With Paris 2 h 02 away by TGV, 104,460 students in the urban area and two thirds of households renting, Bordeaux offers solid rental demand, under rent control planned until 24 November 2026. Prices, rents, neighbourhoods, budgets and yield: what you need to know before buying in Bordeaux from abroad.
The public indicators that matter before buying to let in Bordeaux, each with its source.
Bordeaux has 267,991 inhabitants according to the 2023 INSEE census. 64.9% of main residences are occupied by tenants and 55.4% of households have only one person: favourable ground for small flats and house shares.
The rent map of the Ministry of Housing and ANIL gives an advertised rent of around €18.5 per m² including charges for a 1 or 2-room apartment in Bordeaux, against €14.6 for a 3-room apartment or larger.
Sales recorded in DVF show the average price per m² of apartments down 1.5% between July 2025 and June 2026 compared with the previous twelve months, with 3,502 apartments sold.
Vacancy stands at 6.7% of homes according to INSEE. This overall rate includes run-down older homes or homes under renovation: a renovated, well-located property at the right rent generally lets faster.
| Indicator | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median price per m² of apartments sold | €4,375/m² (17,652 sales) | DVF, statistics (data.gouv.fr), July 2021 to June 2026 |
| Average price per m² over the last 12 months | 4 223 €/m² | DVF, statistics (data.gouv.fr), July 2025 to June 2026 |
| Population | 267,991 inhabitants | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Average annual population change | +0.9% per year (2017 to 2023) | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Young people aged 18 to 24 in education | 32,813, or 72.7% of 18 to 24-year-olds | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Pupils, students and trainees among 15-64 year olds | 16,7 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Main residences occupied by tenants | 64,9 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Single-person households | 55.4% of households | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| One-room main residences | 16,3 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Vacant homes | 6.7% of the housing stock | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Advertised rent, apartment of 1 or 2 rooms | €18.5/m² including charges | 2025 rent map (Ministry of Housing, ANIL), 3rd quarter of 2025 |
| Advertised rent, apartment of 3 rooms or more | €14.6/m² including charges | 2025 rent map (Ministry of Housing, ANIL), 3rd quarter of 2025 |
| Change in the average price per m² of apartments sold | −1.5% (July 2025 to June 2026, compared with the previous 12 months) | DVF, monthly statistics (data.gouv.fr), average weighted by number of sales |
| Apartment sales over 12 months | 3,502 sales (July 2025 to June 2026) | DVF, monthly statistics (data.gouv.fr) |
| Maximum rent for a furnished studio built before 1946 | €26.5/m² excluding charges in zone 1, €21.8 in zone 4 | Gironde Prefecture, order of 6 July 2026 |
| Median rent of unfurnished homes let | €12.8/m² excluding charges in the urban area, from €12.3 to €15.1 depending on the Bordeaux zone | Local rent observatory of the Bordeaux urban area, rents at 1 January 2025 |
| Median price of apartments in Talence and Pessac | €3,924/m² in Talence (2,036 sales), €3,569/m² in Pessac (1,525 sales) | DVF, statistics (data.gouv.fr) |
| Capacity of the University Hospital (CHU) of Bordeaux | 2,640 beds and 427 places | University Hospital (CHU) of Bordeaux, press kit, 2025 |
| Passengers at Bordeaux Saint-Jean station | 23 million in 2024 | SNCF Gares & Connexions, station footfall |
| Unemployment rate in the Bordeaux employment area | 8.0% in the 2nd quarter of 2026 (8.3% in France) | INSEE, unemployment rate by employment area |
Three typical properties, at the median sale price and the town’s advertised rent: enough to place your budget before you start searching.
1 room of 25 m², the median size of studios sold
Market benchmark: 55.4% of households in Bordeaux live alone, which supports demand for small flats (INSEE, 2023 census).
2 rooms of 45 m², the median floor area of two-room flats sold
Market benchmark: 64.9% of main residences are rented in Bordeaux (INSEE, 2023 census).
4 rooms or more, 89 m², the median floor area sold
The advertised rent is an average for the town: depending on the neighbourhood, the condition of the property and its features, the rent you obtain may be higher or lower.
Median DVF sale prices from January 2025 to December 2025 in Bordeaux. Rents estimated at the advertised rent from the 2025 rent map, including charges (€18.5 per m² for a 1 or 2-room home, €14.6 for a 3-room home or larger). Notary fees estimated at 8% of the price (7 to 8% for existing homes according to the notaires de France). Gross yield compares the annual rent with the purchase price, excluding fees and charges.
