With 37,928 inhabitants, a population growing by 1.5% a year and a quarter of Chablais workers employed in Switzerland, Thonon-les-Bains offers rental demand driven by cross-border workers, with no cap on rent levels but with tourist furnished rentals subject to authorisation. Prices, rents, neighbourhoods, budgets and yield: what you need to know before buying in Thonon-les-Bains from abroad.
The public indicators that matter before buying to let in Thonon-les-Bains, each with its source.
Thonon-les-Bains has 37,928 inhabitants according to the 2023 INSEE census. 53.8% of main residences are occupied by tenants and 47.8% of households consist of one person.
The rent map of the Ministry of Housing and ANIL gives an advertised rent of about €18.9 per m² including charges for a 1- or 2-room apartment in Thonon-les-Bains, compared with €15.4 for 3 rooms or more.
Sales recorded in DVF show an almost stable average price per m² for apartments (+0.2%) between July 2025 and June 2026 compared with the previous twelve months, with 607 apartments sold.
Vacancy reaches 9.3% 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 | €3,629/m² (3,393 sales) | DVF, statistics (data.gouv.fr), July 2021 to June 2026 |
| Average price per m² over the last 12 months | 3 905 €/m² | DVF, statistics (data.gouv.fr), July 2025 to June 2026 |
| Population | 37,928 inhabitants | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Average annual population change | +1.5% a year (2017 to 2023) | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Young people aged 18 to 24 in education | 919, or 34.1% of 18 to 24-year-olds | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Pupils, students and trainees among 15-64 year olds | 7,2 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Main residences occupied by tenants | 53,8 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Single-person households | 47.8% of households | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| One-room main residences | 5,9 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Vacant homes | 9.3% of the stock | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Advertised rent, apartment of 1 or 2 rooms | €18.9/m² including charges | 2025 rent map (Ministry of Housing, ANIL), 3rd quarter of 2025 |
| Advertised rent, apartment of 3 rooms or more | €15.4/m² including charges | 2025 rent map (Ministry of Housing, ANIL), 3rd quarter of 2025 |
| Change in the average price per m² of apartments sold | +0.2% (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 | 607 sales (July 2025 to June 2026) | DVF, monthly statistics (data.gouv.fr) |
| Chablais workers employed abroad | 26% of employed workers; 45% of them in the canton of Vaud, 41% in Geneva, 11% in Valais (2022) | INSEE, Portrait of the cross-border territory (February 2026) |
| Thonon - Lausanne boat | 9 crossings each way from Monday to Friday, in 50 minutes; monthly pass of 298 Swiss francs in second class | CGN, line N2 timetable and fares (2026) |
| Passengers at Thonon-les-Bains station | 827,935 in 2024 | SNCF Gares & Connexions, 2024 passenger numbers |
| Unemployment rate in the Chablais employment area | 6.6% in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 8.3% in France | INSEE, local unemployment rates |
ImmoPourExpat members who live abroad have already bought in Thonon-les-Bains: 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 29 m², the median size of studios sold
Market benchmark: 47.8% of households in Thonon-les-Bains live alone, which supports demand for small units (INSEE, 2023 census).
2 rooms of 46 m², the median floor area of two-room apartments sold
Market benchmark: 53.8% of main residences are rented in Thonon-les-Bains (INSEE, 2023 census).
4 rooms or more, 86 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 Thonon-les-Bains. Rents estimated at the advertised rent of the 2025 rent map, including charges (€18.9 per m² for 1 or 2 rooms, €15.4 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 the annual rent with the purchase price, excluding fees and charges.
Thonon-les-Bains rises in tiers between Lake Geneva and its shopping centre, with residential districts around it and a new district under construction near the centre.
Around the Grande Rue and Place des Arts, the town centre brings together shops and services, close to the station. The station handled 827,935 passengers in 2024 according to SNCF Gares & Connexions, and the Léman Express links it to Geneva Cornavin in 58 minutes. Studios and two-room flats there suit young professionals and cross-border workers who are settling in.
