News for buyers — French Riviera and Monaco

Crédit Logement puts France’s average nominal mortgage rate at 3.40% for September 2026, excluding insurance and lender-protection costs. This is a statistical reference for a personal bank estimate, not a non-resident’s loan offer.

Ground movements in Auribeau-sur-Siagne on 30–31 January 2025, excluding geotechnical drought, have received natural-disaster recognition. Owners with damage should contact their insurer; buyers should check the specific home’s damage, expert reports and repairs.

Monaco has announced an extension of Port Hercule’s southern quays, Darse Sud, with an events platform of around 2,500 m². Works are planned for November 2026–April 2027; apartment comfort and any berth need separate checks.

After the rain of 20 October 2026 in Sainte-Maxime, the town hall is collecting damage reports to seek natural disaster recognition. Its post does not confirm recognition. Owners should notify their insurer separately; buyers should check the property before committing.

The Croisette public-space work phase has begun in Cannes; France 3 dates the new phase to 19 October. The municipal timetable plans completion for late 2028. That is a forecast: access to a particular building and garage needs a separate check.

Golfe-Juan Old Port works are planned for October 2026–May 2027 and October 2027–May 2028. The port warns of changing pedestrian routes and cannot guarantee parking. Access to a particular home or private garage needs a separate check.

According to France’s property owners’ association, annual tax on built property excluding the waste collection tax changed by −10.3% in Nice and +27.1% in Fréjus in 2025–2026, France. The calculation combines rates and tax-base revaluation for an unchanged property; it does not predict your bill.

France proposes taxing exchanges of cryptoassets for e-money tokens and calculating gains from the cost of the disposed assets. Amendment I-3898 is not in force. Check whether the French tax regime applies and the tax reserve needed before a property purchase.

Depreciation deduction caps are proposed. France’s initial 2027 budget bill concerns non-professional furnished lettings under the actual-expense regime. Depreciation allocates an asset’s cost over time; it is not a new cash expense. The proposed caps are not in force.

France has proposed faster capital gains income tax relief for second-home sellers. The buyer would commit to principal-residence use by themselves or a tenant, with a penalty of 5% of the sale price for breach. Amendment I-3484 is not in force.

Châteauneuf-Grasse on the French Riviera has published holiday-let rules. The 90-night annual cap applies to main homes only. A second-home buyer must separately check change-of-use permission: the cap is not automatic permission to let a holiday home.

The August forecast is preserved for comparison. Update dated 16 October: September consumer inflation accelerated in France and the euro area. These are consumer-price data, not evidence that French Riviera villa transaction prices have fallen.

Law No. 1.597 was published on 16 October; general commencement is 17 October. Monaco account rights depend on legal eligibility and having no deposit account in Monaco, subject to exceptions; buying property alone does not create that right.

From 1 July, the updated clay-soil map applies to land sales and house construction covered by the rules. For an existing villa, it helps frame checks on foundations, cracks, drainage and the history of repairs.

A Senate committee has removed proposed special surcharge pricing for second homes in exposed areas of France. This does not reduce current insurance premiums. Before buying a villa, check past damage and the terms of your own future policy.

From 13 October to 16 November 2026, a proposed yachting business zone by the River Siagne in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, near Cannes, is open for consultation. This does not authorise construction to start. Buyers should compare the home’s location with the project boundary and proposed uses.

Changes are possible, but the new planning rules are not approved. In Gassin near Saint-Tropez, the proposal includes a sector of new homes for main-residence use only; buyers still need to check its application to their plot.

In our 2025 sales sample, the median apartment budget is €230,000 in Nice and €265,000 in Cannes; houses require substantially more. Comparing four towns helps buyers choose a search area and property type.

From 2027, the revised energy rating calculation may improve the rating of some electrically heated homes. Reviewing the apartment’s energy rating, the building assessment and repair estimates together helps buyers plan works and check rental eligibility.

The August account explains July’s unchanged European Central Bank rates and the factors behind future decisions. Buyers can use it to review bank offers, the total cost of borrowing and their available purchase budget.

After July’s pause, the European Central Bank raised rates by 0.25 percentage points. For a new purchase, refresh the bank offer and compare payments at different rates. An existing fixed-rate loan continues under its agreed contractual terms.

France authorised 29,749 homes in August 2026: down 1.1% on July; the 12-month total was 9.7% below the previous five-year average. These national figures do not establish delivery dates in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur: check the project documents.

A new Nice tourist-rental authorisation requires checks on the quota, applicant, building rules and energy rating A–E, tightening to A–D from January 2034. The first temporary authorisation is for five years and does not transfer with the apartment.

