Pinel: how does the 6, 9 or 12 year rental commitment work, and what are the rates depending on the year of investment?

For the Pinel scheme, the rental commitment is for 6 or 9 years, at the tenant's discretion. It is not signed for 12 years: 12 years is the maximum duration, reached by extending the commitment in 3-year increments. The tax reduction rate depends on the chosen duration and the year of the investment: 12 or 18 units before 2023, 10.5 or 15 units in 2023, 9 or 12 units in 2024, except for properties in priority neighborhoods or of superior quality, which retain the 12 or 18 units.

The Pinel scheme has been closed to new investments since January 1, 2025. This page is for those who invested between 2014 and 2024 and want to understand their current commitment. It covers metropolitan France. It does not address eligible geographical areas, detailed housing quality criteria, the overall cap on tax benefits, or details of the extension (see dedicated page).

What the commitment requires you to do

For the Pinel scheme, the BOFiP (BOI-IR-RICI-360-20-10) stipulates that the rental commitment must be made "for a minimum period, optionally, of six or nine years." The public information pages also mention a minimum period: service-public.gouv.fr indicates that the minimum rental commitment period is 6 years. The choice is therefore between 6 and 9 years.

For the entire duration of the commitment:

• The accommodation is rented unfurnished, as the tenant's main residence.
• The rent does not exceed the ceilings set by decree, nor do the tenant's resources. The commitment must specify this.
• The tenant is not a member of your tax household. For the Pinel scheme from January 1, 2015, an ascendant or descendant can be a tenant, provided that they are not part of your tax household.
• In joint ownership, the co-owners make joint commitments.

For individuals, the commitment is recorded when filing their overall income tax return. Civil law partnerships and real estate investment trusts (REITs) have their own rules, which are not detailed here.

As a rough guide, the monthly rent ceilings indicated for 2026, excluding charges, are €19.71 per m² in zone A bis, €14.64 in zone A and €11.80 in zone B1. They change every year and depend on the zone of the accommodation.

The reduction rates in metropolitan France

The reduction is calculated on the cost price of the accommodation, capped at €5,500 per m² of living space, and €300,000 per taxpayer per year.

The rate reductions in 2023 and 2024 stem from Article 168 of Law 2020-1721. Websites for the general public (economie.gouv.fr, service-public.gouv.fr) use the term "Pinel+" for properties where these rates are maintained. However, this term does not appear on the BOFiP (Official Bulletin of Public Finances) pages consulted for this article; instead, they refer to properties in priority neighborhoods (QPV) or of a higher quality standard. The exact criteria can be found on these official websites and verified in your property's file.

The case of the 12-year-old

The economie.gouv.fr website displays a "12 years" column: 17.5 % for 2023 and 14 % for 2024. The BOFiP (Official Bulletin of Public Finances) explains its origin. A 6-year commitment can be extended for a period of 3 years, renewable once. A 9-year commitment can be extended for a single period of 3 years. In all cases, the BOFiP specifies that the benefit of the reduction cannot exceed twelve years.

Extension rates, according to the BOFiP:

The cumulative total over 12 years is the same regardless of the method: 21 % before 2023, 17.5 % in 2023, and 14 % in 2024. This can be verified by addition (see example). The extension is not automatic: it must be expressly recorded in writing. Instructions for its implementation are provided on another page.

How the discount is paid out over time

The tax reduction is not received in a single lump sum. It is applied in sixths or ninths, depending on the length of the commitment, starting from the year the property is completed or acquired. Each installment is deducted from the income tax due for that year. If the installment exceeds the tax owed, the excess cannot be carried forward to subsequent years and is not refunded.

This last point influences the choice between 6 and 9 years. A higher rate is only worthwhile if your tax liability allows you to offset it. The example below illustrates this.

If the commitment is not respected

If the tax reduction is not applied during the rental period, the income tax for the year of the event will be increased by the full amount of the reduction obtained. The tax reassessment will take place within the normal statute of limitations, no later than December 31st of the third year following the event. Late payment interest and penalties may also be applied, according to the French Tax Administration's Official Bulletin (BOFiP).

The BOFiP specifically mentions:

• the tenant, ascendant or descendant, who becomes a member of the tax household; ;
• the transfer of the dwelling, or the transfer of undivided rights; ;
• the split of ownership of property rights, except in exceptional circumstances; ;
• An interruption of the lease: the BOFiP mentions a duration exceeding twelve months and refers, for the permitted vacancy, to BOI-IR-RICI-230-20-20. The exact rule is verified in these texts.

The BOFiP (Official Bulletin of Public Finances) provides for exceptions in the event of the death of a member of a couple filing jointly: the transfer of ownership or the division of usufruct resulting from this death does not invalidate the benefit obtained before the event, under the conditions specified in the text. These cases must be verified in the BOFiP before any action is taken. This section of the BOFiP dates from the version of May 10, 2019. The BOFiP refers to other pages for rent and income ceilings and for permissible vacancy periods, which are not addressed here. A specific case (sale, divorce, relocation abroad) must be verified before taking action.

Numerical example (fictitious profile)

Situation. A couple purchases a 50 m² apartment in 2024 in a multi-unit building, outside of a priority neighborhood and without any superior quality standards. The purchase price is €240,000. The maximum price per square meter is €5,500 × 50 = €275,000, and the annual maximum is €300,000: the tax base used is therefore €240,000. Assuming a hypothetical profile, the household's income tax, before this reduction, is €3,000 per year.

Issue. Choose between 6 years (9 %) and 9 years (12 %), taking into account the tax actually available each year.

Strategy. Compare the theoretical reduction and the reduction actually attributable, knowing that the annual surplus is lost.

Result.

Based on the same figure of €240,000, here is the theoretical reduction depending on the year:

This profile is fictitious. The €3,000 tax amount is a hypothetical calculation. The calculation ignores other elements of the tax return and the overall cap on tax benefits. It illustrates a mechanism and does not predict the outcome for your specific situation.

What changes depending on your situation

• The year of your investment : it sets the rate.
• The QPV or superior quality of the housing.
• Your tax level year by year He decides what you are actually attributing.
• Your method of detention : directly, jointly, in a company or in a SCPI.
• The nature of the tenant : an ascendant or descendant is only allowed outside the tax household.
• Predictable events : sale, separation, relocation abroad.

The rule depends on your situation. No results are guaranteed.