With 30 direct TER trains a day to Paris-Saint-Lazare, 49,467 students in its urban area and 90,441 jobs, Rouen offers solid rental demand, with apartments selling for a median €2,821 per m². Prices, rents, neighbourhoods, budgets and yield: what you need to know before buying in Rouen from abroad.
The public indicators that matter before buying to let in Rouen, each with its source.
Rouen has 117,662 inhabitants according to the 2023 INSEE census. 70.8% of main residences are occupied by tenants and 59.1% 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 €15.4 per m² including charges for a 1- or 2-room apartment in Rouen, compared with €11.7 for 3 rooms or more.
Sales recorded in DVF show the average price per m² for apartments almost stable (−0.1%) between July 2025 and June 2026 compared with the previous twelve months, with 1,835 apartments sold.
Vacancy reaches 9.7% 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 | €2,821/m² (10,296 sales) | DVF, statistics (data.gouv.fr), July 2021 to June 2026 |
| Average price per m² over the last 12 months | 2 768 €/m² | DVF, statistics (data.gouv.fr), July 2025 to June 2026 |
| Population | 117,662 inhabitants | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Average annual population change | +1.1% a year (2017 to 2023) | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Young people aged 18 to 24 in education | 16,348, i.e. 70.8% of 18-24 year olds | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Pupils, students and trainees among 15-64 year olds | 18,0 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Main residences occupied by tenants | 70,8 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Single-person households | 59.1% of households | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| One-room main residences | 16,3 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Vacant homes | 9.7% of the housing stock | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Advertised rent, apartment of 1 or 2 rooms | €15.4/m² including charges | 2025 rent map (Ministry of Housing, ANIL), 3rd quarter of 2025 |
| Advertised rent, apartment of 3 rooms or more | €11.7/m² including charges | 2025 rent map (Ministry of Housing, ANIL), 3rd quarter of 2025 |
| Change in the average price per m² of apartments sold | −0.1% (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 | 1,835 sales (July 2025 to June 2026) | DVF, monthly statistics (data.gouv.fr) |
| Most expensive sector: Beauvoisine, the station and Jouvenet | €3,146/m² median price (274 apartment sales) | Geolocated DVF (data.gouv.fr), 2025, calculated by IRIS area |
| Least expensive sector: the Hauts de Rouen and Grammont | €1,185/m² median price (71 apartment sales) | Geolocated DVF (data.gouv.fr), 2025, calculated by IRIS area |
| Students enrolled in the urban area | 49,467 in 2025-2026, including 17,942 in the municipality | Ministry of Higher Education, enrolment atlas |
| Main residences let as social housing (HLM) | 19,3 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Vacant homes subject to the housing tax on vacant homes | 2,231 in 2025 | DGFiP, 2025 census of tax bases |
| Workers living in Rouen who work in Paris | 1 260 | INSEE, commuting flows 2023 |
| Jobs in Rouen held by workers who live elsewhere | 68,4 % | INSEE, commuting flows 2023 (calculation) |
| Unemployment, Rouen employment area | 9.4% in the 2nd quarter of 2026 (8.3% in France) | INSEE, local unemployment rates |
| Tourist overnight stays in Rouen | 4.2 million in 2024 | Rouen Tourisme, 2024 review |
People living abroad, supported by ImmoPourExpat, have already bought in Rouen: 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 24 m², the median floor area of studios sold
Market benchmark: 59.1% of households in Rouen live alone, which supports demand for small units (INSEE, 2023 census).
2 rooms of 43 m², the median size of two-room apartments sold
Market benchmark: 70.8% of main residences are rented in Rouen (INSEE, 2023 census).
4 rooms or more, 90 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 Rouen. Rents estimated at the advertised rent of the 2025 rent map, including charges (€15.4 per m² for 1 or 2 rooms, €11.7 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.
Rouen offers neighbourhoods with very different profiles, from the half-timbered historic centre to the more affordable left bank.
Between the Place du Vieux-Marché, the Gros-Horloge and the cathedral, the historic centre concentrates small homes: according to INSEE, 59% of main residences there have one or two rooms and nearly one inhabitant in three is aged 18 to 24. Apartments sold there for a median €3,012 per m² in 2025, according to DVF. The area is covered by a safeguarding plan: exterior works go through the architecte des Bâtiments de France, and some streets are subject to the rental permit.
North of the centre, Rue Beauvoisine leads to Rouen Rive-Droite station and to the residential heights of Jouvenet. It is the most expensive sector in Rouen: a median €3,146 per m² for apartments sold in 2025, according to DVF. According to INSEE, more than four homes in ten there date from before 1946 and just over one household in two is a tenant. On Rue Beauvoisine, check the rental permit and the compulsory façade-cleaning campaign run by the City.