Bordeaux offers neighbourhoods with very different profiles, from the UNESCO-listed centre to the changing neighbourhoods of the right bank and the bassins à flot, linked by six tram lines.
Between Place de la Bourse, the Grand-Théâtre and the Quinconces, the centre has most of the small homes: according to INSEE, 78% of households there are tenants and 58% of homes have one or two rooms. All six tram lines cross there, from the Hôtel de Ville to the Quinconces. It is the most expensive zone of the rent observatory, and the safeguarding plan regulates works there. For a furnished tourist rental, the compensation there is doubled: aim for a year-round let instead.
North of the Quinconces, the Chartrons run along the Garonne as far as the Cité du Vin. Tram B follows the quays, lines C and E serve Paul Doumer and the Jardin public. The large INSEE neighbourhood has 75% of households renting, but it runs from the Chartrons market to the Grand Parc, a priority district where 39% of residents live below the poverty line: rents there range from zone 1 to zone 4 of the observatory. Choose the street with care.
Around Place de la Victoire and the Capucins market, the neighbourhood is very student-oriented: according to INSEE, 35% of residents there are aged 18 to 24, 86% of households are tenants and 69% of homes have one or two rooms. Tram B stops at La Victoire, lines C, D and F at Saint-Michel and Sainte-Croix. A rental permit applies in part of La Victoire and Saint-Michel: each new lease there requires authorisation.
Around Saint-Jean station, which welcomed 23 million passengers in 2024 according to the SNCF, the Euratlantique project is turning Belcier into a district of offices and homes. Trams C, D and F stop at the station and at Belcier, and line F goes to the airport without a change. According to INSEE, 71% of households there are tenants. A rental permit applies in part of Belcier: check the address on the Métropole's map.
On the other side of the Pont de Pierre, La Bastide and Brazza form the right bank, facing the centre. Trams A, E and F stop at Stalingrad, Jardin botanique and Thiers-Benauge. According to INSEE, 66% of households there are tenants and a third of homes have one or two rooms: an area for a two-room flat or a family home, in zones 3 and 4 of the rent observatory. The Benauge priority district is next door.
North of the Chartrons, around the Cité du Vin and the bassins à flot, Bacalan runs along the Garonne. Tram B serves La Cité du Vin, Rue Achard and Claveau. According to INSEE, 74% of households in Bacalan are tenants, and its rents fall in zone 4 of the observatory, the cheapest in the city. The Bacalan priority district is next door: visit the street before buying.
According to the Ministry, more than half of the 104,460 students in the urban area are enrolled outside the municipality of Bordeaux, notably on the university campus of Talence and Pessac, home to the Université Bordeaux Montaigne. Tram B links the campus to the centre of Bordeaux, from Bougnard to Montaigne - Montesquieu and Unitec, as far as the Haut-Lévêque hospital of the University Hospital (CHU), in Pessac. According to INSEE, a quarter of the residents of Talence are aged 18 to 24 and 66% of households there are tenants. Prices there are lower than in Bordeaux, where DVF gives €4,375 per m² as the median price.
The neighbourhood profiles come from the 2022 INSEE census by IRIS (INSEE statistical areas), grouped by large neighbourhood; the tram lines come from the official TBM timetable; the rent zones come from the local rent observatory (2025). Official sale prices (DVF) are only published at municipality level: no purchase price is therefore given by neighbourhood in Bordeaux.
Rent is capped across the whole municipality since 15 July 2022, for unfurnished lets as well as furnished lets, house shares and mobility leases. The prefectoral order of 6 July 2026 divides the city into 4 zones and sets a reference rent for each, according to the number of rooms, the period of construction, the type of home and whether it is furnished: the rent excluding charges cannot exceed this reference rent increased by 20%, except for a rent supplement justified by an exceptional feature of the home.
