With 57,718 students and 215,144 jobs, Nantes offers broad rental demand: 62.1% of households are tenants. Prices, rents, neighbourhoods, budgets and yield: what you need to know before buying in Nantes from abroad.
The public indicators that matter before buying to let in Nantes, each with its source.
Nantes has 327,734 inhabitants according to the 2023 INSEE census. 62.1% of main residences are occupied by tenants and 54.8% of households consist of one person: favourable ground for small units and house shares.
The rent map of the Ministry of Housing and ANIL gives an advertised rent of about €16.6 per m² including charges for a 1- or 2-room apartment in Nantes, compared with €13.6 for 3 rooms or more.
Sales recorded in DVF show the average price per m² for apartments down 2.9% between July 2025 and June 2026 compared with the previous twelve months, with 4,028 apartments sold.
Vacancy reaches 6.1% 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 | €3,621/m² (21,119 sales) | DVF, statistics (data.gouv.fr), July 2021 to June 2026 |
| Average price per m² over the last 12 months | 3 381 €/m² | DVF, statistics (data.gouv.fr), July 2025 to June 2026 |
| Population | 327,734 inhabitants | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Average annual population change | +1.0% a year (2017 to 2023) | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Young people aged 18 to 24 in education | 36,223, i.e. 70.3% of 18-24 year olds | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Pupils, students and trainees among 15-64 year olds | 15,4 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Main residences occupied by tenants | 62,1 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Single-person households | 54.8% of households | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| One-room main residences | 14,2 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Vacant homes | 6.1% of the housing stock | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Advertised rent, apartment of 1 or 2 rooms | €16.6/m² including charges | 2025 rent map (Ministry of Housing, ANIL), 3rd quarter of 2025 |
| Advertised rent, apartment of 3 rooms or more | €13.6/m² including charges | 2025 rent map (Ministry of Housing, ANIL), 3rd quarter of 2025 |
| Change in the average price per m² of apartments sold | −2.9% (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 | 4,028 sales (July 2025 to June 2026) | DVF, monthly statistics (data.gouv.fr) |
| Median rent excluding charges in the private unfurnished rental stock, by zone of Nantes | €13.5 per m² in zone 1 (centre), €13.0 in zone 2, €12.0 in zone 3 | Local rent observatory of the Nantes urban area, 2025 results |
| Median rent excluding charges for a one-room home | €16.8 per m² in zones 1 and 2, €15.5 in zone 3 | Local rent observatory of the Nantes urban area, 2025 results |
| Tenant households in the historic centre (Bouffay, Graslin, Decré, Feydeau) | 69.1% of main residences (62.1% for the city) | INSEE, 2023 census by IRIS area (calculation) |
| Passengers at Nantes station | 17.6 million in 2024, the busiest station in the Pays de la Loire | SNCF Gares & Connexions |
ImmoPourExpat members who live abroad have already bought in Nantes: their property and their figures.
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: 54.8% of households in Nantes 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: 62.1% of main residences are rented in Nantes (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 Nantes. Rents estimated at the advertised rent of the 2025 rent map, including charges (€16.6 per m² for 1 or 2 rooms, €13.6 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.
Nantes has eleven official neighbourhoods, linked by three tram lines, two busways and nine Chronobus lines. Here are seven areas to look at for a buy-to-let investment.
Around the Bouffay, Graslin and the cathedral, nearly seven main residences in ten are rented and 63% of households consist of one person, according to INSEE. A third of main residences date from before 1919, and studios and two-room apartments make up more than half of them. The three tram lines cross at Commerce. The local rent observatory places the area in its most expensive zone. The old core is covered by a safeguarding plan that regulates building works, and the short-stay services of the Hôtel-Dieu are due to move to the new hospital on the Île de Nantes around mid-2028.
Between the centre and the Loire, Madeleine and Champ-de-Mars have nearly eight tenant households in ten, and 72% of households consist of one person, according to INSEE. More than one main residence in four has only one room, and half date from 1991 to 2020. The station is less than a kilometre from the Cours du Champ-de-Mars, and trams 2 and 3, busway 4 and three Chronobus lines run nearby. The headquarters of Nantes Métropole employs several thousand staff there. Nearly one household in three moved in less than two years ago: plan re-letting carefully.
Nearly four main residences in ten were built there between 2006 and 2020, and 72% of households are tenants, according to INSEE. More than 4,600 students attend classes there, notably in architecture, design and at the Beaux-Arts. The university hospital (CHU) will open the Loire Santé hospital there around mid-2028, followed by a health campus for nearly 7,000 students in 2031. Trams 2 and 3 and two busways serve the island, ahead of trams 6 and 7, announced for the end of 2027. Check nearby building sites and the flood risk at the address.
South of the station, the busiest in the Pays de la Loire, the Euronantes business district plans about 200,000 m² of offices and business premises and 2,000 homes. In Vieux Malakoff, three quarters of main residences date from 2006 to 2020 and 42% of residents are aged 25 to 39, according to INSEE: young professionals, housed mainly in two- and three-room apartments. Busway 5, Chronobus C3 and tram 1 serve the area. To the east, the Malakoff estate remains a priority neighbourhood: choose the street carefully.
