850,000 homes out of the F and G bands. Homes let to a tenant as a main residence are banned from new or renewed leases if rated G from 2025, F from 2028 and E from 2034. See our second homes guide.

Droits de mutation (DMTO) purchase tax

The tax paid on buying an existing property, made up of a departmental rate, a communal tax of 1.20% and a State collection charge. Where the department charges 5.00%, as 88 of 100 did on 1 June 2026, the total is 6.3185% of the price; at 4.50% it is 5.80665%. The higher rate can apply to deeds signed from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2028. See buying costs.

Émoluments the notaire’s scale fees

The notaire’s regulated fees, charged in bands on the price and subject to 20% VAT. On a €200,000 purchase they come to €1,995.25 before VAT. A notaire may give a discount of up to 20% of the fees on the part of the price above €100,000, applied equally to all clients. See buying costs.

FAI (frais d’agence inclus) agency fees included

Shown next to an advertised price to mean it includes the agent’s fees. Where the buyer pays the fees, the advert must also show them as a percentage of the price excluding fees. See buying costs.

FICP register of repayment problems

The Banque de France register of repayment incidents on personal credit. France has no positive credit score, so lenders check the FICP instead; entries stay for up to 5 years, or 7 for debt plans. Applicants living outside France usually supply a credit report from their home country as well. See our documents checklist.

Frais de dossier bank arrangement fee

The lender’s fee for setting up the loan. It is usually 0.5% to 1.4% of the loan and often capped at around €2,000 to €2,500; the average was €1,899.68 on a €200,000 loan in March 2026. It is included in the TAEG. See mortgage fees.

Frais de notaire purchase costs paid through the notaire

The usual name for the costs you pay through the notaire when you buy. Most of it is purchase tax rather than the notaire’s own fee. Typical totals are 7% to 8% of the price on an existing property and 2% to 3% on a new build. See buying costs or try the notaire fees calculator.

HCSF (Haut Conseil de stabilité financière) France’s financial stability authority

The body whose binding rule caps the taux d’effort at 35% of income and the loan term at 25 years, or 27 with a deferral for new build or major works. The rule covers loans to non-residents, second homes, buy-to-let and SCIs. Each lender may exceed it on up to 20% of its new lending each quarter, but little of that room is left for second homes. See how much can I borrow.

HLSPD lender’s statutory charge

The hypothèque légale spéciale du prêteur de deniers, which replaced the privilège de prêteur de deniers on 1 January 2022. It can only secure the purchase of an existing property or land, not construction, works or a VEFA purchase. It is exempt from land registration tax, costs about 0.5% to 1% of the loan and lapses free of charge one year after the last instalment. See buying costs.

Hypothèque mortgage charge

A charge registered on the property as security for the loan. A conventional hypothèque typically costs about 1.5% to 2% of the loan, and releasing it early, for example on a sale, needs a paid mainlevée. Hypothèques now secure under 30% of French home loans but are usual for non-resident buyers. See buying costs.

IOBSP and courtier credit intermediary and broker

IOBSP is the French category for credit intermediaries. A courtier (COBSP) is a broker; the other categories are MOBSPL, MOBSP and MIOBSP. All must be registered with ORIAS and are supervised by the ACPR, and since 1 April 2022 courtiers must also join an ACPR-approved association. See our regulatory information.

IRA (indemnités de remboursement anticipé) early repayment charges

Charges for repaying a loan early, capped at the lower of 6 months’ interest on the amount repaid and 3% of the capital outstanding. They do not apply when the property is sold because of a job relocation, or the death or forced cessation of work of the borrower or spouse. The terms can be negotiated before you sign. See early repayment.

Loi Lemoine 2022 borrower insurance law

The law of 28 February 2022 that lets you switch borrower insurer at any time. The lender has 10 days to respond and can refuse only if the new cover is not equivalent. It also removed the health questionnaire where your insured share is €200,000 or less per person and the loan ends before your 60th birthday. See age limits and insurance.

Loi Scrivener loan offer rules

The consumer rules for French home loan offers. The offer is sent free, stays valid for at least 30 days and cannot be accepted until the 10-day délai de réflexion has passed. The loan falls away if the purchase does not complete within 4 months of acceptance. See buying in France.

Mainlevée release of the charge

The formal release of a mortgage charge before it expires, for example when you sell or repay early. It costs about 0.3% to 0.6% of the original loan, around €645 on a €200,000 loan. An HLSPD lapses free one year after the last instalment, and a caution needs no mainlevée at all. See buying costs.

Meublé de tourisme furnished holiday let

A furnished holiday let, now covered by the Loi Le Meur of November 2024. Until a national online registration service goes live, planned for the fourth quarter of 2026, only some communes require registration; after that it is mandatory everywhere, with fines of up to €10,000 for not registering and €20,000 for a false declaration. Tax on French rental income is complex, so take advice from a tax adviser. See our second homes guide.

