When you\u2019re considering selling, buying, or renting a property, one of the key pieces of information you need to take into account is the living area. This measurement plays a crucial role in determining a property\u2019s value, as well as in your decision to buy or rent. It\u2019s important to understand how to correctly calculate living area in accordance with standards and to comply with regulations to avoid costly mistakes. As a buyer or landlord<\/a>, be sure to obtain accurate information about a property\u2019s living area before making a decision, as this can have a significant impact on your real estate investment.<\/p>\n Our real estate agency in Paris's 16th arrondissement<\/a>, CENTURY 21 Auteuil Immobilier has taken a detailed look at the definition of living area in real estate, its importance, and how it is calculated during a property appraisal.<\/p>\n The living area of an apartment or house refers to the interior space that can be used for daily activities. It is the space in which residents live, move about, and carry out their activities, excluding non-habitable spaces such as walls, partitions, stairwells, unfinished basements, unusable attics or lofts, etc., it therefore refers to the actual living space.<\/p>\n The concept of floor area is crucial in real estate, as it influences the valuation of a property, whether it is an apartment or a house. It is also used in setting rent and sale prices, as well as in calculating property taxes.<\/p>\n Local authorities often use living area to calculate property taxes, which means that properties of similar sizes may have different tax liabilities depending on their living area.<\/p>\n In addition, when setting rent, landlords use the living area to determine the amount of rent they can charge. A larger living area generally means a higher rent, taking into account also the utilities and therent control<\/a>.<\/p>\n It is important to note that many local regulations establish minimum living space standards to ensure the safety and comfort of residents. Compliance with these standards is essential for selling or renting a property.<\/p>\n The size of the living area and the ceiling height have a direct impact on the occupants\u2019 comfort and quality of life. An insufficient living area can lead to a feeling of cramped quarters and may be considered substandard housing.<\/p>\n In real estate law, the living area of a dwelling is defined by Article Section 111-2 of the Building and Housing Code<\/a> as follows:<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026The living area of a dwelling is the total floor area, after deducting the areas occupied by walls, partitions, steps and stairwells, utility shafts, and door and window openings; the living volume corresponds to the total of the living areas thus defined multiplied by the ceiling heights. The area of unfinished attics, cellars, basements, storage rooms, garages, terraces, loggias, balconies, outdoor drying areas, verandas, glazed spaces as defined in Article R. 111-10, common areas, and other outbuildings associated with the dwelling, nor are parts of rooms with a ceiling height of less than 1.80 meters taken into account.\u201d<\/p>\n Living area is calculated in square meters by multiplying the width by the length of each interior room in the house or apartment, and then adding up the area of each room to obtain the total area. Of course, non-habitable spaces such as exterior walls, stairwells, unusable attics, unfinished basements, balconies, and porches are not included in this calculation.<\/p>\n All enclosed rooms are included in the calculation of living area, such as living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, hallways, and closets.<\/p>\n However, spaces with a ceiling height of less than 1.80 meters are not included, nor are balconies and terraces, exterior walls, stairwells, attics, unfinished basements (including cellars), door and window openings, storage areas (including garages), and sunrooms.<\/p>\n The calculation of living area is governed by laws, the Carrez Law<\/a> and the Boutin Law, which varies depending on whether you want to sell or rent your house or apartment. In any case, you must hire a professional surveyor who has the necessary expertise and measuring equipment and who will be able to provide an accurate and reliable measurement of your property in compliance with the law.<\/p>\n These laws are designed to protect the rights of tenants and buyers by ensuring that they pay a fair rent or purchase price based on the actual living area.<\/p>\n Under the Carrez Law, to put a condominium unit<\/a> For residential units larger than 9 m\u00b2, only enclosed areas with a ceiling height of more than 1.80 m are to be included in the calculation, based on floor area.<\/p>\n The Boutin Law, passed in 2009, requires landlords to inform their tenants of the living area made available to them at the time of the lease, in order to protect the tenant, since the square footage must meet legal standards for decent housing, which stipulate that the dwelling must include at least one main room, have a minimum area of 9 square meters, and a ceiling height of at least 2.20 meters.<\/p>\n When calculating the square footage of a property, one of the key factors is ceiling height. In order to sell or rent your house or apartment, the ceiling height must meet certain standards and be at least 1.80 meters for the dwelling to be considered decent.<\/p>\n For older properties, ceiling height can vary and is defined by measuring the distance between the floor and the finished ceiling\u2014that is, without taking suspended ceilings into account.\u00a0In new homes, however, the ceiling height is standardized at 2.50 meters.<\/p>\n Since a residential garage is intended exclusively for parking a vehicle, it is not considered living space. The same applies to basements and unfinished attics.\u00a0 A garage may exceptionally be included in the living area only if it has been converted into a habitable room with windows, a ceiling height of at least 1.80 meters, and proper insulation.<\/p>\n Under the Carrez Law, whether built-in closets are included in the calculation of living area depends on their size, whether they are built into a wall, and whether they affect the total area of the dwelling. If the floor of the closet is at the same level as that of the room, only the interior portion is to be included in the calculation.<\/p>\n The hallway is included in the calculation of a home\u2019s living area, just like the kitchen or the bathroom; since living area refers to habitable space, the hallway is part of it.<\/p>\n To determine whether the laundry room in your apartment or house is included in the living area, it must be considered a room defined by a floor, a ceiling, and walls.