A seaside resort and the port of the Vendée Globe, Les Sables-d’Olonne has 35% second homes, and short-term letting of a second home requires a change-of-use authorisation there. Prices, rents, neighbourhoods, budgets and yield: what you need to know before buying in Les Sables-d’Olonne from abroad.
The public indicators that matter before buying to let in Les Sables-d’Olonne, each with its source.
Les Sables-d’Olonne has 49,603 inhabitants according to the 2023 INSEE census. 32.4% of main residences are occupied by tenants and 44.5% of households consist of one person.
The rent map of the Ministry of Housing and ANIL gives an advertised rent of about €16.2 per m² including charges for a 1- or 2-room apartment in Les Sables-d’Olonne, compared with €12.4 for 3 rooms or more.
Sales recorded in DVF show the average price per m² for apartments down 2.4% between July 2025 and June 2026 compared with the previous twelve months, with 547 apartments sold.
Vacancy stands at 3.4% of homes according to INSEE. This overall rate includes dilapidated older homes or homes under works: a renovated, well-located property at the right rent generally lets faster.
| Indicator | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median price per m² of apartments sold | €4,717/m² (2,521 sales) | DVF, statistics (data.gouv.fr), July 2021 to June 2026 |
| Average price per m² over the last 12 months | 4 878 €/m² | DVF, statistics (data.gouv.fr), July 2025 to June 2026 |
| Population | 49,603 inhabitants | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Average annual population change | +2.0% a year (2017 to 2023) | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Young people aged 18 to 24 in education | 824, i.e. 34.4% of 18-24 year olds | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Pupils, students and trainees among 15-64 year olds | 7,3 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Main residences occupied by tenants | 32,4 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Single-person households | 44.5% of households | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| One-room main residences | 3,8 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Vacant homes | 3.4% of the stock | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Advertised rent, apartment of 1 or 2 rooms | €16.2/m² including charges | 2025 rent map (Ministry of Housing, ANIL), 3rd quarter of 2025 |
| Advertised rent, apartment of 3 rooms or more | €12.4/m² including charges | 2025 rent map (Ministry of Housing, ANIL), 3rd quarter of 2025 |
| Change in the average price per m² of apartments sold | −2.4% (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 | 547 sales (July 2025 to June 2026) | DVF, monthly statistics (data.gouv.fr) |
| Median rent excluding charges in the private unfurnished rental stock, Les Sables d’Olonne Agglomération | €11.3 per m², €16.2 for a one-room apartment, €12.6 for two rooms | Local rent observatory of Les Sables d’Olonne Agglomération, 2025 results |
| Second homes in the centre and along the promenade | 73.0% of homes (35.3% for the city) | INSEE, 2023 census by IRIS area (calculation) |
| Passengers at Les Sables-d’Olonne station | 603,120 in 2024, compared with 416,103 in 2019 | SNCF Gares & Connexions |
| Unemployment rate in the Les Sables-d’Olonne employment area | 6.6% in the 2nd quarter of 2026 (8.3% in France) | INSEE, local unemployment rates |
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: 44.5% of households in Les Sables-d’Olonne live alone, which supports demand for small units (INSEE, 2023 census).
2 rooms of 42 m², the median size of two-room apartments sold
Market benchmark: 32.4% of main residences are rented in Les Sables-d’Olonne (INSEE, 2023 census).
4 rooms or more, 93 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 Les Sables-d’Olonne. Rents estimated at the advertised rent of the 2025 rent map, including charges (€16.2 per m² for 1 or 2 rooms, €12.4 for 3 rooms or more). Notary fees estimated at 8% of the price (7 to 8% for older properties according to the French notaries). Gross yield compares annual rent with the purchase price, excluding costs and charges.
The city brings together Les Sables and its promenade, the port of La Chaume, Château-d’Olonne and Olonne-sur-Mer. Here are four sectors to look at for a rental investment.
Between the promenade (remblai), the market hall and the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Port church, nearly three quarters of homes are second homes, according to INSEE: the district has only 1,288 main residences. A third of them have only one or two rooms, and more than a third date from before 1946. Fewer than four households in ten rent: year-round letting is rare there, and short-term letting requires a change-of-use authorisation.
