What is a French Property Survey and do I need one?

The English type of property survey is almost unknown in France. There is not even a word for Surveyor; the nearest being ‘Expert de Batiment’ or ‘Maitre d’Oeuvre’.

There is a legal requirement for a French vendor of a property to provide the purchaser and the Notaire with a report identifying the presence of asbestos in the property, the presence of lead in paint and, in the south of the country, the presence of termites (this last point is generally extended to other parts of the country to include all parasites).  The report will also comment on energy consumption in the house.

It is expected that the scope of the report will be extended in the future to include septic tanks and electrical safety.

Specialist businesses, who have the necessary equipment to perform the required tests, provide these Reports (written in French).  These Companies do not provide structural surveys, they are not looking at the general structural stability of the building, nor at any of the other services such as water, gas or electricity.

Survey