Sale of a condominium unit

Verified 21 August 2025 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

You sell your apartment in condominium and want to know your obligations at each stage of the sale. Many information and diagnoses are to be transmitted to the buyer before the signing of the deed of sale. We present the step-by-step approach.

The sales procedure is different if you sign an agreement promise to sell before signing the deed of sale or if you decide to sign it directly.

With promise of sale

Step-by-step approach

To inform about the sale of your home, you can publish an ad and show the property to interested people.

Publish an ad

The real estate sale ad must have the main features of the apartment. It shall provide the following information:

It directs the purchaser towards the site Georisques to verify the natural and technological risks likely to affect the property.

It informs about the professional you mandate (real estate agent, notary...) for the sale of your property. In this case, the specific announcement the amount of his fees and whether they are borne by the seller or the buyer.

Show the property

During the 1re visit, you (or your agent) must deliver a risk status to the future purchaser, if the dwelling is in an area of exposure to a natural, mining, technological, seismic or radon risk. Otherwise, the purchaser may request the cancelation of the sale or a reduction in the price.

You can obtain this information and fill out the risk statement directly using an online service:

Aid for filling in the risk and pollution report

The interested person can send you a offer to purchase.

The offer to purchase usually takes the form of a letter sent by post RAR: titleContent or by email.

It must contain the following information in order to be valid:

  • Date
  • Duration of validity
  • Designation of the apartment concerned
  • Proposed price.

If you accept the offer, your agreement must be in writing and signed. You agree to sell at the prices and conditions indicated. You can't come back on your decision.

Warning  

No amount should be paid to you upon acceptance of the offer to purchase, as this would result in nullity of the offer.

The signing of a promise to sell is not mandatory. It determines the price and conditions of the sale. It is established differently if you are a natural person and its validity exceeds 18 months.

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

You are a natural person and the duration of validity of the promise exceeds 18 months

The promise is a authentic act obligatorily established by a notary.

Other

The promise may be made in the form of a act under private signature made directly by you and the purchaser.

Warning  

As a salesman, you do not have a withdrawal or reflection period. If you refuse to sell, the buyer can force you to do so or ask for compensation.

Only the purchaser can benefit from a withdrawal or reflection period to renege on his commitment.

At the latest, on the date of signature of the promise to sell, you must give the buyer the following information on the characteristics of the property:

Information on the organization and functioning of the condominium 

FYI  

If the purchaser already owns a lot in your condominium, you only have to give him the information on the financial situation and the technical diagnosis file.

Information on the financial situation of the condominium

Information on the condition of the building (technical diagnostic file)

You must constitute a technical diagnostic record and deliver it to the purchaser at the same time as the promise to sell.

It includes the following:

Delivery of documents

You can send these documents by post, by hand or by a dematerialized process (e-mail, USB key) with the written consent of the buyer.

The buyer attests to the delivery of the documents by signing the promise of sale before a notary.

When the promise is written and signed without the presence of a notary (the document is drawn up under private seal), the purchaser shall certify the delivery of the documents in writing dated and signed by his hand.

Dated Status

At your request and before the sale, the trustee establishes and transmits a dated report to the notary.

The dated statement indicates, on the date of its realization, the possible sums that you owe to the union and the ones he owes you.

This document allows the purchaser to know the expenses related to his condominium lot. It can thus anticipate the charges he will have to pay once the apartment is purchased.

Certificate of the trustee

The trustee must send the notary a certificate of less than 1 month that certifies that you do not owe a debt to the condominium. If the notary does not have it within 15 days after the sale, he notifies the trustee of the transfer of ownership. If you have debts to the condominium, the trustee can object to the payment of the sale price to obtain payment.

Receipt of a deposit

You can ask for a deposit. If the promise to sell provides for it, it is paid at the end of the withdrawal period 10 days from the purchaser.

FYI  

Requiring or receiving a payment or commitment to pay before the end of the withdrawal period shall be punishable by a fine of €30,000.

However, before the end of the withdrawal period, a payment request can only be authorized if you are in one of the following situations:

  • Promise made through a professional mandated to contribute to the sale (a notary or a real estate agent for example)
  • Or deposit with a professional with a financial guarantee dedicated to the refund of the deposited funds (recommended even in the absence of a request for payment before the end of the withdrawal period).

