Buying, step by step
Buying a flat in a French copropriété: what to check.
When you buy an apartment in France, you also buy a share of a building. Here are the documents that tell you how it is run.
Contents
A copropriété is a building divided into lots, each with its private part and a share of the common parts. The owners decide together at a yearly general meeting, and a syndic, often a professional, manages the building.
The documents to read
- The rules (règlement de copropriété): what you may do in the flat, including letting it to tourists.
- The minutes of the last three general meetings: works voted, disputes, unpaid charges.
- The service charges of the last two years, and the budget.
- The summary sheet of the building and its maintenance book.
- The works plan over several years, now required for buildings over fifteen years old, and the works fund.
- The floor area under the Carrez law.
Works voted and works to come
A facade, a roof or a lift can cost each owner several thousand euros. Read the minutes for works voted and works discussed. By default, the owner at the date each payment is called pays it, but the compromis can share the cost differently: discuss it before signing.
If you want to let it
Check the rules before buying for short-term letting: since the Le Meur law of November 2024, a copropriété can more easily ban tourist lets in some cases, and new rules must state whether they are allowed. More in letting a holiday home in Burgundy.
In Dijon
Many apartments in the historic centre are in old buildings, some in a protected sector, where the facades and the windows follow strict rules. It is charming, and it has a cost: look closely at the works plan. Where to live in Dijon.
How I help
I gather the copropriété documents before you make an offer, I read the minutes for you, and I tell you what they mean for your budget. I work in English and French every day. I also speak Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi fluently, Persian (Farsi) very well, and good Greek and Arabic.
Frequently asked questions
What are the service charges in a French building?
Your share of the building's costs: cleaning, insurance, the syndic, maintenance and sometimes heating. Ask for the last two years.
Who pays for works voted before the sale?
By default, the owner at the date each payment is called, but the compromis can share the cost differently.
Can I let my apartment on short-term rental sites?
It depends on the copropriété rules and on the commune. Check both before buying.
What is the Carrez floor area?
The private floor area of a lot, measured under strict rules. If it is more than 5% smaller than stated, the buyer can claim a price reduction within a year of the deed.