<\/p>\n A staircase may be included in the living area only if its ceiling height is greater than 1.80 m. It is also important to note that the space beneath a freestanding staircase may also be included in the calculation of the living area. However, the steps and the stairwell are excluded.<\/p>\n According to a government regulation issued by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion, for a dwelling to be considered decent and eligible for rental, it must have at least one main room and meet a minimum livable floor area of at least 9 m\u00b2 and a ceiling height of at least 2.20 meters; this corresponds to a livable volume of at least 20 m\u00b3.<\/p>\n In the construction industry, there are various types of surfaces, each of which meets specific criteria and is suited to specific contexts:<\/p>\n According to the Urban Planning Code, as defined in Article 122-2, the gross floor area (SHOB) is the sum of the floor areas of each level of a building, as well as attic spaces, basements, and rooftop terraces. Various extensions, such as balconies, walkways, or loggias, are included. However, stair treads and elevator cabs are excluded.<\/p>\n The SHOB is equivalent to the SHOB, that is, the sum of the floor areas of each level of a building, minus any non-convertible basements, attics, roof terraces, balconies, loggias, or other parts of buildings that can be used as garages.<\/p>\n It is important to note that the SUBL is generally specified in the lease and serves as the basis for calculating the rent. It corresponds to the usable living area, which does not take into account several elements such as structural components (partition walls, interior walls, columns, etc.), attic space, common areas, or utility rooms.<\/p>\n Net Usable Area (SUN)<\/a> In the classification of government-owned spaces, this applies to workspaces (meeting rooms, annexes) and offices intended for lease, which must comply with a mandatory floor area requirement of 12 m\u00b2 per workstation. This corresponds to the workforce occupancy rate.<\/p>\n The Carrez area refers to the private living area. When selling a condominium unit, you must provide the notary with at the time of the preliminary sales agreement<\/a> The Carrez Act technical assessment, which measures only private areas that can be used for residential purposes and are at least 9 m\u00b2 in size. This measurement is based on the floor area of enclosed rooms and excludes walls, stairwells, steps, and door and window openings.<\/p>\n Since the 1ster<\/sup> January 2016, pursuant to Article R11-22 of the Urban Planning Code \u00ab\u00a0<\/strong>The floor area of the building is equal to the sum of the floor areas of each enclosed and covered level, calculated based on the interior face of the facades after deducting certain areas, such as the thickness of the walls surrounding door and window openings facing the exterior, voids and shafts associated with stairwells and elevators, floor areas with a ceiling height of 1.80 meters or less, areas designated for vehicle parking, attics not suitable for residential or commercial use, technical rooms or waste storage areas, cellars, or pantries.\u201d<\/p>\n When purchasing real estate, the Carrez Law is intended to protect buyers of condominium units. If the stated area is at least 5% less than the actual, verifiable area, the buyer has one year from the date of signing the final deed of sale to obtain a price reduction proportional to the missing area.<\/p>\n With regard to leases, the margin of error between the actual area and the area specified in the lease is 1\/20th<\/sup>. Furthermore, the amount of the rent reduction is proportional to the difference found. This is why the actual living area must be measured by a professional and specified in the lease, as required by the Boutin Act.<\/p>\n Regardless of the type of property: apartments, commercial spaces<\/a> whether they are commercial properties or condominiums. Calculating the living area is mandatory\u2014whether for a sale, via a Carrez Law measurement certificate, or when renting out a property, via a Boutin Law measurement certificate.<\/p>\n The validity period of the Boutin Act inspection depends on whether the residential lease is renewed or whether renovations are carried out that result in changes.<\/p>\n Our CENTURY 21 Auteuil Immobilier and CENTURY 21 Auteuil Seine offices, both specialists in the 16th arrondissementth<\/sup> in the district can assist you with your real estate projects. With their clients\u2019 best interests in mind, our team of eight expert advisors undergoes regular training\u2014in accordance with the ALUR Act\u2014on the latest standards and regulations in effect.<\/p>\n This training is provided by Acad\u00e9mie 21 at the CENTURY 21 France headquarters and covers modules on legal, economic, financial, commercial, and ethical topics. This expertise enables them to assist at every stage of a real estate transaction and provide the best possible service to their clients.<\/p>\n Our team is here to answer any questions you may have about your real estate projects\u2014whether you\u2019re selling, buying, or managing rental properties. You can view the fee schedule for our real estate agencies by clicking on this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n Please feel free to contact our two real estate agencies, CENTURY 21 Auteuil Immobilier and CENTURY 21 Auteuil Seine, by phone at 01 42 15 16 21 or 01 56 07 16 21, or by email: auteuil@century21.fr<\/a> or auteuilseine@century21.fr<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Everything You Need to Know About Living Area: Definition, Calculation, and Impact.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2234,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marche"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is living space?<\/h2>\n
How do you calculate the living area of a home?<\/h2>\n
Which parts are included in the calculation?<\/h2>\n
What is not included in the living area?<\/h2>\n
What are the specific aspects of calculating living space?<\/h2>\n
Living Area and Ceiling Height<\/h2>\n
Living space and garage: Is it included?<\/h2>\n
Living Space and Closets: What Are the Rules?<\/h2>\n
Living Area and Hallway: How Are They Calculated?<\/h2>\n
Living Space and Laundry Room: How Are They Calculated?<\/h2>\n
Living Area and Staircases: How Are They Calculated?<\/h2>\n
What is the minimum living area?<\/h2>\n
What are the different types of surfaces?<\/h2>\n
Gross Floor Area (GFA)<\/h2>\n
Net Floor Area (SHON)<\/h2>\n
Gross Leasable Area (SUBL)<\/h2>\n
Net Usable Area (NUA)<\/h2>\n
Carrez Law Area<\/h2>\n
Building Floor Area (BFA)<\/h2>\n
Calculation Errors and Legal Consequences<\/h2>\n
When is it mandatory to calculate the living area?<\/h2>\n
How long is a Boutin Act assessment valid?<\/h2>\n
How can our CENTURY 21 Auteuil and Auteuil Seine offices assist you?<\/h2>\n