The order applies to leases signed from 15 July to 24 November 2026, the end date of the experiment. The two-year extension of rent control, voted by the Senate on 21 October 2026, is due to be examined by the National Assembly on 18 November 2026: check the news before signing, and test your address with the Bordeaux Métropole simulator.
| Furnished, before 1946 | 1 room | 2 rooms | 3 rooms | 4 rooms or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 26,5 € | 21,7 € | 17,8 € | 16,9 € |
| Zone 2 | 25,0 € | 20,2 € | 17,3 € | 15,7 € |
| Zone 3 | 24,8 € | 19,4 € | 16,2 € | 14,9 € |
| Zone 4 | 21,8 € | 17,5 € | 15,4 € | 14,9 € |
Maximum rents excluding charges, in € per m² of living area, for a furnished apartment built before 1946, the most common period in Bordeaux (increased reference rent from the order of 6 July 2026, applicable from 15 July to 24 November 2026). Other periods, houses and unfurnished lets have their own caps: check the zone of your address on the Bordeaux Métropole simulator.
Students, young professionals and employees on the move: in Bordeaux, two households in three are tenants, and demand is concentrated on small flats near the tram.
According to the Ministry, 104,460 students are enrolled in the urban area, 43,975 of them in Bordeaux. According to INSEE, 42.1% of Bordeaux residents aged 15 to 24 live alone: studios and house shares near tram B meet this demand.
The University Hospital (CHU) of Bordeaux has 2,640 beds and 427 places, according to its 2025 press kit. According to INSEE, 55.4% of Bordeaux households have only one person, and unemployment in the employment area, at 8.0%, remains below the French average.
With 26 direct TGVs a day to Paris, 2 h 02 at the shortest, Bordeaux attracts employees on assignment or transferred: they look for a furnished rental or a mobility lease near the station or the tram.
According to the local rent observatory, tenants who moved in less than a year ago pay a median €13.5 per m² excluding charges, against €12.4 for established tenants (rents at 1 January 2025).
Sources: Ministry of Higher Education, 2025-2026 enrolment atlas; INSEE, 2023 census; University Hospital (CHU) of Bordeaux (2025); SNCF Gares & Connexions (2024); local rent observatory of the Bordeaux urban area (rents at 1 January 2025). Unemployment reaches 8.0% in the Bordeaux employment area in the 2nd quarter of 2026, against 8.3% in France (INSEE).
In Bordeaux, rent is capped for unfurnished and furnished lets alike, and short-term letting of a second home requires compensation: the type of let is chosen according to the property, the address and the target tenant.
Investing in a house share from abroad →| Option | In Bordeaux | Our view |
|---|---|---|
| Unfurnished rental | Three-year lease, suited to families and large homes. The rent cannot exceed the zone cap or, in a high-demand zone, that of the previous tenant, except in certain cases. | For a large home |
| Furnished | 55.4% of one-person households and 104,460 students in the urban area: furnished studios and two-room flats meet the broadest demand, near the tram. The cap for furnished lets is slightly higher than for unfurnished ones. | To prioritise |
| House share | Suited to large apartments close to tram B and the campuses. With several leases, the sum of the rents must not exceed the cap for the home. | For a large home |
| Mobility lease | From 1 to 10 months, furnished, for a tenant in higher education, on a work placement, in an apprenticeship, in vocational training, in civic service, being transferred or on a temporary assignment. The rent cap also applies. | For a few months |
| Short-term rental | For a second home, the change-of-use authorisation requires permanent compensation: creating another home at least equivalent, and twice the area in the centre, within the cours (the inner ring of boulevards). No temporary authorisation exists. | Very restricted |
In Bordeaux, rent is capped, short-term letting of a second home requires compensation and three areas require a rental permit. Check the rules below before costing your project.
Bordeaux is a high-demand zone. For a new lease concluded between 1 August 2026 and 31 July 2027, the rent cannot exceed that of the previous tenant, except for the annual review, major works or a clearly undervalued rent, and always within the zone cap. No increase or rent supplement is allowed for a home rated F or G.
Since 1 April 2026, letting a second home as a furnished tourist rental requires a change-of-use authorisation with permanent compensation: you must convert another premises of at least the same area into housing, in the same sector or a more central one, and twice the area in sector A, within the cours (the inner ring of boulevards). No temporary authorisation is provided for. A main residence is, for its part, limited to 90 days a year since 1 January 2026.
Bordeaux Métropole requires it in part of La Victoire, Saint-Michel and Belcier: each new lease for a main residence there requires an authorisation, issued within a month once the file is complete. Letting without authorisation exposes you to a fine of up to €5,000 per home, €15,000 for a repeat offence or despite a refusal. The exact perimeter can be checked on the Métropole's map.
An unfurnished home left vacant for at least a year is taxed: 17% of the cadastral rental value in the first year, 34% afterwards, and the new vacancy tax takes over in 2027. A home kept for yourself as a second home pays a residence tax on second homes increased by 60%, the maximum rate.