Across the channel, La Chaume is a district of houses: six homes in ten are houses, and nearly one home in two is a second home, according to INSEE. Only three households in ten rent. The district is part of the protected heritage site (site patrimonial remarquable): façade works require the approval of the Architecte des Bâtiments de France.
Around the station and Saint-Michel, nearly one household in two rents, the highest share in the city, and six in ten consist of one person, according to INSEE. Second homes account for 30% of homes, and nearly three main residences in ten were built between 2006 and 2020. Tenants stay eight and a half years on average.
The former municipality of Château-d’Olonne is made up of houses: eight homes in ten are houses, and a third of main residences were built between 2006 and 2020, according to INSEE. Second homes account for only 11% of homes, and one household in three rents. The sector suits a house let year-round to a family.
The figures on the cards come from the 2023 INSEE census, calculated from the IRIS areas that make up each sector. The local rent observatory publishes rents for the urban area, shown in the full table of figures, but not by neighbourhood: before buying, compare recent sales in the street on DVF and nearby rental listings.
Working people and small households: in Les Sables-d’Olonne, year-round demand comes from households who live and work locally, in a city where more than one home in three is a second home.
According to the Ministry of Higher Education, Les Sables-d’Olonne has only 381 students, including 82 at the ESTHUA branch of the University of Angers: student demand remains marginal, so aim for working people instead.
According to INSEE, 13.0% of these jobs are managerial positions and 44.5% of Les Sables-d’Olonne households consist of one person: year-round small homes, which are scarce, find tenants.
With 2 direct TGV trains each weekday from Paris-Montparnasse and 13 direct trains a day from Nantes, via La Roche-sur-Yon, a furnished home near the station can target employees on assignment, under a mobility lease (bail mobilité).
According to INSEE, a Les Sables-d’Olonne tenant stays 6.8 years on average in their home, and only 10.4% of households moved in less than two years ago: in Les Sables-d’Olonne, tenants rarely move.
Sources: Ministry of Higher Education, 2025-2026 enrolment atlas; INSEE, 2023 census (municipality and IRIS); SNCF Gares & Connexions (2024); SNCF, official timetables for November 2026. Unemployment stands at 6.6% in the Les Sables-d’Olonne employment area in the 2nd quarter of 2026, compared with 8.3% in France (INSEE).
In Les Sables-d’Olonne, a tourist and high-demand zone, the first rent is free but increases are capped when re-letting. Short-term letting of a second home requires a change-of-use authorisation, within the limit of caps per zone.
Short-term rental →| Option | In Les Sables-d’Olonne | Our view |
|---|---|---|
| Unfurnished rental | Rent is free for the first letting, then capped at the previous tenant’s rent when re-letting. One month’s notice for the tenant, three-year lease: it suits the houses of Château-d’Olonne and Olonne-sur-Mer, let to families. | For a large home |
| Furnished | 44.5% of Les Sables-d’Olonne households live alone, but only 3.8% of main residences have only one room. At the city’s advertised rent, a furnished two-room apartment let year-round yields ≈ 4.6% gross, more than a studio (≈ 3.8%). | To prioritise |
| House share | No local rule specific to house shares, and few students: at the city’s advertised rent, a large home yields less than a two-room apartment (≈ 3.6% versus ≈ 4.6% gross). | Rarely suitable |
| 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 | Change-of-use authorisation valid for three years for a second home, within the limit of the caps per zone, then a registration number on each listing. | Regulated |
In Les Sables-d’Olonne, a tourist and high-demand zone, short-term letting is regulated by caps, and the coastline brings its own risks. Check the points below before costing your project.
Les Sables-d’Olonne does not apply rent control, but the Ministry of Housing classifies the municipality as a tourist and high-demand zone. For a new lease signed between 1 August 2026 and 31 July 2027, the rent cannot exceed the previous tenant’s rent, except for the authorised annual revision and exceptions (major works, clearly undervalued rent, home vacant for more than 18 months); no increase is allowed for a home rated F or G. The tenant’s notice period for an unfurnished home is one month.