North of the centre, between Place Viarme and the Erdre, this residential neighbourhood has 57% tenant households, little social housing and the highest share of managers and professionals of Nantes’s eleven neighbourhoods, according to INSEE. At its northern end, the Lombarderie science campus has more than 5,000 enrolled students, and tram 2 reaches the Tertre campus in three stops. Tram 3 serves Viarme and Talensac. Expect some of the highest rents in the city: the observatory places most of the neighbourhood in its most expensive zone.
The Tertre campus, the École centrale and Audencia bring together more than 25,000 enrolled students here, more than four in ten of Nantes’s students. Near the faculties, 47% of residents are aged 18 to 24 and nearly 45% of main residences have only one room, according to INSEE. Tram 2 links the campus to the centre, and Chronobus C20 crosses the west of the city as far as Chantenay. Leases follow the academic year: plan ahead for summer re-letting. Three parts of the neighbourhood are classified as priority areas: visit before you buy.
Chantenay has kept its town houses: 36% of homes are houses, twice the share for Nantes as a whole, and a quarter of main residences date from before 1946, according to INSEE. Tenants stay longer here than elsewhere, and studios are rare. Tram 1, Chronobus C1 and C20 and the river shuttles to Trentemoult serve the area. Below, Bas-Chantenay is being transformed until 2034, but part of this plain is prone to flooding: read the risk statement. To the west, Bellevue is a priority neighbourhood.
The figures on the cards come from the 2023 INSEE census, calculated from the IRIS areas that make up each sector, and from the zones of the local rent observatory (2025 results), shown in the full table of figures. No official sale price is published at neighbourhood level: before buying, compare recent sales in the street on DVF.
Students, young professionals, healthcare workers and employees on assignment: in Nantes, demand comes from young tenants who often live alone, drawn by the campuses, the university hospital and the Euronantes business district, right by the station.
According to INSEE, 39.6% of Nantes residents aged 15 to 24 live alone, and 58.4% of young people who moved home during the year came from another municipality: studios and house shares near the Tertre and Lombarderie campuses and the centre let at every start of the academic year.
According to INSEE, 34.0% of these jobs are managerial positions and 54.8% of Nantes households consist of one person. With the university hospital, which pays 13,933 people each month, local authorities and service companies, well-located studios and two-room apartments find tenants all year round.
Right by the south side of the station, the Euronantes business district plans about 200,000 m² of offices and business premises, and the university hospital pays 2,081 interns, junior doctors and medical students: consultants, managers on assignment and young doctors look there for a furnished let or a mobility lease.
According to INSEE, a Nantes tenant stays 6.1 years on average in their home, and 21.3% of households moved in less than two years ago. Turnover is higher in the centre, where three households in ten arrived less than two years ago, and near the Tertre faculties, where four in ten did.
Sources: Ministry of Higher Education, 2025-2026 enrolment atlas; INSEE, 2023 census (municipality and IRIS areas); Nantes University Hospital, 2025 activity report; SNCF Gares & Connexions (2024); Nantes Métropole Aménagement (2026). Unemployment stands at 6.7% in the Nantes employment area in the 2nd quarter of 2026, compared with 8.3% in France (INSEE).
In Nantes, rents are not capped: the first rent is set freely, but the high-demand area rule limits increases when re-letting. Short-term letting of an investment property requires authorisation from the City.
Investing in a house share from abroad →| Option | In Nantes | Our view |
|---|---|---|
| Unfurnished rental | Rent set freely for the first letting, then limited to the previous tenant’s rent when re-letting. One month’s notice for the tenant, three-year lease: it suits large homes and families. | For a large home |
| Furnished | 54.8% of Nantes households live alone and 57,718 students are enrolled in Nantes: furnished studios and two-room apartments meet this demand, with a one-year lease, or nine months for a student. | To prioritise |
| House share | No local rule specific to house shares. At the city’s advertised rent, a large home yields less than a two-room apartment (≈ 5.1% against ≈ 6.2% gross): look for a property close to the tram and the campuses. | To be costed |
| 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 required for an investment property: without compensation for a single home held in your own name, for 4 years renewable once; with compensation beyond that, or for a company. | Limited |
In Nantes, rents are set freely for the first letting, but the high-demand area, the rules on tourist furnished rentals and the historic centre impose their own constraints. Check the points below before costing your project.
Nantes does not apply rent control, but it is in a high-demand area and remains so under the decree that will apply from 1 January 2027. For a new lease signed between 1 August 2026 and 31 July 2027, the rent may not exceed the previous tenant’s rent, except for an authorised annual review. Exceptions exist (major works, a manifestly undervalued rent, a home vacant for more than 18 months), and no increase is allowed for a home rated F or G, under the decree of 20 July 2026.
A main residence can be let as a tourist furnished rental for 120 days a year at most. For an investment property, you need a change-of-use authorisation issued by the Mayor of Nantes: without compensation for a single home held in your own name, on a personal basis, for 4 years renewable once. Beyond that, and for any company from the first home, you must convert non-residential premises in the same neighbourhood into housing. The building must remain at least 50% residential, the energy rating (DPE) must be between A and E, and each furnished let must be registered.
