Property Glossary
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
Word |
Definition |
| Agent immobilier | Real estate agent |
| A renover | Needs renovation |
| Acte authentique / acte de vente | The final document in a property sale, this contract that must be drawn up by a notaire and published in the 'bureau des hypotheques'. |
| Acte sous seing privé (private treaty) | A simple contract between private parties. In property sales it is the form ordinarily used for the initial contract, or promesse de vente, that is drawn up by the notaire(s) and signed by the parties as the initial purchase and sale agreement. The ‘acte sous seing privé' is often used in rentals. |
| Administrateur de biens (property administrator) | A management company or person or company who looks after property management operations. In a residential building, this role is played by the syndic (co-ownership association representative), who looks after the interests of the apartment owneres regarding insurance, collective utilities, building maintenance, etc. |
| Agence immobilière (estate agency) | A term that designates a business (often a company) whose role is to offer services and means for negotiation and advice on biens immobiliers (property): sale and rental, advice for buying, property estimations... |
| Agences s'abstenir | Real estate agents should abstain from contacting the seller. Often seen in "For Sale by Owner" ads. |
| Agent commercial | A representative who acts independently, in their own right and without guarantee, in the name of the party that they represent. This work status is more flexible for the company and the individual than that of an employee. This is often the employment statute governing real estate agents. |
| Agent immobilier (estate agent) | A real estate agent: aprofessional who represents the owner, the buyer or the tenant, in the sale or rental of property. |
| Ascenseur | Elevator |
| Assemblée générale de copropriété | General assembly of the co-owners association. Meeting which must be attended by all the members of a 'copropriété' (joint ownership association). Members vote on the questions on the agenda, and the decisions arrived at become part of the minutes. The 'copropriétaires' (joint owners) must meet at least once a year in a general meeting. Absent owners can vote by proxy or give a power of attorney to a third party to attend and vote on their behalf. |
| Assurance RCP (Responsabilité Civile Professionnelle) | Civil and professional liability insurance required of estate agents and property managers. |
| Bail | Lease / rental contract for property. These are also called 'contrats de location' (rental contracts). |
| Bail commercial | Business lease: rental contract for premises in which a commercial, industrial or crafts activity is carried out. Most commercial leases commit the landlord to a minimum term of 9 years. The tenant can terminate the contract every 3 years. |
| Bail d'habitation | Residential lease: rental contract for premises used for residential or "mixed" usage (professional and residential). Residential leases commit the landlord to a three year minimum term. The tenant can terminate the contract at any time with 3 months notice. |
| Bail professionnel | Professional lease: Rental contract for premises used exclusively for free lance businesses (doctors, dentists, associations, unions...). The landlord is committed to a term of three or six years. The tenant can terminate the contract at any time with 3 months notice. |
| Bailleur | Landlord |
| Balcon | Balcony |
| Bel hauteur sous plafond (HSP) | High ceilings - this usually means 3 meters - about 10 feet - or more |
| Bien immobilier (property) | Real property. |
| Bon de visite | Proof of visit. Estate agents will often require a client to sign a bon de visite acknowledging that they visited a property with the intermediary of the agency, to ensure that the client does not try to deal directly with the seller to avoid paying the agency's commission. |
| Bricolage | Do-it-yourself’ing |
| Carrelage | Tile work |
| Carte professionnelle (professional card) | Real estate professional license. Any persons carrying out property management or purchase/sale property transactions are required to have a professional card. An estate agent who does not have this card is operating illegally. |
| Cave | The basement/cellar. Usually each apartment has its own assigned space which is individually keyed. |
| Chambre | Bedroom |
| Chambre de bonne | Maid's quarters at the top of classical Parisian, Haussmannian buildings |
| Charges | Monthly or quarterly charges for the maintenance of common areas, building insurance and amenities in co-op buildings |
| Charges récupérables (reimbursable charges) | In a lease, landlord expenses paid by the tenant, as distinct from the rent. These might be routine maintenance of the property, specified furnishings or electrical equipment, minor repairs or certain taxes. |
| Chasseur d’appartement | Literally, a "flat hunter," this is a property agent that finds properties for a buyer. Like all real estate professionals, flat hunters must have real estate licenses to operate. |
| Chaudiere | Hot water heater. In France these are most often found in the kitchen or main bathroom of the apartment. They are usually gas-fired and may serve as the source of hot-water radiant heat in rooms. |
| Cheminee | Chimney or fireplace. |
