Investing in Lyon from abroad

Yes. Since 1 November 2021, Lyon and Villeurbanne have applied rent control. The rent excluding charges must not exceed the increased reference rent, which depends on the sector, the size, the construction period and whether the home is furnished. The prefectoral order of 23 October 2026 applies to leases signed until 23 November 2026, unless extended by Parliament. Check each rent with the Métropole’s simulator before signing a lease or publishing an advert.

It is very difficult. If the home is not your main residence, a change-of-use authorisation is required. Outside the hypercentre, for 35 m² or more, the City requires compensation from the first m². An individual can obtain a temporary nine-year authorisation, non-renewable. For most expat investors, long-term letting remains the realistic route.

Areas close to campuses and the metro let the fastest: the 7th around Jean-Macé and La Guillotière, the 8th near the health faculties, or Villeurbanne near the Doua. The advertised rent for 1-bed and 2-room flats ranges from €18.4 to €20.3 per m² depending on the arrondissement. Above all, look at the travel time to the school your future tenants are aiming for.

Yes. Lyon is in a tight-market zone. From 2027, the tax on vacant residential premises replaces the former tax on vacant homes. A home empty for at least one year on 1 January is taxed at 17% of the cadastral rental value in the first year, then at 34%. Occupation for more than 90 consecutive days in the previous year allows you to avoid it.

Most expat investors entrust the property to a property management agency. It selects the tenant, checks compliance with rent control, collects the rents and handles small works. For your own visits, Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport is 30 minutes from Part-Dieu station by Rhônexpress. Arrange a power of attorney with the notary to sign the purchase without travelling.

Yes, as everywhere in mainland France. Since 2025, a home rated G can no longer be offered for a new lease. F-rated homes will be excluded in 2028, then E-rated ones in 2034. In a very old Lyon housing stock, have a DPE produced before the purchase offer and cost the insulation works. A poor DPE also rules out any rent supplement.

No. Neither Lyon nor Villeurbanne applies a rental permit. In the Métropole, it only concerns parts of Saint-Priest, Grigny-sur-Rhône and Vénissieux.

According to sales recorded in DVF from January 2025 to December 2025, a studio sold for a median price of €132,000, a two-room apartment for a median price of €215,590 and a large home for a median price of €393,300. 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 31.89%, plus 0.55% 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 €190,640 and let for €764 a month, about 4.1% 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 3.9% 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.