PSLA rent-to-buy in France: 2026 limits

Two phases: renting, then buying

The Act defines location-accession as the contract by which a seller undertakes to transfer ownership of a property to a buyer-occupier, after a period of occupation for payment, in return for payment of the price in instalments or deferred, and payment of a fee until the option is exercised (1984 Act, art. 1).

The rental phase. You occupy the home and pay a fee made up of two parts:

• a part corresponding to the right of occupation of the home (the equivalent of a rent), capped for the PSLA (arrêté of 26 March 2004, art. 2);
• an acquisition portion (fraction acquisitive), which will be credited against the price if you buy (1984 Act, art. 5, 6°; ANIL).

The contract specifies the date you take occupation, the period within which you must exercise the option, the amount of the fee and how it is revised (art. 5, 4° and 5°). The revision may not exceed the change in the indice de référence des loyers (rent reference index) (art. 7). A joint état des lieux (inventory of condition) is drawn up when the keys are handed over (art. 8).

Exercising the option. You become the owner by stating your intention by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt (art. 1). The developer’s PSLA can then be transferred to you for the outstanding capital, up to the price minus the acquisition portion; you may refuse it and choose another credit offer, and the bank may oppose the transfer if your creditworthiness is insufficient (ANIL). The monthly repayment must not exceed the fee paid in the month before the option was exercised, excluding insurance (ANIL).

The 2026 PSLA ceilings

The three ceilings are set out in the arrêté of 26 March 2004, whose annexes are in force from 8 March to 31 December 2026. The zones are those of article D. 304-1 of the Code de la construction et de l’habitation (Construction and Housing Code).

Income (annex III), assessed when the preliminary contract is signed or, failing that, the rent-to-buy contract (ANIL):

Sale price (annex II), in euros per m² of surface utile (usable floor area), plus the applicable VAT (art. 3): €5,837 (A bis), €4,423 (A), €3,542 (B1), €3,269 (B2), €2,857 (C).

“Occupation” part of the fee (annex I), per m² of usable floor area per month (art. 2): €15.46 (A bis), €11.87 (A), €10.24 (B1), €9.83 (B2), €9.09 (C).

The home must be your main residence, occupied for at least 8 months a year (ANIL).

Tax advantages

• 5.5% VAT: the sale is subject to it when the tenant-buyer exercises the option within 5 years of completion (ANIL).
• Taxe foncière: exemption for 15 years from the year following completion; the household that exercises the option benefits for the remaining period (ANIL).
• When the option is exercised, additional loans are available (Action Logement loan, prêt à taux zéro, the zero-rate loan); for a contract signed since 1 January 2015, the applicable PTZ is the one in force on the date the contract was signed (ANIL).

If you do not exercise the option, and the guarantees

If you decide not to buy, the seller must refund the acquisition portion you have paid within a maximum of 3 months of your departure (1984 Act, art. 11).

A seller financed by a PSLA owes you two guarantees (ANIL):

• Rehousing: if the option is not exercised, the seller must send you, no later than 6 months after the date set for exercising it, 3 rehousing offers if your income does not exceed the PLUS ceilings (a category of social housing); you have 1 month to reply.
• Buy-back: available within 15 years of exercising the option (arrêté of 26 March 2004, art. 4), in the year following a death, a job move of more than 70 km, unemployment of more than one year, disability, divorce or the dissolution of a Pacs (civil partnership) (ANIL).

At the preliminary contract stage, the funds deposited as security may not exceed 5% of the price (1984 Act, art. 3).

Which professional to consult

The notaire (notary) executes the rent-to-buy contract and the deed recording the exercise of the option. A courtier en crédit (mortgage broker) compares the PSLA transfer with other offers, which you are free to choose (ANIL). The ADIL (departmental housing information agency) for your département checks your eligibility free of charge.