Can you buy your social housing?
Verified 07 July 2021 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister)
Yes, the tenant of social housing can buy the housing he lives, under certain conditions. He can spontaneously make the proposal to the social lessor. The conditions for reselling or renting the accommodation are regulated.
Tenant or Spouse
You can buy the social housing that you have lived as a tenant for at least 2 years.
But your spouse can buy your home, if you ask your spouse social landlord.
Ascendant or descendant of the tenant in place
If you have been living in social housing as a tenant for at least 2 years, you can ask social landlord that your accommodation be purchased by one of the following persons:
- Either one ascending (with or without her husband, Civil partnership partner or partner)
- Either one downhill (with or without her husband, Civil partnership partner or partner)
But the income of this buyer (or these buyers) must not exceed a maximum amount.
This maximum amount varies depending on whether or not one of the buyers has a mobility inclusion card :
General case
Number of persons to be accommodated | People to stay | Location of social housing | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ile-de-France | Other | |||
Paris and neighbouring town | Other | |||
1 | 1 person | €31,351 | €31,351 | €27,256 |
2 | 2 people | €46,855 | €46,855 | €36,397 |
1 young couple | €61,421 | €56,323 | €43,771 | |
1 person and 1 dependant | €61,421 | €56,323 | €43,771 | |
3 | 3 people | €61,421 | €56,323 | €43,771 |
1 person and 2 dependants | €73,333 | €67,466 | €52,842 | |
4 | 4 people | €73,333 | €67,466 | €52,842 |
1 person and 3 dependants | €87,251 | €79,866 | €62,163 | |
5 | 5 people | €87,251 | €79,866 | €62,163 |
1 person and 4 dependants | €98,180 | 89,874 | €70,058 | |
6+ | 6 people | €98,180 | 89,874 | €70,058 |
Per additional person | + €10,941 | + €10,014 | + €7,814 | |
With Disability Inclusion Mobility Card
People to stay | Location of social housing | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Ile-de-France | Other | ||
Paris and neighbouring town | Other | ||
1 person with mobility inclusion card | €46,855 | €46,855 | €36,397 |
2 persons of whom at least 1 has mobility inclusion card | €61,421 | €56,323 | €43,771 |
3 persons of whom at least 1 has mobility inclusion card | €73,333 | €67,466 | €52,842 |
4 people of which at least 1 has mobility inclusion card | €87,251 | €79,866 | €62,163 |
5 persons of whom at least 1 has mobility inclusion card | €98,180 | 89,874 | €70,058 |
In order to be sold, the dwelling must:
- meet minimum standards habitability and energy performance
- and have been bought or built by a social landlord for more than 10 years (except for exceptions)
Who initiated the listing?
The listing of the dwelling can be initiated by:
- Either social landlord who wants to sell social housing
- Either the tenant who wishes to buy the social housing that he has lived for at least 2 years
The tenant must send the purchase request to the landlord by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. The lessor has 2 months to accept or refuse this request. He must give the reason.
Listing price
The social landlord freely sets the selling price.
Buyer Information
Before Sale social landlord must provide certain information in writing to the buyer:
- Amount of rental expenses of the last 2 years (and condominium expenses if they exist)
- List of works carried out during the last 5 years
- List of common parts and equipment improvement works envisaged by the social lessor
- Assessment of the overall amount of such work and the share to be borne by the purchaser
- Document specifying that the purchaser will have to pay the property tax on the built properties, every year, from the 1re year following the year of sale
- When the property is in condominium, a copy of the description of the division of the property and the condominium regulation
The social landlord must inform the buyer of the possibility to use a free consumer mediator in case of dispute over the sale of the dwelling.
Social Housing Buyout Clause
The social landlord is obliged to include in the contract of sale of the social housing a clause of systematic repurchase.
This clause obliges the lessor to repurchase the home within 10 years of the sale, when the buyer:
- loses his job
- or separates (example: divorce
- or has a health problem (under certain conditions)
Zero Rate (PTZ)
You can partially finance the purchase of your social housing with a zero-rate loan (ZIP), that is, a loan that does not generate interest. You must, for example, meet resource requirements. To learn more about these conditions, you can contact your Adil: titleContent :
Special Purchase Modes
The social landlord can offer you to buy your home as part of a lease-purchase agreement or sale of building to be renovated .
For more information, contact your Adil: titleContent :
Who shall I contact
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Accommodation purchased for 5 years or less
The buyer is obliged to inform the social landlord that he wants to sell the house. The social landlord can be the first buyer.
If the purchaser has purchased the dwelling at a price lower than the selling price, he must pay the difference between these 2 amounts on resale to the social lessor.
Accommodation purchased over 5 years
Resale is free.
Please note
this information must be included in the sales contract. If not, the sales contract is invalid.
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Accommodation purchased for 5 years or less
If the purchaser has purchased the dwelling at a price lower than the selling price, the rent applied at the time of letting must not exceed a maximum amount.
Accommodation purchased over 5 years
Rental is free.
Please note
this information must be written into the sales agreement. If not, the sales contract is invalid.
- Construction and Housing Code: Articles L443-7 to L443-15-5General
- Construction and Housing Code: items R443-10 to R443-17General
- Construction and Housing Code: Articles L31-10-2 to L31-10-5PTZ: L31-10-2
- Construction and Housing Code: Appendix to R443-11Minimum housing standards
- Decree No. 2015-1812 of 28 December 2015 on minimum energy performance standards for individual dwellings put on sale by a low-rent housing agencyMinimum energy performance standards
- Circular of 21 December 2018 for the presentation of the provisions for the immediate application of the law n°2018-1021 (Elan law) (PDF - 269.7 KB)
- Bienveo: social housing for sale
Online service
- Simulator - Zero Rate Loan (PTZ)
Simulator
- Zero Rate (PTZ)Service-Public.fr
- The purchase of social housing by a tenantNational Institute of Consumer Affairs (INC)
- Minimum standards of habitabilityLegifrance
- Minimum energy performance standardsLegifrance
- Act No. 84-595 of July 12, 1984 on the letting of propertyLegifrance
- Sale of building to renovate (VIR)National Housing Information Agency (Anil)