How to transform a home into a professional or commercial space?

Verified 22 May 2026 - Entreprendre Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

You can turn a dwelling into a professional or commercial space provided you have the necessary authorizations. You must obtain permission from change of destination of your accommodation. An authorization to change of use may also be mandatory depending on the municipality where it is located. Finally, in co-ownership, your transformation must meet certain conditions. We guide you through the steps of the process.

Warning  

If you are a tenant, you cannot transform your home without the written consent of the landlord who is free to accept or refuse. Otherwise, it may ask you to restore the premises to the original state or keep the transformations carried out without compensation for the costs incurred.

Your lease can no longer be a lease ofdwelling. Depending on the case, you must sign a lease commercial or professional.

Step-by-step approach

By transforming a dwelling into a professional or commercial space, you change its destination and use. You must therefore obtain authorization to change of destination and also, for certain municipalities, an authorization to change of use.

However, you only have to submit the request for a change of destination. It also applies for authorization to change use.

Warning  

In the particular case of the conversion of a principal dwelling or secondary in tourist rentals, only an application for authorization to change use is necessary in some municipalities.

To find out if you should only request a change of destination or also a change of use of your accommodation, you must contact your town hall (or the Basu: titleContent in Paris).

Who shall I contact

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Request change of destination

In any case, you must consult the MORE your municipality which lays down local rules on the destination of buildings.

Who shall I contact

The authorization to change destination to request is different depending on whether or not you modify the facade and/or the supporting structure of your building:

Without modification of the facade and/or the supporting structure

This change of destination is subject to prior declaration (PNR).

Depending on your municipality, the way to submit your application is different:

General case

You can submit your application:

  • By dematerialized means according to the arrangements made by the municipality (consult the website of the town hall or inquire on the spot)
  • By letter RAR: titleContent
  • In person against receipt signed by the town hall.
Who shall I contact
On the internet

You can complete and submit your RFP application on the Internet:

Assistance with your planning permission application

Form

You can complete your RFP application using a form:

Prior declaration of constructions and works not subject to building permits

In Paris

You must submit your file to the Reception and User Service Office (Basu: titleContent) only by dematerialized means.

Reception and user service office (Basu) in Paris: electronic one-stop shop

With modification of the facade and/or the supporting structure

This change of destination is subject to building permit (PC).

If your layout leads to a view of your neighbor, you must also respect distance rules vis-à-vis the limits of his property.

Depending on your municipality, the way to submit your application is different:

General case

You can submit your application:

  • By dematerialized means according to the arrangements made by the municipality (consult the website of the town hall or inquire on the spot)
  • By letter RAR: titleContent
  • In person against receipt signed by the town hall.
Who shall I contact
On the internet

You can complete and submit your PC application file on the Internet:

Assistance with your planning permission application

In Paris

You must submit your file to the Reception and User Service Office (Basu: titleContent) only by dematerialized means.

Reception and user service office (Basu) in Paris: electronic one-stop shop

Request change of use

Your application for a change of use authorization is different depending on whether or not you are in a municipality where you have to compensate for the loss of a dwelling by the gain of another dwelling. To compensate, you can, for example, transform a commercial, professional or office space into a dwelling.

To find out if your authorization is subject to compensation and to know the conditions, you must contact your town hall (or the Basu: titleContent for Paris).

Who shall I contact

The change of use file to be filed is different with or without compensation:

With compensation

The application form for authorization of change of use is specific to each municipality. It is to be collected from your town hall, or the Basu: titleContent for Paris.

You must designate the proposed space as compensation and prove that its use is not residential. For example, you can provide a copy of thecity planning authorization from change of destination the premises or its title.

Depending on your municipality, the way to submit your application is different:

General case

You must complete and submit your file:

  • By dematerialized means according to the arrangements made by the municipality (consult the website of the town hall or inquire on the spot)
  • By letter RAR: titleContent
  • By hand.
Who shall I contact
In Paris

You must complete and send your file to the Office of Reception and Service to the user (Basu: titleContent) by dematerialized means.