East of the centre, from the town hall to Place Saint-Marc and the Croix-de-Pierre, this sector is home to the university’s health faculty in Martainville, where about 3,500 students study according to the university, near the Charles-Nicolle University Hospital. According to INSEE, three quarters of households there are tenants and 56% of main residences have one or two rooms. Apartments sold there for a median €2,909 per m² in 2025, according to DVF. Saint-Nicaise and Saint-Hilaire are partly subject to the rental permit.
West of the centre, the university’s Pasteur campus (law, economics, management) borders the Seine, not far from the Cauchoise district and the former Luciline docks, now being redeveloped. According to INSEE, 73% of households there are tenants, half of main residences have one or two rooms and one inhabitant in four is aged 18 to 24. Apartments sold there for a median €2,840 per m² in 2025, according to DVF. On Rue Cauchoise, the rental permit applies.
On the left bank, around the Saint-Sever shopping centre, Saint-Clément and the Jardin des Plantes, prices are markedly lower: a median €2,014 per m² for apartments sold in 2025, according to DVF. Seven households in ten are tenants there according to INSEE, and more than one in four lives in social housing. Part of the sector belongs to the Grammont - Saint-Sever - Orléans priority neighbourhood, and Rue Saint-Sever is subject to a compulsory façade-cleaning campaign: choose the building and the street carefully.
The neighbourhoods 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 Hauts de Rouen and Grammont, priority neighbourhoods, are not presented here: apartments sold there for a median €1,185 per m² in 2025.
Students, healthcare staff, young workers and commuters: in Rouen, seven households in ten are tenants, and more than 60,000 workers who live elsewhere come to work there.
17,942 students are enrolled in the municipality in 2025-2026 and 49,467 in the urban area, according to the Ministry of Higher Education: the large campuses of Mont-Saint-Aignan and the Madrillet are outside Rouen. In town, the Pasteur campus and the Martainville health faculty attract students; since 5 January 2026, the T4 line has also reached the Madrillet Technopôle.
According to INSEE, 68.4% of jobs in Rouen are held by workers who live in another municipality, all candidates for a home closer to their work. The University Hospital (10,000 staff or more), the Seine-Maritime department and Matmut, headquartered in Rouen (5,000 to 9,999 each), are among the largest employers.
According to INSEE, 1,260 workers who live in Rouen work in Paris, which 30 direct TER trains link to Paris-Saint-Lazare every weekday, in 1 h 12 for the fastest. For a commuter or an employee on assignment, a furnished home near Rive-Droite station is an asset.
According to INSEE, 23.6% of households in Rouen 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 Rouen Normandy; Métropole Rouen Normandie. Unemployment stands at 9.4% in the Rouen employment area in the 2nd quarter of 2026, compared with 8.3% in France (INSEE).
In Rouen, where more than four main residences in ten have one or two rooms, furnished lets work best for small units in the centre; unfurnished letting suits larger homes.
Investing in a house share from abroad →| Option | In Rouen | Our view |
|---|---|---|
| Unfurnished rental | Free rent, three months’ notice and three-year leases: this option suits homes with three rooms or more, let to couples or families. | For a large home |
| Furnished | Nearly one household in four moved in less than two years ago: furnished studios and two-room apartments meet this mobile demand, with one month’s notice. | To prioritise |
| House share | With 49,467 students in the urban area, flatshares can find takers near the Pasteur campus, the health faculty or a metro station. | 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 | No change-of-use rule has been found in Rouen: a declaration at the town hall is enough, ahead of the national registration portal announced by the City for the end of 2026. Rouen recorded 4.2 million tourist overnight stays in 2024, according to Rouen Tourisme. | Possible in the centre |
In Rouen, rents are free, but the rental permit, the safeguarded sector and façade-cleaning campaigns apply in the centre. Check the rules below before costing your project.
In certain streets of six sectors (Hôtel de Ville - Cathédrale, Cauchoise, Rive-Gauche, Beauvoisine, Saint-Nicaise and Saint-Hilaire), a home more than 15 years old can only be let with the City’s prior authorisation. The application is filed before each new lease and the City replies within 30 days. Letting without authorisation exposes you to a fine of €5,000, then €15,000 for a repeat offence. The scheme, in place since 1 October 2021, has been extended until 31 December 2030.
Rouen is not a high-demand area, neither today nor under the decree that will apply from 1 January 2027, and rents there are not capped. The tenant’s notice is three months for an unfurnished let, one month for a furnished one. The City applies the housing tax on vacant homes: 2,231 homes were taxed there in 2025, according to the DGFiP.
No change-of-use regulation has been found in Rouen. A furnished tourist rental is declared at the town hall, then on the national registration portal announced by the City for the end of 2026, and a main residence can only be let for 120 days a year. The tourist tax for unclassified furnished rentals is 5% of the price per night, up to €4.90 per person, plus a 10% departmental tax.
The historic centre is covered by a safeguarding and enhancement plan: exterior works there require the approval of the architecte des Bâtiments de France. The City also runs compulsory façade-cleaning campaigns by mayoral order, including one covering 78 façades on Rue Beauvoisine and Rue Saint-Sever. Before buying, ask whether the building is affected.
