Letting your property to students in winter could provide valuable rental income!

Feb. 17, 2011 - PRLog -- When the summer holidays come to an end, with you packing your bags, French students are about to go back school. This traditional period is called La Rentrée (the return).  It is also a time when young people are about to start their first professional job  and may not be able to afford to buy a French property but could be able to rent one. However, the period depends on what  the owners want to do. Some will be letting their home out successfully by the week, fortnightly during the peak summer months or for the rest of the year.

Why is it worth doing?

As an owner of a French property you may  have to think about renting it out to make some extra income. But if you are planning a lucrative summer renting out your holiday home and are wondering what to do during the winter, it is high time for you to know. Will you shut up your property putting it at risk of theft, burst pipes and other issues relating to the cold, or will you let it out? If you opt for the latter during a potentially awkward period of time when it remains quite difficult to find a tenant there are options available.

There is a relatively simple solution if your property is situated close to a university or a college. Students would be pleased to find a lovely property for the academic year and would leave before the summer, the perfect time for you to enjoy it. Numbering over 2 million throughout France, French students are used to being at college from September to May or June. Why not renting them out your property during this period if you’re in England? Moreover, far from the stereotypical image of lazy students throwing wild parties, the reality is really rather different. The large majority of French students are soberand hardworking and thus make for excellent tenants. In addition, students are required to take out an insurance called Assurance habitation, which covers the tenant in the event of a “force majeure” (fire, flood…).

What if my French is not up to letting to students?

Don’t worry about that! You could always try marketing your property to Erasmus exchange students. English students travel from the UK to France for a year of study so it could be the perfect option, especially if it someone you know through friends or family. Try to place ads on the internet or with  different English universities that are part of the Erasmus programme.

What steps should I take?

In compliance with French law, you will be taxed even if you are not a French tax resident when you rent out your French property. You have two main tax options:

-> The micro regime:  you receive an allowance from the income you receive. Your rental income must not be lower than £27,000 with a 50% relief regarding furnished rentals. Without furnished rentals, your income must not be lower than £13,000 with a 30% relief.

-> The real expenses regime:  you are entitled to deduct some of the expenses on the property (property tax, interest on your mortgage…)

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We offer more than 7000 old stone houses and villa for sale, we also offer 200 new build and Leaseback properties in France.