| Commission | Commission. In real estate, to collect a ocmmission the estate agent must have a mandat (mandate) to find, sell, rent or manage that sets out the amount of the commission due. |
| Compromis de vente (pre-contract) | Sales agreement. This is the contract signed by the seller and the buyer of a property documenting the agreement to sell, either privately or with the assistance of an agent. The 'compromis de vente' replaces the promesse de vente, which is the document signed under the supervision of a notaire. The document commits the two parties to the sale, subject to conditional clauses. The buyer will ordinarily be required to pay a 10% good faith deposit shortly thereafter.. |
| Concierge / Gardienne | Building superintendent |
| Conditions suspensives | Conditional clauses contained in a pre-contract (promesse or compromis de vente), which suspend the execution of the contract in special circumstances. A conditional clause may concern the buyer obtaining a loan, or the seller obtaining required planning/building permission. To be valid the conditional clause must not depend on pure chance or on the will of one party. |
| Conseil syndical (co-ownership association advisory body) | Made up of copropriétaires (co-owners) designated by the l'assemblée générale (general assembly), it helps the syndic (co-ownership association representative) and supervises their management. It is obligatory except if the majority of copropriétaires (co-owners) refuse it. It often manages the small details and litigation in the day to day running of the co-ownership property. |
| Contrat de location (rental contract) | See bail (lease). |
| Copropriétaire (co-owner) | Owner of a bien immobilier (property) in a building where the status complies with copropriété (co-ownership). |
| Copropriété (co-ownership) | A situation in a building that belongs to several persons at any one time and to each of them separately. The building is thus divided into common and private areas. The co-ownership regulations fix the rules for 'communal life'. A legal situation covered by the law of July 10 1965. |
| Cuisine | Kitchen |
| Cuisine americaine equipee | A kitchen, usually opening to a dining area, that is fully equipped (stove, oven, refridgerator, dishwasher…). |
| Dans voie residentielle | Residential street |
| Dépôt de garantie (Deposit) | Sum of money given over to guarantee that the contract be respected. In the case of rentals it is given to the landlord by the tenant, when he enters the premises, and is returned at the end of the rental period on condition that rent and charges have been correctly kept up with. In the case of a pre contract for a sale ('promesse' or 'compromis'), the deposit ensures that the final contract be signed, see also 'indemnité d'immobilisation'). |
| Digicode | A building entry control system using a numeric pad and code |
| Double sejour | An extra large living room area made by joining two adjacent rooms |
| Droit de preemption | The right of the city to preempt a sale of property by acquiring the property itself at the same price as the buyer. This city must act on this right of preemption during the closing period on the sale. |
| Eau chaude | Hot water |
| Electricité | Electricity |
| Enfilade | An apartment layout where rooms are "in a row" or train car, often off one long hallway. Often one room will only be accessible by passing through another room, making it a less useful bedroom than otherwise. |
| Ensoleille | Sunny |
| Etage | Floor or landing. Often abbreviated as "e" (e.g., Au 2e -- "On the second floor") |
| Etoile | An apartment layout that radiates from the entry in a "star" pattern. This layout provides the most convenient flow and access to all rooms, and a good use of space. |
| Expert immobilier | Property surveyor: a professional whose role is to estimate/evaluate th emarket value of rental or sale property. |
| Exposition | Direction of the windows in the apartment (north, south, east or west facing). |
| Fenetre | Window |
| Fiscalité | Relating to income/tax laws. |
| Frais d'acquisition | Purchase charges: the total of expenses and entitlements following a real estate sale. In France, most residential property is subject ot about 7% purchase tax; new-build property is subject to value added tax, or VAT, of about 20%. |
| Garantie financière (financial guarantee) | Garantie financière (financial guarantee) |
| Guarantees the commitment of the sums at stake in real estate transactions or in the activities involved in property management, when these activities or transactions are carried out by a real estate professional. The financial guarantee is obligatory for all real estate agents or property managers. It is also different according to whether the professional is involved in transactions or management. | |
| Haussmannien | Baron Haussmann was the Prefect of the Seine for many years in the latter half of the 19th Century; he influenced and oversaw the most dramatic modernization of the city in its history and the typical, ornate, 6-story residential buildings are one of his main legacies. |
| HSP | see bel hauteur sous plafond |
| Hypothèque (mortgage) | The mortgage is used to guarantee the payment of the debt contracted on a real estate property. It allows the lender to have the debtor's property sold by legal means should they be unable to pay back due sums. |
| Immeuble | Building |
| Indemnité d'immobilisation | Sum paid by the purchaser when the 'avant-contrat de vente' / pre-contract is signed of the type ('compromis' or 'promesse') as a deposit based on the sale price. The amount varies, but normally it is around 10 % of the sale price of the property. |