The prepayment amount is generally fixed between 5% and 10% the selling price. He is deducted from the total price at the time of signature of the final act of sale.

The withdrawal period begins only if you have given all of the following documents to the purchaser:

The withdrawal period starts from the day following the day on which the purchaser receives them.

The authentic deed of sale is signed before a notary chosen by the purchaser. If you also want the intervention of your notary, the 2 notaries share the costs at no additional cost. It is the purchaser who, unless otherwise agreed, pays the costs of a notarial act.

The notary can establish a power of attorney remotely when the parties cannot go to his study to sign the deed. They can collect their consent and signature electronically.

When signing, the purchaser must have in his possession the following valid documents:

If any of these documents are not delivered, you will need to guarantee the hidden defect correspondent.

The purchaser may request the cancelation of the contract or a reduction of the price if thestate of natural and technological, mining, natural and foreseeable risks have not been given to him while the dwelling is in an area concerned. The same applies in the absence of transmission of a safety or unsanitary order if it exists.

The authentic deed of sale must include thecondominium registration in the register of condominiums.

When the final deed is signed, ownership of the property is transferred to the buyer and you give him the keys.

In order to secure the sale, the entire sale price must be paid into the notary's account before signing the authentic deed.

After the signature, the notary sends an authentic copy of the deed of sale to the land advertising service. The sale price is paid to you following registration by the tax authority. You can ask the notary about the deadline.

The trustee must be informed by the notary, the purchaser or yourself of the change of ownership as soon as the sale has been signed at the notary.

The notification made to the trustee, preferably by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, must specify the following information:

  • Surname, forenames and domicile of the purchaser and, subject to his agreement, his email address
  • Surname, first names and domicile of the agent provided in connection with property sold in undivided or usufruit if necessary and, subject to its agreement, its e-mail address
  • Conditions for reimbursement of collective borrowing in progress, subscribed by the syndicate of co-owners. This loan finances work within the condominium. At the time of sale, the remaining amounts become immediately due. However, the obligation to repay may be transferred to the new co-owner following an agreement between the purchaser and you.

After notification of the sale to the trustee, expense calls are paid by the purchaser or by you depending on the nature of the expenditure.

You pay the due provision of the provisional budget. These expenses correspond to the current expenses of maintenance, operation and administration of the parts and common equipment of the building.

On the other hand, the payment of provisions for expenditure not included in the provisional budget is the responsibility of the co-owner at the time when they become due. These include, for example, charges for upgrades and non-maintenance work.

If an overpayment or less of expenses related to the lot appears during the annual regularization of expenses, the refund or payment of the difference belongs to the person who is co-owner at the date of approval of the accounts.

FYI  

Calls for charges are made by the trustee either to you or the purchaser in accordance with the regulations. If in the deed of sale you agree with the buyer a different distribution of payments, this agreement is binding on you, but not on the buyer. trustee.

Without promise of sale

Step-by-step approach

To inform about the sale of your home, you can publish an ad and show the property to interested people.

Publish an ad

The real estate sale ad must have the main features of the apartment. It shall provide the following information:

It directs the purchaser towards the site Georisques to verify the natural and technological risks likely to affect the property.

It informs about the professional you mandate (real estate agent, notary...) for the sale of your property. In this case, the specific announcement the amount of his fees and whether they are borne by the seller or the buyer.

Show the property

During the 1re visit, you (or your agent) must deliver a risk status to the future purchaser, if the dwelling is in an area of exposure to a natural, mining, technological, seismic or radon risk. Otherwise, the purchaser may request the cancelation of the sale or a reduction in the price.

You can obtain this information and fill out the risk statement directly using an online service:

Aid for filling in the risk and pollution report

The interested person can send you a offer to purchase.

The offer to purchase usually takes the form of a letter sent by post RAR: titleContent or by email.

It must contain the following information in order to be valid:

  • Date
  • Duration of validity
  • Designation of the apartment concerned
  • Proposed price.

If you accept the offer, your agreement must be in writing and signed. You agree to sell at the prices and conditions indicated. You can't come back on your decision.

Warning  

No amount should be paid to you upon acceptance of the offer to purchase, as this would result in nullity of the offer.

The notary sends you the draft authentic deed before signing.

It also forwards it to the purchaser. A reflection period of at least 10 days must be respected before signing the deed of sale.

With the draft deed of sale, the notary transmits the following information.