“Bordeaux, Port of the Moon” has been listed as UNESCO World Heritage since 2007, and the old centre is covered by a safeguarding plan revised in 2022. Works that alter a building there require the agreement of the Architecte des Bâtiments de France (the state heritage architect): have any renovation costed before buying.
A flood prevention plan for the Garonne applies to Bordeaux. The municipality has only one Seveso site, classed low-threshold, and no technological risk prevention plan. Clay shrink-swell there is of medium exposure in the centre. Read the risk statement for each property: it is attached to the lease.
Your rents are taxed in France, whatever your country of residence. What changes is how they are treated at home and the rate of social contributions.
BelgiumFor a property held directly and let unfurnished, Belgium exempts these rents but uses them to set your tax rate. Social contributions: 7.5% if you are affiliated to Belgian social security and not dependent on any compulsory French scheme.
Investing from Belgium →
United KingdomThe United Kingdom also taxes your rents, with a credit for French income tax. The British tax authority (HMRC) includes in this credit the 7.5% solidarity levy, which is due if you are affiliated in the United Kingdom. Only the CSG and CRDS are excluded from it by the tax treaty.
Investing from the United Kingdom →
SwitzerlandSwitzerland exempts your French rents, but takes them into account for your tax rate. The 7.5% rate requires you to be covered by Swiss compulsory health insurance (LAMal) and not to be dependent on any compulsory French scheme.
Investing from Switzerland →The reduced rate depends on your affiliation, not your country: without affiliation in the European Union, the EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, or if you are dependent on a compulsory French scheme, you pay the full rate.
Tax treaties by country →Rules taken from our country pages and our tax page, for 2025 income. Your exact situation depends on your affiliation and on your country’s tax treaty.
Your rents and your capital gain are taxed in France, even if you live abroad.
On resale, the tax on the capital gain is withheld by the notary, with allowances for length of ownership from the 6th year: exemption from tax after 22 years, and from social contributions after 30 years.
Depending on your situation, our strategies and the way your purchase is structured can reduce, or even neutralise, the tax: we look at them with you from the very first call.
Taxation for the expat investor →Property tax and household waste tax apply to half of the home's cadastral rental value: ask the seller for the latest notice to find out the amount. Bordeaux applies a 60% increase in residence tax on second homes (2025). Sources: collectivites-locales.gouv.fr, impots.gouv.fr, notaires.fr.
Here is a simple example, for illustration purposes: a 40 m² two-room flat, at the median sale price and the average advertised rent.
| Furnished letting, micro-BIC regime | Affiliated in the EU, the EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom | Other cases (full rate) |
|---|---|---|
| Rents over one year | 8 880 € | 8 880 € |
| Taxable income after the 50% allowance | 4 440 € | 4 440 € |
| Income tax at the 20% minimum rate | − 888 € | − 888 € |
| Social contributions | − 333 € (7,5 %) | − 826 € (18,6 %) |
| Left after tax | 7 659 € | 7 166 € |
| Yield after tax | ≈ 4,4 % | ≈ 4,1 % |
Assumptions: furnished letting under the micro-BIC regime, 50% allowance, 20% minimum rate for non-residents (2025 income), rents received counted in full. The 7.5% rate also requires you not to be dependent on any compulsory French scheme: a retired person who receives only a French pension pays the full rate. Charges, property tax, notary fees and loan interest are not deducted: under the actual regime (régime réel), the tax can be significantly lower.
An advertised rentThe rent from the map is an advertised rent including charges, so it is higher than the rent excluding charges that you will receive.
The rent control ceilingThe rent control ceiling, for as long as it applies, may also be lower for your address.
Costs and chargesNotary fees, renovation works, property tax, insurance and management then reduce the net yield.
This calculation helps compare cities or properties; it does not guarantee any result.
Do you live abroad and are you looking at Bordeaux? In 45 minutes, we tell you what is feasible with your budget, your down payment and your country of residence.
Book a call →Bordeaux is 2 h 02 from Paris by direct TGV, with 26 trains a day according to the SNCF timetable. Its airport offers 73 direct-flight routes this winter, to 23 countries, and tram F links it to the Hôtel de Ville in 35 minutes.
From 26 to 27 direct TGVs a day depending on the direction, on Thursday 12 November 2026, between Paris-Montparnasse and Bordeaux Saint-Jean.