A programmed housing improvement and urban renewal operation covers the city centre from 2024 to 2029, in eight sectors including the Vieux-Marché, Beauvoisine, Saint-Nicaise, Saint-Hilaire and Saint-Sever. Landlords can obtain increased grants there to renovate, in exchange for a capped rent: ask the Métropole before signing.
Rouen is part of the Rouen-Louviers-Austreberthe territory at significant flood risk, and Géorisques records 30 underground cavities there. Two priority neighbourhoods, the Hauts de Rouen and Grammont - Saint-Sever - Orléans, have 19,986 inhabitants according to INSEE. 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 | 7 392 € | 7 392 € |
| Taxable income after the 50% allowance | 3 696 € | 3 696 € |
| Income tax at the 20% minimum rate | − 739 € | − 739 € |
| Social contributions | − 277 € (7,5 %) | − 687 € (18,6 %) |
| Left after tax | 6 376 € | 5 966 € |
| Yield after tax | ≈ 5,7 % | ≈ 5,3 % |
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 Rouen? In 45 minutes, we tell you what is feasible with your budget, your down payment and your country of residence.
Book a call →Rouen is 1 h 12 from Paris-Saint-Lazare by the fastest train, with 30 direct TER trains per weekday according to the SNCF timetable. Le Havre is 43 minutes away, Caen 1 h 39, and one direct TGV a day reaches Lyon and Marseille. For flights, travel via Paris: no direct train links Rouen to Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport.
30 direct TER trains per weekday from Rouen Rive-Droite to Paris-Saint-Lazare, 1 h 27 on average.
21 direct TER trains per weekday, from 5:58 am to 10:02 pm.
10 direct TER trains per weekday between Rouen Rive-Droite and Caen.
1 direct TGV per weekday, at 4:44 pm, which continues to Marseille (5 h 46).
The metro links Rive-Droite station to the centre, the left bank and the Madrillet Technopôle; four TEOR lines complete the network.
From Rive-Droite station on weekdays; the last direct train from Paris-Saint-Lazare arrives in Rouen at 10:44 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. Astuce network: information from Métropole Rouen Normandie (January 2026).
Yes, but only in certain streets of six sectors: Hôtel de Ville - Cathédrale, Cauchoise, Rive-Gauche, Beauvoisine, Saint-Nicaise and Saint-Hilaire. It concerns homes built more than 15 years ago. The application is made before each new lease, with the diagnostics, and the City replies within 30 days of acknowledging receipt of the complete file. The scheme has applied since 1 October 2021 and has been extended until 31 December 2030. Check the exact street on the list published by the City.
No. Rouen appears neither on the list of areas where the level of rents is capped, published by Service Public, nor on the list of tight-market-zone communes. The rent is free for the first letting, then the annual increase follows the rent reference index. The permit to let does not set the rent: it only checks the decency and safety of the home.
Yes: according to the Ministry of Higher Education, 49,467 students are enrolled in the urban area in 2025-2026, including 17,942 in the municipality, because the large campuses of Mont-Saint-Aignan and the Madrillet are outside Rouen. In town, the Pasteur campus and the Martainville health faculty attract students. Rouen is not a high-demand area: a dated or poorly served home is harder to let, so aim to be close to the metro or a TEOR line.
The 2025 rent map gives €15.4/m² charges included for 1- and 2-room flats, with a range from €12.4 to €19.1. The real level depends on the neighbourhood, the condition and the equipment. Compare with recent listings on the same street before setting your rent.
Yes, under conditions. A furnished tourist rental must be declared at the town hall, with a registration number if the town requires it. A town can make tourist letting of a second home subject to a change-of-use authorisation. We found no published regulation in Rouen: check with the town hall, and plan for a concierge service to welcome travellers.
The simplest option is to entrust the property to a letting agency. It chooses the tenant, prepares the rental permit application when the street requires it, collects the rent and follows up minor works. The 30 direct TER trains a day to Paris-Saint-Lazare make your visits easier. For the purchase, a power of attorney at the notary’s lets you sign without travelling.
Yes, in the city centre: a programmed housing improvement and urban renewal operation runs from 2024 to 2029 in eight sectors, including the Vieux-Marché, Beauvoisine, Saint-Nicaise and Saint-Sever. Landlords can obtain increased grants there in exchange for a capped rent. Amounts depend on the file: ask the Métropole before signing.
Rouen is not on the list in the order of 26 March 2019, but it signed a territorial revitalisation operation agreement on 22 November 2023, which in principle opens up the scheme. This tax reduction remains reserved for taxpayers domiciled in France at the time of purchase: from abroad, you are not entitled to it.
According to sales recorded in DVF from January 2025 to December 2025, a studio sold for a median price of €74,500, a two-room apartment for a median price of €111,475 and a large home for a median price of €204,000. 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 48.71%. 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 €112,840 and let for €616 a month, about 5.7% 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 5.3% 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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