With 38,128 students, 78,296 jobs and Paris 1 h 54 away by train, Caen offers solid rental demand, with apartments selling for a median €2,848 per m². Prices, rents, neighbourhoods, budgets and yield: what you need to know before buying in Caen from abroad.
The public indicators that matter before buying to let in Caen, each with its source.
Caen has 109,400 inhabitants according to the 2023 INSEE census. 68.6% of main residences are occupied by tenants and 60.9% of households consist of one person: favourable ground for small units and flatshares.
The rent map of the Ministry of Housing and ANIL gives an advertised rent of about €16.0 per m² including charges for a 1- or 2-room apartment in Caen, compared with €12.2 for 3 rooms or more.
Sales recorded in DVF show the average price per m² for apartments up 4.0% between July 2025 and June 2026 compared with the previous twelve months, with 1,549 apartments sold.
Vacancy reaches 8.9% 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 | €2,848/m² (8,593 sales) | DVF, statistics (data.gouv.fr), July 2021 to June 2026 |
| Average price per m² over the last 12 months | 3 121 €/m² | DVF, statistics (data.gouv.fr), July 2025 to June 2026 |
| Population | 109,400 inhabitants | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Average annual population change | +0.6% a year (2017 to 2023) | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Young people aged 18 to 24 in education | 17,234, i.e. 74.9% of 18-24 year olds | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Pupils, students and trainees among 15-64 year olds | 20,5 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Main residences occupied by tenants | 68,6 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Single-person households | 60.9% of households | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| One-room main residences | 17,8 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Vacant homes | 8.9% of the housing stock | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Advertised rent, apartment of 1 or 2 rooms | €16.0/m² including charges | 2025 rent map (Ministry of Housing, ANIL), 3rd quarter of 2025 |
| Advertised rent, apartment of 3 rooms or more | €12.2/m² including charges | 2025 rent map (Ministry of Housing, ANIL), 3rd quarter of 2025 |
| Change in the average price per m² of apartments sold | +4.0% (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 | 1,549 sales (July 2025 to June 2026) | DVF, monthly statistics (data.gouv.fr) |
| Most expensive sector: Saint-Gilles and the Vaugueux | €3,411/m² median price (142 apartment sales) | Geolocated DVF (data.gouv.fr), 2025, calculated by IRIS area |
| Least expensive sector: the station, Vaucelles and the Presqu’île | €2,578/m² median price (333 apartment sales) | Geolocated DVF (data.gouv.fr), 2025, calculated by IRIS area |
| Students on the university’s Caen campuses | 28,036 in 2024-2025 | University of Caen Normandy, 2025 figures |
| Main residences let as social housing (HLM) | 21,7 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Jobs in Caen held by workers who live elsewhere | 64,3 % | INSEE, commuting flows 2023 (calculation) |
| Unemployment, Caen employment area | 7.8% in the 2nd quarter of 2026 (8.3% in France) | INSEE, local unemployment rates |
| Tourist overnight stays in the urban area | 6.24 million in 2025 | Caen la Mer, 2025 tourism review |
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 24 m², the median floor area of studios sold
Market benchmark: 60.9% of households in Caen live alone, which supports demand for small units (INSEE, 2023 census).
2 rooms of 45 m², the median floor area of two-room flats sold
Market benchmark: 68.6% of main residences are rented in Caen (INSEE, 2023 census).
4 rooms or more, 84 m², the median size 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 Caen. Rents estimated at the advertised rent of the 2025 rent map, including charges (€16.0 per m² for 1 or 2 rooms, €12.2 for 3 rooms or more). Notary fees estimated at 8% of the price (7 to 8% for older properties according to the Notaires de France). Gross yield compares annual rent with the purchase price, excluding fees and charges.
Caen offers neighbourhoods with very different profiles, from the old centre around the castle to the campuses in the north and the Presqu’île, which is undergoing major change.
At the foot of the castle, renovated for the city’s millennium in 2025, the old centre runs from Place Saint-Sauveur and Rue Écuyère to the church of Saint-Pierre, Rue Saint-Jean and the Saint-Pierre basin. According to INSEE, seven households in ten there are tenants and nearly one main residence in two has one or two rooms. Apartments sold there for a median €3,398 per m² in 2025, according to DVF. The remarkable heritage site, approved in 2021, governs exterior works.