Reception and user service office (Basu) in Paris: electronic one-stop shop

If you can't do it by dematerialized means, you can also send it by letter RAR: titleContent in the Office of Change of Practice:

Who shall I contact

  • Service of the protection of the dwelling and the supervision of tourist rentals

    Housing and Housing Directorate

    103, avenue de France

    75013 PARIS

Without compensation

The application form for authorization to change use is specific to each municipality. It is to be collected from your town hall, or the Basu: titleContent for Paris.

Depending on your municipality, the way to submit your application is different:

General case

You must complete and submit your file:

  • By dematerialized means according to the arrangements made by the municipality (consult the website of the town hall or inquire on the spot)
  • By letter RAR: titleContent
  • By hand.
Who shall I contact
In Paris

You must complete and send your file to the Office of Reception and Service to the user (Basu: titleContent) by dematerialized means:

Reception and user service office (Basu) in Paris: electronic one-stop shop

If you can't do it by dematerialized means, you can also send it by letter RAR: titleContent in the Office of Change of Practice:

Who shall I contact

  • Service of the protection of the dwelling and the supervision of tourist rentals

    Housing and Housing Directorate

    103, avenue de France

    75013 PARIS

In condominium, you must comply with 2 conditions for change assignment of your accommodation in commercial or professional premises:

  • Compliance with the destination of the building fixed by condominium rules. For example, if it provides that your home is strictly used as a dwelling, you cannot turn it into a commercial or business space. However, you can request the modification of this clause of the condominium by-law in general meeting of co-owners. This decision is voted on in theunanimity.
  • Respect for the rights of other co-owners. Your transformation must not cause noise nuisance or olfactory. It must comply with the condominium by-law.

The transformation of a dwelling into a professional or commercial premises may result in the payment of a development tax and affect your property taxes. You must declare your transformation to the property tax and the cadastre within 90 calendar days after thecompletion of your work in the fiscal sense.

Development tax

The conversion of exempt premises into premises subject to development tax (AT) generate the payment of this tax.

You can simulate the amount of your development tax:

Estimate the amount of city planning taxes (development tax and preventive archeology tax)

You can declare the elements necessary to calculate this tax from your secure tax area in the section « Manage my real estate »:

Taxes: access your Public Finance area

You can also report the items needed to calculate this tax using a form:

Form n°6840-SD - Declaration of work for the payment of city planning fees

If you use the form, you must send it to the property tax center where you are being processed.

Who shall I contact

For more information, you can contact your departmental property tax center.

Property Taxes

Your transformation can affect your property taxes. You can declare it from your secure tax area in the « Manage my real estate » section:

Taxes: access your Public Finance area

You can also declare your transformation using a form:

Model IL Declaration - Change in Consistency or Assignment of Built and Non-Built Properties

If you use the form, you must send it to the land registry office of the place where you are being processed.

Who shall I contact

For more information, you can contact your departmental property tax center.

Assistance with your planning permission application

Reception and user service office (Basu) in Paris: electronic one-stop shop

Taxes: access your Public Finance area

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

  • For information on regulations and administrative procedures

    • accès

      For more information on this subject, you can contact Allô Service Public.

      Please note: the service does not have access to users' personal files and cannot therefore provide information on their progress.

    • horaires
      • Lundi : de 08h30 à 17h30
      • Mardi : de 08h30 à 12h15
      • Mercredi : de 08h30 à 12h15
      • Jeudi : de 08h30 à 17h30
      • Vendredi : de 13h00 à 16h15

    • Request a call

      coût Service free
    • service

      The informants who answer you belong to the ministry in charge of housing and city planning.

  • For information on local regulations or your application for authorization

    Town Hall

  • For information on regulations or your authorization request in Paris

    Paris: Reception and user service office (Basu)

  • For information on property taxes

    Departmental Center for Property Taxes (CDIF)

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