Loi Carrez: Getting the Right Measure of Your French Home
The Loi Carrez is used to calculate a precise measurement of a property’s habitable surface area, and is principally used in the sales of co-owned buildings (copropriété) such as apartments and condos. A vendor is obliged to supply this information to buyers.
What is Habitable Surface Area?
This specifically refers to the livable floor space within a property. Here’s the catch: not every nook and cranny counts towards your Loi Carrez measurement:
- What’s Included: Rooms with ceilings higher than 1.8 metres (about 6 feet), such as living rooms, bedrooms, and finished basements.
- What’s Excluded: Balconies, garages, attics (unless converted), stairwells, closets, and areas with very low ceilings.
Why Does Loi Carrez Matter?
- Accurate Pricing: Ensures you’re paying a fair price per square metre, not for unusable space.
- Comparison Tool: Lets you accurately compare different properties based on their actual liveable area.
- Protection: If the listed surface area is significantly off, you have legal recourse to adjust the sale price.
Who Measures under Loi Carrez?
Don’t do it yourself, get the licenced professionals to calculate your surface habitable. These include:
- Diagnosticians: Specialists in property assessments.
- Surveyors: Offer the most precise measurements.
What Happens During the Measurement
The professional will:
- Take Precise Measurements: Of each room with qualifying ceiling height.
- Calculate: Total habitable surface area, often using specialised software.
- Provide a Certificate: The official document stating the exact measurement.
Loi Carrez in the Buying Process
- Mandatory for Copropriété: Sellers must include the Loi Carrez measurement in all property listings for co-owned buildings (like apartments & condos).
- Validity: The certificate remains valid indefinitely unless significant structural changes are made.
Key Takeaways for Homebuyers
- Demand the Measurement: Don’t just assume it’s available.
- Accuracy is Key: Verify the certificate, especially if you have plans to convert unfinished spaces.
- Price Impact: Understand how the habitable surface area relates to the asking price.
Don’t Get Shortchanged on Space
The Loi Carrez promotes fairness and transparency in the French real estate market. By understanding this vital measurement, you protect your investment and ensure you’re getting exactly what you pay for.
Let’s dive deeper into Loi Carrez’s detailed rules and how they impact houses and apartments.
Specific Exclusions for Loi Carrez Calculation
Beyond the basics, here’s a more granular look at what does NOT qualify as habitable surface area:
- Walls & Partitions: The thickness of walls reduces the actual liveable space.
- Stairwells & Doorways: The areas occupied by the stairs themselves and the space taken up by door swings are excluded.
- Technical Areas: Space for boilers, water heaters, etc., even if within a room, aren’t counted.
- Built-ins: Large, permanent features like fireplaces or non-removable closets eat into the measurement.
- Areas under 1.8m Ceiling Height: Awkward nooks with very low ceilings (think sloped attic rooms) don’t count towards the total.
Loi Carrez: Apartments vs. Houses
- Mandatory for Apartments: In co-owned buildings, the Loi Carrez measurement must be included in ALL listings and sale contracts to ensure buyers are fully informed.
- Not usually needed for Houses: There may, however, be exceptions.
Why the Difference?
Apartments within the same building might have varying layouts and usable space despite having similar overall square footage. Loi Carrez gives a clear-cut metric for comparison, which is vital in dense co-owned properties.
Real-World Example
Imagine two 60 square metre apartments:
- Apartment A: Spacious rooms, minimal closets, and built-in elements = 55 sq m of Loi Carrez habitable area.
- Apartment B: More walls and built-in storage = Only 48 sq m of Loi Carrez habitable area.
While overall the same size, the livable space is vastly different, affecting their pricing.
Key Takeaways
- Demand Precision: Ask for the Loi Carrez measurement.
- Convert with Caution: If planning to modify a property, factor in that any additions might fall under Loi Carrez exclusions.
- Protect Yourself: If the actual habitable space differs by more than 5% from the listed figure, you may have legal grounds to renegotiate the price, particularly with apartments.