North of the castle, the university’s campus 1, on Esplanade de la Paix, welcomes 12,469 students of law, psychology and the humanities and social sciences, according to the university. With Saint-Julien and the Jardin des Plantes, it is the youngest of the sectors presented: according to INSEE, nearly four inhabitants in ten there are aged 18 to 24 and 56% of main residences have one or two rooms. Apartments sold there for a median €3,343 per m² in 2025, according to DVF.
East of the castle, Rue du Vaugueux and its old houses lead to the Saint-Gilles neighbourhood and the Abbaye-aux-Dames. It is the most expensive sector in Caen: a median €3,411 per m² for apartments sold in 2025, according to DVF. According to INSEE, three quarters of households there are tenants, more than half of main residences have one or two rooms and nearly one inhabitant in three is aged 18 to 24.
West of the centre, around the Abbaye-aux-Hommes, which received 104,023 visitors in 2025, the Bon-Sauveur, Beau-Site and Haie-Vigne neighbourhoods mix apartment blocks and houses. According to INSEE, nearly two households in three there are tenants and 45% of main residences have one or two rooms. Apartments sold there for a median €3,068 per m² in 2025, according to DVF, a little less than in the old centre.
On the other side of the Orne, around the station, Vaucelles and Sainte-Thérèse, prices are the lowest of the sectors presented: a median €2,578 per m² in 2025, according to DVF, and six households in ten are tenants according to INSEE. Further east, the Presqu’île is changing: near the Alexis-de-Tocqueville library and the art school, the Nouveau Bassin park opened in June 2025. Around the station, a rental permit has applied since 2022.
To the north, the Côte de Nacre brings together the University Hospital, the university’s campus 2 (sciences, 5,128 students) and ENSICAEN, linked to the centre by tram line T2. The buildings there are recent: according to INSEE, barely 1% of homes date from before 1946, 56% of main residences have one or two rooms and one inhabitant in three is aged 18 to 24. Apartments sold there for a median €3,260 per m² in 2025, according to DVF. The Calvaire Saint-Pierre, near the University Hospital, is a priority neighbourhood.
The sectors group INSEE IRIS areas together. Prices are the medians of apartment sales recorded in DVF in 2025, placed in their IRIS area by their coordinates; the other figures come from the 2023 census by IRIS area, to be read as orders of magnitude. The price of a street can differ markedly from that of its sector.
Students, healthcare staff and young workers: in Caen, nearly seven households in ten are tenants, and 50,000 workers who live elsewhere come to work there.
38,128 students are enrolled in Caen in 2025-2026, according to the Ministry of Higher Education. The university has 28,036 on its Caen campuses, including 12,469 at campus 1 and 7,314 in health at campus 5, according to its 2025 figures; ENSICAEN, EM Normandie and the art school complete the offer.
According to INSEE, 64.3% of jobs in Caen are held by workers who live in another municipality, all candidates for a home closer to their work. The University Hospital and the Normandy Region (5,000 to 9,999 employees each), the Calvados department and the university (2,000 to 4,999 each) are among the largest employers.
According to the Caen la Mer tourism review, the 3,460 estimated furnished tourist rentals in the urban area recorded 721,564 overnight stays in 2025, out of 6.24 million overnight stays in total, and the Mémorial de Caen received 440,016 visitors. A well-located furnished home can also welcome visitors passing through.
According to INSEE, 21.8% of households in Caen moved in less than two years ago: plan for regular re-letting and a property that is easy to re-let.
Sources: Ministry of Higher Education, 2025-2026 enrolment atlas; INSEE, 2023 census and 2023 commuting flows; Sirene register (2024 headcounts); University of Caen Normandy; Caen la Mer. Unemployment stands at 7.8% in the Caen employment area in the 2nd quarter of 2026, compared with 8.3% in France (INSEE).
In Caen, a student city in a high-demand area, furnished lets work best for small units in the centre and near the campuses; unfurnished letting suits larger homes, with the rent limited at each re-letting.