No rental permit was found in Nantes or in the other municipalities of the Métropole as of 10 November 2026. The home must remain decent: since 1 January 2025, a home rated G can no longer be let under a new lease, F-rated homes will follow in 2028 and E-rated ones in 2034, according to service-public.gouv.fr.
Around the château, the cathedral, Place Royale and Graslin, the historic centre forms a 126-hectare remarkable heritage site with a safeguarding plan. Exterior and interior works there require the approval of the Architecte des Bâtiments de France, and the division of homes in protected buildings is regulated. In Nantes, façades must also be restored at least every 10 years at the City’s request.
Two flood risk prevention plans apply in Nantes: the Lower Loire plan, approved in 2014, and the Sèvre Nantaise plan, currently under revision. The Loire zoning covers, for example, the western tip of the Île de Nantes and the banks of the Loire at Malakoff: read the risk statement for the address of each property.
An unfurnished home that has been empty for at least a year is liable for 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 is liable for the residence tax on second homes, increased by 60% in Nantes since 2023.
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. Nantes 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 | 7 968 € | 7 968 € |
| Taxable income after the 50% allowance | 3 984 € | 3 984 € |
| Income tax at the 20% minimum rate | − 797 € | − 797 € |
| Social contributions | − 299 € (7,5 %) | − 741 € (18,6 %) |
| Left after tax | 6 872 € | 6 430 € |
| Yield after tax | ≈ 4,7 % | ≈ 4,4 % |
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 Nantes? In 45 minutes, we tell you what is feasible with your budget, your down payment and your country of residence.
Book a call →Nantes is 1 h 57 from Paris-Montparnasse by direct TGV, with 18 trains each weekday in each direction according to the SNCF timetable, and Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport, where long-haul flights depart, is 2 h 59 away at best by direct TGV. Nantes Atlantique airport, linked to the station by a direct shuttle in 18 to 25 minutes, offers flights to Brussels and, in summer, to Montreal.
18 direct TGVs each weekday between Paris-Montparnasse and Nantes, in each direction, including 2 OUIGO.
4 direct TGVs a day from the airport station, from 9:42 am to 7:21 pm: handy when returning from a long-haul flight.
1 direct TGV a day from Brussels-Midi to Nantes, via Lille Europe and Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport.
By direct shuttle between the station (south entrance) and the terminal, 18 to 25 minutes depending on the time of day; one departure every 30 minutes from November to March, every 20 minutes from April to October, for €10.
easyJet, on Mondays and Fridays since 26 October 2026, to Brussels Airport, with a 1 h 30 flight.
Air Canada up to 4 flights a week from 11 June to 12 October 2026, in addition to Air Transat, which also serves Quebec City every Tuesday in summer.
Timetables checked on 10 November 2026 on the official SNCF timetable (Thursday 12 and Tuesday 17 November), the Naolib shuttle timetable and Nantes Atlantique airport press releases; they vary by day and season.
No. Nantes is not on the list of cities where reference rents apply, according to Service-Public at 1 November 2026. The city is, however, in a tight-market zone. In most cases, you therefore cannot freely raise the rent when a new tenant arrives. To set a first rent, compare with listings for similar homes in the same neighbourhood.
Yes, with an authorisation. The studio will be your second home: you need prior change-of-use authorisation, issued by the Mayor of Nantes. In your own name, it is granted without compensation for a single home, on a personal basis, for four years renewable once. Beyond one home, or if you buy through a company, compensation is required. The energy rating (DPE) must be between A and E, and a registration number is mandatory before publishing the listing.
According to DVF statistics, the median price of an apartment is €3,621 per m² over the last ten half-years, for 21,119 sales. This median does not describe a specific property and does not predict how prices will change. Compare with recent sales in the street.
Studios and 1-room flats are the format best suited to students. The rent map gives €16.6/m² charges included for 1- and 2-room flats, against €14.5 for all apartments. Favour proximity to the tram, the station or the Tertre campus. Plan for management able to re-let in July and August, when most students change home.
We found no rental permit in force in Nantes on the official websites as at 7 November 2026. The home must nonetheless be decent. Since 1 January 2025, a home rated G on the DPE can no longer be let under a new lease. If your property is in another municipality of the metropolitan area, ask the town hall whether a scheme exists.
Entrust management to a local agency or manager. They handle viewings, applicants’ files, inventories and repairs. Check that they are reachable in your time zone and that they send a regular report. For your visits, Nantes Atlantique airport is linked to the centre by a direct shuttle every 20 to 30 minutes depending on the season.
Yes. The historic centre is a 126-hectare remarkable heritage site with a safeguarding plan. Work on façades, but also inside buildings, requires the approval of the Architecte des Bâtiments de France, and the division of homes in protected buildings is regulated.
According to sales recorded in DVF from January 2025 to December 2025, a studio sold for a median price of €93,600, a two-room apartment for a median price of €145,000 and a large home for a median price of €268,500. 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 46.34%, plus 6.41% 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 €144,840 and let for €664 a month, about 4.7% 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 4.4% 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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