To let a second home as a furnished tourist rental, you first need a temporary change-of-use authorisation, applied for online, according to the city: it is valid for three years and renewed automatically when the furnished rental has a star rating (council decision of 10 March 2022). The intermunicipal regulation caps the number of furnished tourist rentals in each of its 7 zones, and limits it to the existing number in the promenade (remblai) zone: check the quota before buying for this purpose. You must then declare the activity to obtain the registration number, to be shown on each listing. A main residence remains limited to 120 days a year.
The home must remain decent: a home rated G can no longer be let under a new lease since 2025, F-rated homes will follow in 2028 and E-rated homes in 2034, according to service-public.gouv.fr. Have the energy rating (DPE) carried out before making an offer, especially for older homes in the centre.
La Chaume is part of the protected heritage site (site patrimonial remarquable) of Les Sables-d’Olonne, and the centre has historic monuments, including the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Port church: in these sectors, works that change the exterior appearance require the approval of the Architecte des Bâtiments de France.
The coastal risk prevention plan of the Pays d’Olonne applies: it distinguishes red zones, where building is prohibited, and blue zones, where building is allowed under conditions, according to Géorisques. A flood-zone atlas also covers the Auzance, the Ciboule and the Vertonne rivers. Read the risk report (état des risques) for the address of each property before making an offer.
An unfurnished home empty for at least a year pays the tax on vacant homes: 17% of the rental value in the first year, then 34%; in 2027 it becomes the tax on vacant residential premises. A home kept for your own stays pays the residence tax on second homes, increased by 60% in Les Sables-d’Olonne since 2024.
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. Les Sables-d’Olonne applies a 60% surcharge on the residence tax for 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 | 7 776 € | 7 776 € |
| Taxable income after the 50% allowance | 3 888 € | 3 888 € |
| Income tax at the 20% minimum rate | − 778 € | − 778 € |
| Social contributions | − 292 € (7,5 %) | − 723 € (18,6 %) |
| Left after tax | 6 706 € | 6 275 € |
| Yield after tax | ≈ 3,6 % | ≈ 3,3 % |
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 Les Sables-d’Olonne? In 45 minutes, we tell you what is feasible with your budget, your down payment and your country of residence.
Book a call →Les Sables-d’Olonne is 3 h 26 from Paris-Montparnasse by direct TGV, with 2 direct trains each weekday in each direction, and 1 h 09 from Nantes, from where Nantes Atlantique airport is 18 to 25 minutes away by shuttle. La Roche-sur-Yon, the prefecture, is 26 minutes away by train.
2 direct TGV trains each weekday in each direction: 3 h 26 at best from Paris-Montparnasse to Les Sables-d’Olonne, 3 h 31 in the other direction.
13 direct trains each weekday from Nantes to Les Sables-d’Olonne, including 2 TGV, via La Roche-sur-Yon.
Air Canada up to 4 flights a week from 11 June to 12 October 2026; easyJet also serves Brussels on Mondays and Fridays. The airport is 18 to 25 minutes by shuttle from Nantes station.
13 direct trains each weekday to La Roche-sur-Yon, the prefecture, including 2 TGV, and 14 in the other direction.
Timetables checked on 11 November 2026 on the official SNCF timetable (Thursday 12 and Tuesday 17 November), the Naolib shuttle timetable and Nantes Atlantique airport announcements; they vary by day and season.
Yes, but a second home first needs a temporary change-of-use authorisation, applied for online, according to the city: it is valid for three years and renewed automatically when the furnished rental has a star rating. The intermunicipal regulation caps the number of authorisations per zone: check the quota before buying for this purpose.
Yes. The municipality is on the Ministry of Housing list of tourist and high-demand zones (decree of 22 December 2025): when re-letting, the rent cannot exceed the previous tenant’s rent, with some exceptions, and the notice period for a tenant in an unfurnished rental is one month. The residence tax on second homes has been increased by 60% there since 2024.
Around the station and Saint-Michel, nearly one household in two rents, the highest share in the city, and second homes account for only 30% of homes, according to INSEE. In Château-d’Olonne, eight homes in ten are houses: the sector suits year-round letting to a family.
According to sales recorded in DVF from January 2025 to December 2025, a studio sold for a median price of €129,000, a two-room apartment for a median price of €177,500 and a large home for a median price of €387,750. 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 38.62%, plus 4.10% for the intermunicipality. 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 €188,680 and let for €648 a month, about 3.6% 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 3.3% 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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