French Mortgage Dictionary

We have attempted to compile an exhaustive list of French property terms to help potential buyers and sellers understand the French mortgage market more easily. The French-English dictionary contains simple English descriptions of frequently used terms and phrases that an international buyer will typically come across. They may be helpful in grasping a legal document written in French or communicating with an agent or notaire who isnt well-versed in English. If you would like to add a term you feel we might have left our of this French-English mortgage dictionary, please send us an email and well be happy to include it on this page.

  • abri - a small outbuilding, a shed or shelter for shade
  • acompte - deposit
  • Acte (de Vente) Authentique - Deed of Sale
  • agence immobilière - real estate agent
  • l ancien propriétaire - the former owner
  • aménager - to convert
  • appartement - flat
  • bâtiment - building
  • cadastre - local town planning register
  • carte de séjour - residents permit, obtained from the Préfecture of the department
  • certificat d urbanisme - land use certificate
  • combles - attic
  • Compromis de Vente - first stage agreement document in the sale process which legally commits the two parties
  • devis - estimate for work
  • expert comptable - chartered accountant
  • FNAIM - Federation Nationale des Agents Immobilier
  • frais de notaire - total amount of money paid to the notaire on top of the sale price (includes, notaire fees, registration duty, land registration duty and other charges)
  • frais d agence inclus (FAI) - estate agent s fees included
  • Les frais de notaire - notaires fees included
  • Les frais de notaire réduits - reduced notaires fees
  • immobilier - property agent
  • impot - tax
  • individuel(le) - detached
  • maison - house
  • notaire - Notary
  • permis de construire - planning permission
  • propriété - property
  • T Type (e.g. T3, T4) - classification of property type and size showing the number of main rooms including bedrooms taxe d habitation - a local tax, partly means-tested, payable only from the December of the year in which you were the owner. Due on the 1st January in advance
  • taxe foncière - a government tax on property, payable pro-rata from date of completion to the end of December
  • TVA (taxe sur la valeur ajoutée) - French VAT
  • Verser un acompte - to put down a deposit