Below the centre, the Rives district stretches around the port, from where CGN boats leave for Lausanne: 9 crossings each way from Monday to Friday, in 50 minutes, according to the 2026 timetable. Flats with a lake view there target managers and cross-border workers employed in the canton of Vaud. As everywhere in Thonon, turning a home into a tourist furnished rental requires a change-of-use authorisation.
Vongy and Collonges-Sainte-Hélène are residential districts, where the town has renovated its community centres. Unfurnished lets of two- and three-room flats there target families and workers from the Chablais. A natural risk prevention plan covers the town: read the risk report for the address.
Included in the local urban plan since 1987 and declared of public interest in 2012, the new Dessaix district plans 420 homes, 25% of them subsidised, as well as student housing, an 89-room hotel and a park of about 4,000 m², according to the town. The first two phases are due to be delivered in 2027. For a new-build purchase, compare the development’s price with older properties: DVF gives a median price of €3,629 per m² over five years in Thonon.
No official source publishes prices or rents by neighbourhood in Thonon-les-Bains: the neighbourhood analysis remains qualitative, based on the town, INSEE, CGN and the SNCF timetable.
Cross-border workers, young professionals, families: in Thonon-les-Bains, demand comes mainly from people who work in Switzerland, on both sides of the lake.
According to INSEE, 919 young people aged 18 to 24 are in education in Thonon-les-Bains. For an investor, demand comes from working people and families rather than students.
According to INSEE, 15.6% of these jobs are managerial positions and 47.8% of Thonon households consist of one person: well-located studios and two-room apartments find tenants all year round.
According to INSEE, 45% of them work in the canton of Vaud, now ahead of Geneva (41%), helped in particular by the boat crossing of the lake, and 11% in Valais. The Léman Express links Thonon to Geneva Cornavin in 58 minutes, and CGN boats link it to Lausanne in 50 minutes.
According to INSEE, 14.1% of households in Thonon-les-Bains moved in less than two years ago: plan for regular re-letting and a property that is easy to re-let.
Sources: INSEE, 2023 census and Portrait of the cross-border territory (February 2026); CGN (2026 timetable); SNCF Gares & Connexions (2024). Unemployment stands at 6.6% in the Chablais employment area in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 8.3% in France (INSEE).
In Thonon-les-Bains, rent levels are not capped, but the tight-market zone limits increases when re-letting and tourist furnished rentals require authorisation: the formula depends on the property and the target tenant.
Short-term rental →| Option | In Thonon-les-Bains | Our view |
|---|---|---|
| Unfurnished rental | The rent for a first letting is free; when re-letting, it remains limited to the previous tenant’s rent. It suits families and large homes, with three-year leases. | For a large home |
| Furnished | The rent map shows €18.9 per m² including charges for 1 or 2 rooms, and 47.8% of Thonon households live alone: furnished studios and two-room flats suit cross-border workers who are settling in. | To prioritise |
| House share | With 721 students enrolled in Thonon in 2025-2026, house shares mainly target young professionals: test them case by case. | To test |
| 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 | Since 1 March 2023, turning a home into a tourist furnished rental requires a change-of-use authorisation, and every letting must be declared at the town hall to obtain a registration number. | Regulated |
In Thonon-les-Bains, your strategy is built around the tight-market zone and the tourist rental rules. Check the rules below before costing your project.
Thonon-les-Bains is in a tight-market zone, 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 cannot exceed the previous tenant’s rent, except for the authorised annual review and exceptions (major works, clearly undervalued rent, home vacant for more than 18 months). Thonon is not one of the areas where rent levels are capped, according to service-public.gouv.fr. A home left empty for more than a year is subject to the tax on vacant homes.
Since 1 March 2023, following a decision by Thonon Agglomération, turning a home in Thonon into a tourist furnished rental requires a change-of-use authorisation. A main residence let for less than 120 days a year does not need one. The regulations setting the conditions were not found online: ask the town hall before buying with this plan.