Archived scenario dated 29.07.2026, based on prices and rates available then. September European Central Bank decisions and new French statistical office data changed the picture; the historical ranges below are not a current forecast or a budget for your purchase.

Archived review dated 30 July 2026: the permit series ends in the first quarter 2026 and was subsequently revised by French statistical office. The historical series is retained intact; current data and documents for the chosen off-plan home require separate checks.

Check plot documents and the plan’s stage. The draft flood-risk prevention plan will be presented on 28 October in Théoule-sur-Mer on the French Riviera. The announcement does not establish new restrictions for an individual plot.

Before buying on boulevard Guynemer in Beausoleil, compare the plot’s risk documents, technical reports and permit status. A court decision about one project and slope monitoring answer different questions; the condition of your chosen building needs its own assessment.

The Carimaï basin is intended to temporarily hold Frayère floodwater and slow its passage downstream. Works are planned for October 2026, subject to environmental authorisations, with completion targeted for late 2028. The project does not establish that an individual home is safe.

Gigaro’s announced project reinforces 200 m of coastal-road retaining wall, provisionally from October 2026 to April 2027. Villa buyers should check the whole access route, legal rights and upkeep duties. The project does not confirm current traffic arrangements or an individual plot’s safety.

Théoule has announced surveys from 12 October 2026 and utility diversions from 19 October. From 19 October, the order bans parking on avenue Charles Dahon and place Général Bertrand until 26 March 2027. Traffic is intended to continue; garage access and deliveries need separate checks.

From 2027, TVLH will replace two vacant-home taxes. Antibes has approved 30% for the first year of taxation and 60% thereafter, applied to cadastral rental value, not the property price. Furnished second homes fall under a separate tax regime.

Subject to eligibility rules, Jeanbrun allows part of a home’s cost to be deducted through depreciation when calculating taxable rental income. It requires long-term unfurnished letting; the outcome depends on the property, rent and owner’s tax position.

Since 11 September, the new La Bocca market hall has welcomed traders beside the operating Roubaud car park. Redevelopment continues. Buyers should assess market access, morning deliveries and the remaining works.

A–B–C zoning affects PTZ funding and certain rental-investment schemes. Nice, Cannes, Antibes and Cagnes-sur-Mer are in zone A; Roquebrune-Cap-Martin is in A bis. The applicable calculation depends on the scheme and transaction date.

The Cannes–La Bocca heat network is planned to open in spring 2027 and serve 95 buildings. Buyers should check their building’s connection timetable and compare total heating costs under the old and new arrangements, including works and maintenance.

From May to July, property-transfer tax receipts rose 2.5% in Alpes-Maritimes and fell 6.4% in Var compared with 2025. The divergence in financial flows needs to be read alongside prices, transaction counts and the mix of sales.

Before signing a compromis, check more than the price: title and easements, co-ownership records, diagnostics, alteration approvals and financing conditions.

October’s CRE benchmark rises from €172.05 to €182.88/MWh, up 6.3%. The effect on a household’s bills depends on contract indexation, standing charges and consumption. Compare offers using their total annual cost.

Nice Airport and the coastal railway form the Riviera’s main transport spine. New urban projects add coverage: T4 extends west to Cagnes-sur-Mer, T5 runs east into the Paillon valley, while Antibes and Cannes use high-capacity bus corridors.

SNCF plans a preparatory phase at Nice-Aéroport from September 2026 to March 2028. Buyers near Grand Arénas should check current station entrances, walking routes to the tram and notices about nearby works.

Second homes and occasional-use housing account for 44.2% of Cannes’ housing stock, versus 13.8% in Nice. Local rental procedures also differ. Buyers should examine the building’s everyday rhythm, seasonality and permitted use.

Could the first direct winter service to New York change how North American clients view the Côte d’Azur? A look at the possible mechanism, the limits of the available data and the €2M+ segment — without price forecasts or transactional recommendations.

From 2018 to 2025, the median price near the new L3 stops rose 20.2%, versus 31.3% across Nice. A more detailed comparison brings the results closer. We found no convincing evidence that proximity to the line produced faster price growth.

Nice often suits a busier car-light urban life, while Cannes offers a more compact coastal rhythm. The deciding factor is the actual weekly route, not the city name.

The open OPEE database allows comparisons of calculated energy and environmental performance in new buildings. It helps buyers ask informed questions about summer comfort, heating and materials, then check the project documents.

Antibes or Cannes, Menton or Roquebrune, Nice or Cagnes-sur-Mer: compare everyday journeys and living conditions. Work routes, local shops, evening transport and noise help identify the neighbourhood that fits your routine.

After the record-hot summer of 2026, home checks should cover shading, night-time ventilation and cooling costs. Summer bills, roof condition and air-conditioning approvals help buyers budget for comfortable living.