French property paperwork uses precise legal terms with no exact English equivalent. This glossary covers the vocabulary you will meet between your first viewing and completion.
| French term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Acte de vente | The final deed of sale, signed at the notaire’s office. Completion. |
| Assurance emprunteur | Borrower insurance covering death and disability. Required in practice by all lenders. |
| Clause suspensive | A condition precedent. The financing clause cancels the sale and returns your deposit if your mortgage is refused. |
| Compromis de vente | The binding preliminary contract, subject to its conditions. Deposit paid at this stage. |
| Diagnostics | The mandatory surveys the seller must provide: asbestos, lead, termites, energy performance, gas, electricity, natural risks. |
| DPE | Energy performance certificate, rated A to G. Poorly rated properties face progressive letting restrictions. |
| Frais de notaire | Purchase costs, mostly transfer tax rather than the notaire’s own fee. Around 7 to 8 per cent on an existing property. |
| Hypothèque | A mortgage charge registered against the property. |
| In fine | Interest-only. Capital repaid in a single sum at the end of the term. |
| LMNP | Loueur meublé non professionnel. The non-professional furnished letting tax regime. |
| Notaire | A public officer who handles the legal transfer. Impartial, not a solicitor acting for one side. |
| Offre de prêt | The formal written mortgage offer. A ten-day reflection period applies before you may accept it. |
| Prêt relais | Bridging loan, used when buying before the existing property is sold. |
| Rachat de crédit | Refinancing. Another lender buys out the existing loan. |
| SCI | Société civile immobilière. A property-holding company often used for joint or family ownership. |
| TAEG | The all-in annual percentage rate including insurance and fees. The figure to compare. |
| Taux d’usure | The legal maximum lending rate, published quarterly by the Banque de France. |
| Taxe foncière | Annual property tax paid by the owner. |
| Viager | A sale where the buyer pays an annuity to the seller, who retains occupation until death. |
See the buying guide for how these fit together in sequence.