To the Hôtel de Ville by tram F, without a change, since 6 December 2025; a tram every 10 minutes on weekdays, €1.90 a ticket.
To 23 countries, including London, Brussels, Geneva, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Casablanca and Montreal, according to the airport.
From 13 to 14 direct trains a day, TGV and Intercités, between Bordeaux Saint-Jean and Toulouse-Matabiau.
3 direct TGVs a day from Bordeaux Saint-Jean, to connect with your long-haul flights.
From A to F, with 2 express bus lines and 3 boat lines on the Garonne, according to Bordeaux Métropole.
Timetables taken on 10 November 2026 from the official SNCF timetable (Thursday 12 and Tuesday 17 November); they vary from day to day. Flights: 2026-2027 winter schedule of Bordeaux airport; tram: Bordeaux airport, Bordeaux Métropole and TBM.
Yes, for leases signed up to and including 24 November 2026, under the prefectoral order of 6 July 2026, for unfurnished and furnished lets alike. After that date, everything depends on the two-year extension voted by the Senate on 21 October 2026, which the National Assembly is due to examine on 18 November 2026. If you sign a lease in November 2026, check the news and use the Bordeaux Métropole simulator to find the increased reference rent for your address.
Your apartment will be a second home: since 1 April 2026, you need a change-of-use authorisation with permanent compensation, that is, converting another premises of at least the same area into housing, in the same sector or a more central one, and twice the area in the centre, within the cours (the inner ring of boulevards). No temporary authorisation exists, and the home must be rated A to E on the energy performance certificate. The 90-day annual limit applies only to a main residence, occupied at least eight months a year. In all cases, a declaration at the town hall is compulsory.
They have flattened out. DVF sales show an average price per m² down 1.5% between July 2025 and June 2026. The differences are real from one area to another: DVF gives, for example, an average price of €3,824 per m² in Talence and €3,464 in Pessac over the same period.
Small units. According to INSEE, 55.4% of Bordeaux households live alone and 64.9% of main residences are rented. The rent map also shows a higher rent per m² for a 1 or 2-room flat than for a 3-room or larger one. Large apartments remain of interest for house shares or for families, but their yield per m² is generally lower.
Yes for now, but with limits. Since 1 January 2025, a home rated G can no longer be the subject of a new lease, and F-rated homes will be affected from 2028. The rent of an F or G-rated home can no longer be increased, and no rent supplement is possible. If you buy an F or G-rated property, include the energy renovation in your financing plan.
The most common solution is to entrust management to a local professional, who selects tenants, carries out inventories and follows the works. Choose a property close to a tram line: since 6 December 2025, tram F links Mérignac airport to the Hôtel de Ville in 35 minutes. Plan for a power of attorney for the documents you cannot sign in person and a French bank account for the property's cash flows.
Yes, in part of La Victoire, Saint-Michel and Belcier: each new lease for a main residence, unfurnished or furnished, requires a prior authorisation from Bordeaux Métropole, issued within a month once the file is complete. Letting without authorisation exposes you to a fine of up to €5,000 per home, €15,000 for a repeat offence or despite a refusal. The exact perimeter can be checked on the Métropole's map.
Yes. “Bordeaux, Port of the Moon” has been listed as UNESCO World Heritage since 28 June 2007, and the old centre is covered by a safeguarding plan revised in 2022. Works that alter a building there require the agreement of the Architecte des Bâtiments de France (the state heritage architect).
According to the sales recorded in DVF from January 2025 to December 2025, a studio sold for a median price of €115,000, a two-room flat sold for a median price of €185,000, a large home sold for a median price of €337,000. Allow around 8% notary fees on top for existing homes, and a works budget if the energy performance certificate is poor.
In 2026, the municipal property tax rate is 48.48%. These rates apply to half of the home's cadastral rental value: ask the seller for the latest property tax notice to find out the amount.
For a furnished 40 m² two-room flat bought for €175,000 and let for €740 a month, about 4.4% of the price remains after tax if you are affiliated in the European Union, the EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom without being covered by a compulsory French scheme, and 4.1% otherwise, under the micro-BIC regime and at the minimum rate of 20%. Charges, property tax and purchase fees are not deducted.
The capital gain is taxed in France at 19%, plus social contributions, and the notary withholds this tax at the time of sale, with an exemption from tax after 22 years and from social contributions after 30 years of ownership.
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