Notaire the official who handles the sale

The public official who prepares the acte authentique, holds the deposit and takes payment of the purchase price and costs. You may appoint your own notaire at no extra cost because the two notaires share the same fee. The notaire must check where both your loan and your own funds come from, and payments over €3,000 must be made by bank transfer. See buying in France.

Offre d’achat written offer to buy

An offer made by letter or email that binds the seller once accepted. No money may be paid at this stage, and a payment voids the offer. The binding contract for both sides comes later with the compromis. See our financing certificate guide.

Offre de prêt formal loan offer

The lender’s formal loan offer. Under the Loi Scrivener it is sent free on paper or another durable medium, stays valid for at least 30 days and is accepted by a dated and signed letter sent by post unless otherwise agreed. A firm offer is what meets the loan condition in your compromis. See how it works.

ORIAS register of intermediaries

The French register on which credit intermediaries, courtiers included, must be listed. An indicateur who only passes on contact details or advertising material is not a credit intermediary and does not register. See our regulatory information.

Prêt in fine interest-only loan

A loan where you pay only interest and repay the capital in one sum at the end, backed by a pledged assurance-vie policy or other investments. Rates are higher and terms average about 7 years. For non-residents it is mainly offered by private banks, usually with assets equal to the loan or pledges from about €1m. See loan types.

Prêt relais bridging loan

A short loan against a property you are selling, usually 60% to 80% of its value and often about 70%, for one to two years. We cannot say in general whether a French lender will offer one against a property outside France. See loan types.

Procuration power of attorney

A document letting someone sign on your behalf. A notarial procuration can be signed fully remotely by video with a qualified electronic signature, which is designed for people abroad. The sale deed itself cannot be signed remotely. See buying in France.

Promesse unilatérale de vente seller’s option contract

The main alternative to the compromis. It binds the seller and gives you an option to buy, and your deposit is called the indemnité d’immobilisation. A promesse signed privately rather than before a notaire must be registered within 10 days. See buying in France.

Reste à vivre money left to live on

What remains each month after your loan repayments. It has no legal definition, but banks commonly look for €700 to €1,000 a month for a single person and €1,000 to €1,500 for a couple. See how much can I borrow.

Résidence secondaire second home

A home that is not your main residence. Second homes still pay the taxe d’habitation, and lenders have little room to lend outside the HCSF rules for them. The primo-accédant exemption from the higher purchase tax rate does not help second-home buyers. See our second homes guide.

SCI (société civile immobilière) property-holding company

A French company set up to hold property. Lenders can lend to an SCI and the HCSF lending rules apply to those loans. Whether an SCI suits you is a legal and tax question, so take legal and tax advice before you choose one. See our French mortgages guide.

TAEG (taux annuel effectif global) all-in annual rate

The annual rate including interest, fees, compulsory borrower insurance and guarantee costs. It is the figure to compare between offers and the one that must stay below the taux d’usure. See nominal rate and TAEG.

Taux d’effort debt-to-income ratio

The share of your income taken by debt repayments, capped at 35% by the HCSF rule. It is worked out on net income before income tax and includes borrower insurance where required, and existing mortgage and loan payments count too. See how much can I borrow.

Taux d’usure legal maximum rate

The highest TAEG a lender may charge, set each quarter at average effective rates plus one third. From 1 October 2026 it is 5.40% for fixed loans of 20 years or more. Because the TAEG includes insurance, the cap can rule out a loan where cover is expensive. See the usury cap.

Taxe d’habitation local tax on second homes

A local tax still due on second homes, payable by whoever has use of the property on 1 January. Communes in high-demand areas can add a surcharge of 5% to 60%, and 1,666 communes applied one in July 2026. See our second homes guide.

Taxe foncière annual property tax

The annual property tax, worked out from the property’s cadastral rental value and local rates. The 2026 bases rose by 0.8%, and 2026 payment deadlines run from 15 to 26 October depending on how you pay. See our second homes guide.

VEFA (vente en l’état futur d’achèvement) buying off plan

Buying a home before it is built. The price includes 20% VAT, and purchase costs are lower at about 2% to 3% because a reduced land registration tax of 0.715% replaces the DMTO. An HLSPD cannot secure a VEFA purchase, and the HCSF term limit can stretch to 27 years where a deferral covers delayed possession. See buying costs.

Sources: Service-public.fr on the sale contract, April 2026; on loan offers; on notaire fees, August 2026; on the HLSPD, March 2026; DGFiP departmental rates, June 2026; HCSF; economie.gouv.fr on the usury rate; Meilleurtaux, March 2026; economie.gouv.fr on second home tax, July 2026. Each linked guide gives the full source for its figures.