Investing in a house share from abroad →| Option | In Caen | Our view |
|---|---|---|
| Unfurnished rental | Starting rent is free, then limited between two tenants; three-year leases and one month’s notice in a high-demand area: the formula suits homes of three rooms or more, let to families. | For a large home |
| Furnished | With 38,128 students and 42.5% of main residences having one or two rooms, furnished studios and two-room apartments meet demand, with one month’s notice. | To prioritise |
| House share | A large apartment near campus 1, campus 2 or a tram stop can be let as a flatshare to students. | For a large apartment |
| Mobility lease | From 1 to 10 months, furnished, for a tenant in higher education, on an internship, in an apprenticeship, in vocational training, in civic service, on a job transfer or on a temporary assignment. | For a few months |
| Short-term rental | According to Caen la Mer, its municipalities do not currently require a change of use or a local registration number. The 3,460 estimated furnished tourist rentals in the urban area recorded 721,564 overnight stays in 2025. | Possible in the centre |
In Caen, a high-demand area, rent increases are limited between two tenants and a rental permit applies around the station. Check the rules below before costing your project.
Caen is a high-demand area, and will remain one under the decree that will apply from 1 January 2027. The starting rent is free, but between two tenants it cannot exceed the previous rent, revised according to the rent reference index, except for major works or an undervalued rent; for a home rated F or G, no increase is allowed. A home left empty for more than 18 months falls outside this rule. The tenant’s notice is one month.
In the station sector (Rue d’Auge, Rue Jules-Oyer, Place de la Gare and Rue de Falaise, among others), a home can only be let with the City’s prior authorisation, since 1 October 2022. The application is filed before each new lease; the City replies within one month and the authorisation is valid for two years. Letting without authorisation exposes you to a fine of €5,000, then €15,000 for a repeat offence.
Caen already pays the housing tax on vacant homes in high-demand areas. In 2027, it becomes the tax on vacant residential premises: a home empty for at least a year on 1 January is taxed at 17% of its rental value in the first year, then 34%. Vacancy reaches 8.9% of homes according to INSEE.
According to Caen la Mer, its municipalities do not currently impose a change of use or a local registration number: a furnished tourist rental is declared at the town hall, ahead of the national portal announced for the end of 2026, and a main residence can only be let for 120 days a year. Unclassified furnished rentals pay a tourist tax of 5% of the price per night, plus 10% departmental tax, up to €4.73 per person in 2026.
The remarkable heritage site of Caen, approved on 28 January 2021, governs exterior works: façades, roofs and joinery there go through the architecte des Bâtiments de France. Find out before costing works in the centre.
Caen is part of the Caen territory at significant flood risk, and Géorisques records 114 underground cavities there. Five priority neighbourhoods, including the Guérinière, the Chemin Vert and the Grâce de Dieu, have 15,649 inhabitants according to INSEE; the Chemin Vert is under urban renewal until 2031. Read the risk statement for each property and visit the street before buying.
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 the cadastral rental value of the home: ask the seller for their latest notice to know the amount. 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 | 7 680 € | 7 680 € |
| Taxable income after the 50% allowance | 3 840 € | 3 840 € |
| Income tax at the 20% minimum rate | − 768 € | − 768 € |
| Social contributions | − 288 € (7,5 %) | − 714 € (18,6 %) |
| Left after tax | 6 624 € | 6 198 € |
| Yield after tax | ≈ 5,8 % | ≈ 5,4 % |
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 at your addressThe advertised rent is an average for the town: depending on the neighbourhood, the condition of the property and its size, the rent you obtain may be higher or lower.
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 Caen? In 45 minutes, we tell you what is feasible with your budget, your down payment and your country of residence.
Book a call →Caen is 1 h 54 from Paris-Saint-Lazare by the fastest train, with 16 direct trains per weekday according to the SNCF timetable. For the United Kingdom, Brittany Ferries sails from Caen-Ouistreham to Portsmouth in a little under 6 hours by day, and Caen-Carpiquet airport has scheduled flights to Lyon, Marseille, Nice and Corsica.