| Indivision (part share) | A situation where a property is owned by several persons without there being any kind of physical separation or division. It is the case where there is joint purchase of a dwelling, in an inheritance where the property has not yet been shared out between the heirs, or in the case of a company that is being wound up. |
| Interphone | An intercom system in the lobby of a building for calling up to a tenant to gain access to the apartment. |
| L'acte de vente | French title to real property |
| Location | Rental. In France, residential rentals are most often 'location nue', or unfurnished rental; short term rentals are furnished, or meublé. |
| Location meublée (furnished rental) | A term that applies to all residences rented with supply of sufficient furniture for everyday life. In this situation the landlord is committed to a term of one year minimum. The tenant has the right to terminate their contract at any time, depending on the wording of the contract. |
| Locations saisonnières (seasonal rentals) | These are short term rentals, by the week, the month, or maybe the season. They are to be found in areas which have a high through put of residents for a limited period. Most of these rentals are furnished. |
| Loi carrez | Law requiring exact apt size measurement (m2) as part of sale |
| Loyer (rent) | Sum paid by the tenant to the owner against the use of bien immobilier (property) used for rental. |
| Mandant (principal) | The person who gives the mandat (mandate). |
| Mandat | Seller's contractual agreement with real estate agent that lists property for sale and sets the agent's commission for same |
| Mandat (mandate) | Document in which a person ('mandant' (principal)), gives the ( 'mandataire' (representative)), the power to carry out, on their behalf, one or more acts of a legal nature, such as a sale, a purchase, rental... It is obligatory for estate agents and property administrators to hold a mandate in order to sell, rent or manage a property. |
| Mandataire (representative) | The person or persons selected by the principal to receive the mandat. |
| Mansardé | Slanted rooftop in top-floor apartments. |
| Marchand de biens | Property dealer or trader who buys buildings or properties to renovate or reconfigure and resell. This business is less strictly regulated, so is transactions with marchands de bien are not covered by the same guarantees as for an estate agent. |
| Mezzanine | An elevated horizontal platform that serves as a workspace or sleeping area to take advantage of high ceilings. |
| Millieme | Percentage of building ownership over a denominator of 1000 -- an apartment millieme of 50/1000 would be a 5% ownership portion of the overall building for your apartment |
| Moulure | Mouldings, often of plaster of Paris, that were built as decor into the ceilings of classic Parisian buildings. |
| Notaire | An attorney who is solely empowered under French law to draw up and authenticate certain civil documents, including those needed for real estate and inheritance transactions (sale of property, marriage contract, wills...). The 'notaire' also has the role of advisor. |
| Nue-propriété (bare property) | A legal term covering part of property law. It gives its holder the right to dispose of the property, but does not allow the use, or benefit thereof. The 'nu-propriétaire' (bare owner) pays the taxes and charges on the property. For example the bare owner of a building can rebuild it in the context of conservation. They can sell or sign over their rights. They cannot live in or rent the property. Additional rights of the bare owner are the rights of 'l'usufruitier' (beneficial owner or life tenant). |
| Parquet | Decorative wood floors, often oak, cut and laid for visual effect in classic Parisian housing |
| Particulier (private owner) | Private person; in real estate sales, the equivalent of "for sale by owner." |
| Pieces | Rooms. Usually counts the major rooms in addition to the (taken-for-granted) kitchen and bath --i.e., "3 pieces" -- an apartment with a living room, dining room and a separate bedroom |
| Pierre de taille | Building face of stacked, individual stone blocks -- the classic Paris look which includes "Haussmann" buildings |
| Placard | Closet or cupboard |
| Plafond | Ceiling |
| Plomberie | Plumbing |
| PMC | parquet, moulures, cheminees: wood floors, mouldings and fireplaces. A shorthand for classic Parisian apartment features. |
| Porte blindee | A metal security door with locks, latches and levers that give the most security to the front door of your residential unit |
| Proche de toutes commodites | Near to all conveniences/shopping |
| Promesse d'achat | The final written commitment to buy a property; your legal ownership document |
| Promesse de vente | A contract to buy real estate prepared by the Notaire. Upon signing, one is generally obligated to deposit 5-10% of the agreed upon purchase price |
| Promesse de vente (promise to sell) | A sort of pre-contract signed by the seller and the buyer of a bien immobilier (property). It is advisable to have this drawn up by a professional. There are two types of 'promise to sell' contracts: |