Since the town council’s decision of 20 March 2023, every tourist furnished rental must be declared to the town, which issues a registration number to display in listings. A national online registration service is announced for the end of 2026.
Thonon adds a 30% surcharge to the residence tax on second homes (2025). A home you keep for your own stays, without letting it all year, therefore costs more every year.
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 homes in 2034, according to service-public.gouv.fr. For a tourist furnished rental subject to authorisation, the rating must be between A and E, then between A and D from 2034.
A natural risk prevention plan covers Thonon-les-Bains, and the town is classified in seismic zone 4, on a scale of 5. Read the risk report for each property, especially near the lake and rivers.
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. Thonon-les-Bains applies a 30% 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 | 9 072 € | 9 072 € |
| Taxable income after the 50% allowance | 4 536 € | 4 536 € |
| Income tax at the 20% minimum rate | − 907 € | − 907 € |
| Social contributions | − 340 € (7,5 %) | − 844 € (18,6 %) |
| Left after tax | 7 825 € | 7 321 € |
| Yield after tax | ≈ 5,4 % | ≈ 5,0 % |
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 Thonon-les-Bains? In 45 minutes, we tell you what is feasible with your budget, your down payment and your country of residence.
Book a call →Thonon-les-Bains is 58 minutes from Geneva Cornavin by direct Léman Express, according to the SNCF timetable, and 50 minutes from Lausanne by boat, according to CGN. Geneva Airport, about 7 minutes by train from Cornavin, offers 123 direct destinations this winter.
12 direct Léman Express trains (line L1) on Tuesday 17 November 2026 in the SNCF timetable, from 5:30 to 19:30, to Geneva Cornavin.
9 CGN crossings each way from Monday to Friday, according to the 2026 timetable; monthly pass of 298 Swiss francs in second class.
This winter, according to the airport, including London, served by easyJet, British Airways, SWISS, TUI and Jet2; the airport station is about 7 minutes from Geneva Cornavin.
20 direct trains and 3 TER coaches per weekday, from 5:30 to 21:56.
18 direct trains and 4 TER coaches per weekday.
According to SNCF Gares & Connexions, for a station served by the Léman Express and TER trains.
Timetables checked in November 2026 on the official SNCF timetable (Tuesday 17 November 2026), the 2026 CGN timetable and the Geneva Airport website; they vary from day to day. Paris, Lyon and Brussels have no direct train.
Yes. Thonon-les-Bains is on the list of tense-zone municipalities annexed to the 2013 decree. For you, the rent of a re-let home cannot be freely increased, except for exceptions provided by law, and the tenant of an unfurnished home benefits from reduced notice. Thonon does not, however, apply capping by reference rents like Paris or Lyon.
If the home is not your main residence, the town’s official portal states that a change-of-use application must be filed, where applicable. You must also declare the furnished let at the town hall and display a registration number on your listings. Do not count on this income before you have obtained the written authorisation, and check the co-ownership rules.
The rent map from ANIL and the Housing Ministry gives €18.9 per m² including charges for T1s and T2s, on listings published up to the end of September 2025. For a 40 m² T2, that makes around €756 per month. In a tense zone, the rent on a re-letting also depends on the previous tenant’s rent: ask the seller for this history.
Proximity helps with viewings and monitoring works, and Thonon station is served by the Léman Express. On the other hand, remote management follows the same rules as for any non-resident: mandate to a local agency, power of attorney at the notary for the purchase, and declaration of rents in France. Have an adviser check how this fits with your Swiss tax situation.
Yes, as everywhere in mainland France. Since 2025, a home rated G can no longer be the subject of a new lease. A rating of A to E will be required from 2028, then A to D in 2034, according to Service Public. For a change-of-use authorisation for a tourist furnished let, the DPE must already be rated A to E. Have a DPE carried out before the offer.
According to sales recorded in DVF from January 2025 to December 2025, a studio sold for a median price of €113,000, a two-room flat for €176,705 and a large home for €302,000. 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 30.62%, plus 2.39% 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 €145,160 and let for €756 a month, about 5.4% 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 5.0% 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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