Information on the organization and functioning of the condominium

  1. Summary of financial and technical data of the condominium
  2. Condominium By-law and division descriptive report of the immovable as well as the published amending acts
  3. Minutes of General Meetings of the last 3 years
  4. Overall status of unpaid charges co-ownership and debt to suppliers
  5. Maintenance Log of the building
  6. Information notice on the rights and obligations of co-owners and the functioning of the bodies of the syndicate of co-ownership
  7. Conclusions of the global technical diagnosis (DGT) if it exists in the condominium
  8. Multi-year work plan or, if not, draft multi-annual work plan

If the documents 1 à 4 are not given to the purchaser, its reflection period is blocked. It starts the day after the day it receives them.

Dated Status

At your request and before the sale, the trustee establishes and transmits a dated report to the notary.

This mandatory document informs the purchaser of the accounting situation of the lot vis-à-vis the condominium.

He knows that way the charges he will have to pay once the lot is purchased.

Certificate of the trustee

The trustee must send the notary a certificate of less than 1 month that certifies that you do not owe a debt to the condominium.

In the absence of delivery of this certificate, within 15 days after the sale, the notary notifies the trustee of the transfer of ownership. If you have debts to the condominium, the trustee can file an objection to the payment of the sale price to obtain payment.

Information on the condition of the building (technical diagnostic file)

You must constitute a technical diagnostic record and deliver it to the purchaser at the same time as the promise to sell.

It includes the following:

FYI  

If the purchaser already owns a lot in your condominium, you only have to give him the information on the financial situation and the technical diagnosis file.

Delivery of documents

You can send these documents by post, by hand or by a dematerialized process (e-mail, USB key) with the written consent of the buyer.

He attests to the delivery of the documents by signing the promise of sale before notary.

When the promise is written and signed without the presence of a notary (the document is drawn up under private seal), the purchaser shall certify the delivery of the documents in writing dated and signed by his hand.

Deed of sale

The authentic deed of sale is signed before a notary chosen by the purchaser. If you also want the intervention of your notary, the 2 notaries share the costs at no additional cost.

The notary can establish a power of attorney remotely when the parties cannot go to his study to sign the deed. They can collect their consent and signature electronically.

You must guarantee hidden defects where the following valid documents are not attached to the act:

The purchaser may request the cancelation of the contract or a reduction of the price if thestate of natural and technological, mining, natural and foreseeable risks or thesafety or unsanitary order, have not been handed over to him even though the dwelling is in the area concerned.

The authentic deed of sale must include thecondominium registration in the register of condominiums.

After the signature, the notary ensures the publication of the deed of sale to the land advertising service.

In order to secure the sale, the entire sale price must be paid into the notary's account before signing the authentic deed.

After the signature, the notary sends an authentic copy of the deed of sale to the land advertising service. The sale price is paid to you following registration by the tax authority. You can ask the notary about the deadline.

The trustee must be informed by the notary, the purchaser or yourself of the change of ownership as soon as the sale has been signed at the notary.

The notification made to the trustee, preferably by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, must specify the following information:

  • Surname, forenames and domicile of the purchaser and, subject to his agreement, his email address
  • Surname, first names and domicile of the agent provided in connection with property sold in undivided or usufruit if necessary and, subject to its agreement, its e-mail address
  • Conditions for reimbursement of collective borrowing in progress, subscribed by the syndicate of co-owners. This loan finances work within the condominium. At the time of sale, the remaining amounts become immediately due. However, the obligation to repay may be transferred to the new co-owner following an agreement between the purchaser and you.

After notification of the sale to the trustee, expense calls are paid by the purchaser or by you depending on the nature of the expenditure.

You pay the due provision of the provisional budget. These expenses correspond to the current expenses of maintenance, operation and administration of the parts and common equipment of the building.

On the other hand, the payment of provisions for expenditure not included in the provisional budget is the responsibility of the co-owner at the time when they become due. These include, for example, charges for upgrades and non-maintenance work.

If an overpayment or less of expenses related to the lot appears during the annual regularization of expenses, the refund or payment of the difference belongs to the person who is co-owner at the date of approval of the accounts.

FYI  

Calls for charges are made by the trustee either to you or the purchaser in accordance with the regulations. If in the deed of sale you agree with the buyer a different distribution of payments, this agreement is binding on you, but not on the buyer. trustee.

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