| Propriété immobilière (real estate property) | The possession of an 'immeuble', that is to say: land, building, premises, share in a co-ownership property, share in a property company. In France the owner benefits from the full ownership of assets, including the land, the earth, the basement and the airspace needed to build the building according to the laws that cover each building area. Water courses and the sea cannot be private property. River banks and beaches are the property of the local councils. |
| Quartier | Neighborhood |
| Ramonage | Chimney sweeping -- must be performed and certified annually if you use your fireplace |
| Rangement | Storage spaces - often in short supply in Paris apartments |
| Ravalement | Cleaning of the façade/exterior of a building. The law requires that this be done every ten years on Paris buildings, at the cost of the owners. |
| Règlement de copropriété (co-ownership property regulations) | This is a written document that stipulates the rights and obligations of copropriétaires (co-owners). It defines the different units (apartments,cellars, parking spaces...) and the coefficients used to calculate the charges. It defines the common areas of the building and the uses that they can be put to. The document also covers the rights and obligations of the copropriétaires (co-owners) of the building. |
| Rez-de-chaussee | Ground floor (which is the "zero" floor in France). A 'rez de chaussee' apartment is a ground floor apartment with at least some windows facing out to the street. |
| Rez-de-jardin | A ground floor apartment that lets out to a garden or interior courtyard, with no windows out to the street. |
| Rosaces | Decorative plaster rosettes in center of a ceiling |
| Salle de bains | Bathroom (with or without a toilet). |
| Salle de manger | Dining room |
| Sejour / Salon | Living room |
| Société civile immobilière (SCI) (real estate trust) | This is a category of company whose focus is real estate. An example would be the 'société civile familiale de placements immobiliers' which is the family based version of this regime (to group together real estate property within a family group), 'société civile de construction vente', a trust established for the building and sale of a property and set up during the construction of a building. The sale of such a company or its shares is covered by different tax laws to the sale of ordinary real estate. |
| Square Meters (m2) | A metric measure of area that corresponds to the size of a living unit. In Paris there is a strict measurement law (loi Carrez) that assures that the described size of a unit is accurate. One m2 is approximately equal to 10.75 square feet (FT2) |
| Syndic de copropriété (co-ownership property representative) | A building manager elected by the co-owners to act on their behalf to manage their interests: take out insurance policies, employ personnel for the building, act on decisions made in the meetings, supervises the application of the co-ownership property regulations.... This representative also controls the funds of the copropriété (co-ownership property) and looks after the accounting. Every year, during the general meeting, they justify and explain the accounts. They can be elected for a period of one or several years. |
| Syndicat des copropriétaires | The co-owners association. Its objective is the conservation of the building and the administration of the common areas. The decisions are made during an annual assemblée générale (general assembly). When an apartment changes hands in the building, the new buyer automatically becomes a member of the association. |
| Travaux à prévoir | Needs extensive work or renovation |
| Traversant | An apartment layout that "runs through" from one end of the apartment to the other, usually with windows at each end; elsewhere known as a "shotgun" apartment |
| Une bonne copropriete | Amiable apartment owner's association. |
| Usufruit | A legal term covering part of the right of ownership (literally it refers to receiving the fruit resulting from the use of the property, fruit here meaning revenue, profit...). This concerns the right of use and benefit associated with a property where the bare ownership belongs to someone else. This is a temporary right and ends notably when the 'usufruitier' dies. Additional usufruitier rights are the rights of nu-propriétaire (bare property owner). The split of full ownership between nu-propriétaire (bare ownership) and 'usufruitier' often arises because one of the parties in an inheritance (in general the spouse of the deceased) keeps the 'usufruit', and the direct heirs (in general the children) the nue propriété (bare ownership). |
| Valeur vénale | Market value of a property. |
| Vente immobilière | Real property sale. |
| Viager | A sales contract for a property where the buyer (called the 'débirentier') pays the owner (the 'crédirentier') a very reduced price for the property (the 'bouquet') plus a monthly income for the duration of the latter's life ('rente viagère'). The amount of the 'bouquet' and the 'rente' are calculated in accordance with three parameters: the valeur vénale (market value) of the property, the life expectancy of the 'crédit rentier' and the yield of the capital invested. At the death of the seller, the use of the property transfers to the buyer. |
| Vis a vis | Obstructed view, usually because of another building closely situated. |
| Voûtée | vaulted (ceilings) |
| Vue degagee | A view that is unobstructed and attractive. |
| Vue sur les toits | View over the rooftops |
| Vue sur rue et cour | Looks out (view) to street and inner courtyard |
| WC | The toilet (literally water closet) often separate from the bath & shower in Parisian apartments ('WC separee') |