16 direct trains per weekday between Caen and Paris-Saint-Lazare, 2 h 04 on average.
A little under 6 hours’ crossing by day, about 7 hours at night, according to Brittany Ferries; the port of Caen-Ouistreham welcomed 842,856 passengers in 2025.
From Caen-Carpiquet: Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nice, Toulouse, Bastia, Calvi and Figari, according to the airport’s website.
10 direct trains per weekday between Caen and Rouen Rive-Droite.
37 stops link the centre to the Presqu’île, campus 2 and the neighbouring municipalities, according to the Caen la Mer tourist office.
From Caen station on weekdays; the last direct train leaving Paris-Saint-Lazare arrives in Caen at 11:00 pm: a return trip fits into the day.
Timetables checked on 11 November 2026 on the official SNCF timetable (Tuesday 17 and Thursday 12 November 2026); they vary from day to day. Airport destinations according to its website, with no period or frequency given; ferry durations according to Brittany Ferries.
No. Caen is not one of the municipalities where rent levels are capped according to Service Public. You set the rent freely at a first letting. The city is, however, in a high-demand zone: between two tenants, if the home has been empty for less than 18 months, the rent increase is limited. For a home rated F or G, the new rent cannot exceed the old one.
In the station sector, since 1 October 2022. The City notably cites Rue d’Auge, Rue Jules-Oyer, Place de la Gare, Rue Roger-Bastion and part of Rue de Falaise and Rue Canchy, in a list it says is not exhaustive. Before each new lease, you file a free application; the City replies within one month, and the authorisation is valid for two years. Your manager can handle the process for you, as your authorised representative.
The furnished studio and 2-room flat close to the campuses remain the most in demand. Demand is supported by the campuses and the university hospital. We do not quote an average studio rent for lack of an official source at municipal level: the rent map gives €16.0 per m² including charges for T1 and T2 units. A renovated, well-insulated property close to a transport line stands out.
It is possible: according to Caen la Mer, its municipalities do not currently require a change of use or a local registration number. You must declare the furnished rental at the town hall, then on the national portal announced for the end of 2026, and comply with the co-ownership rules. A main residence can only be let for 120 days a year. Unclassified furnished rentals pay a tourist tax of 5% of the price per night, plus 10% departmental tax.
Yes. As Caen is a high-demand area, the housing tax on vacant homes already applies there. In 2027, it becomes the tax on vacant residential premises, and Caen is on the list in the decree of 25 August 2026: a home empty for at least a year on 1 January is taxed at 17% of its rental value in the first year, then 34%. A home occupied for more than 90 consecutive days over the period escapes it.
Yes, as everywhere in mainland France. Since 2025, only homes rated A to F can be offered for rent. From 2028, a class of A to E will be required, then A to D in 2034. Have a DPE carried out before your offer and cost the insulation works, especially in the post-war reconstruction buildings.
Caen is among the municipalities of Caen la Mer where the scheme applies, for operations completed up to 31 December 2027. This tax reduction remains reserved for taxpayers domiciled in France at the time of purchase: from abroad, you are not entitled to it.
Yes, by sea: Brittany Ferries sails from Caen-Ouistreham to Portsmouth in a little under 6 hours by day and about 7 hours at night, and the port welcomed 842,856 passengers in 2025. By train, allow 1 h 54 at best to Paris-Saint-Lazare.
According to sales recorded in DVF from January 2025 to December 2025, a studio sold for a median price of €85,000, a two-room apartment for a median price of €128,375 and a large home for a median price of €222,000. Allow about 8% notary fees on top for older properties, and a works budget if the energy rating is poor.
In 2026, the municipal property tax rate is 51.03%, plus 0.96% for the inter-municipal authority. These rates apply to half the cadastral rental value of the home: ask the seller for their latest property tax notice to know the amount.
For a 40 m² furnished two-room apartment bought for €113,920 and let for €640 a month, about 5.8% of the price remains after tax if you are covered by a scheme in the European Union, the EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom without depending on a mandatory French scheme, and 5.4% otherwise, under the micro-BIC regime and at the minimum rate of 20%. Charges, property tax and purchase costs 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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