What authorization should I submit to change the destination or use of a building?

Verified 24 April 2026 - Entreprendre Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

To make a change of destinationHowever, you must submit a different city planning authorization application (prior declaration or building permit) to the town hall, depending on whether you are modifying the façade and/or the supporting structure of the building. To make a change of useHowever, you must apply to the town hall for a compulsory administrative authorization only in certain municipalities. We present the regulations to you.

The approach is different depending on whether you make a change of destination or a change of use.

Change of destination

Step-by-step approach

Your vessel changes destination when it moves from one of the following destinations to another:

Tableau - Types of destinations and sub-destinations

Destinations

Sub-destinations

Agricultural and forestry holding

  • Agricultural holding
  • Logging

Dwelling

  • Accommodation
  • Accommodation

Trade and service activities

  • Craft and retail
  • Restore
  • Wholesale trade
  • Service activities where a customer is welcomed
  • Cinema
  • Hotels
  • Other tourist accommodation

Equipment of collective interest and public services

  • Premises and offices accommodating the public in public administrations and similar
  • Technical and industrial premises of public administrations and similar
  • Educational, health and social care institutions
  • Art and performance halls
  • Sports equipment
  • Places of worship
  • Other equipment receiving public

Other activities in the secondary or tertiary sectors

  • Industry
  • Warehouse
  • Office
  • Convention and Exhibition Center
  • Kitchen dedicated to online sales

Warning  

A change of sub-destination within the same destination does not constitute a change of destination. In this case, the change of sub-destination is exempt from city planning formality.

In any case, you must consult the MORE: titleContent of your municipality which lays down local rules concerning the destination of buildings. By decision of the City Council, it is possible to disregard this rule to transform a building into a residential building.

Who shall I contact

One advance notification (RFP) or a building permit (PC) is necessary depending on whether you accompany your change of destination of your building with a modification of the facade and / or the supporting structure:

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Change of destination without modification of the facade or the supporting structure

A change of destination without modification of the facade or the supporting structure is subject to DP.

Depending on the municipality where your project is located, the application must be submitted:

  • By dematerialized means according to the provisions taken by the commune (consult the website of the town hall or inquire on the spot)
  • Per letter RAR: titleContent
  • In person against receipt signed by the town hall.
Who shall I contact
General case

You must complete and submit your RFP file by dematerialized means according to the arrangements made by your municipality or on a paper form.

Ask on the website of the town hall or on site.

Who shall I contact
On the internet

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

Assistance for 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 complete your file only by dematerialization:

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

Change of destination with modification of the facade and/or the supporting structure

A change of destination with modification of the facade (for example, creation, deletion or enlargement of a window or a door) and/or of the supporting structure is submitted to PC. If your layout leads to a view of your neighbor, you must respect distance rules in relation to the limits of his property.

Depending on the municipality where your project is located, the application must be submitted:

  • By dematerialized means according to the provisions taken by the commune (consult the website of the town hall or inquire on the spot)
  • Per letter RAR: titleContent
  • In person against receipt signed by the town hall.
Who shall I contact
General case

You must complete and submit your PC file by dematerialized means according to the arrangements made by your municipality or on a paper form.

Ask on the website of the town hall or on site.

Who shall I contact
On the internet

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

Assistance for your planning permission application

In Paris

You must complete your file only by dematerialization:

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

Development tax

The change of destination from exempt premises to premises subject to development tax generates the payment of the latter (for example, transforming an agricultural premises into housing).

You can do a simulation of the amount of your development tax:

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

You must declare the elements necessary to calculate the development tax from the space “Manage my real estate” accessible in the secure space on the site impots.gouv.fr:

Taxes: access your Public Finance space

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

Who shall I contact

Property taxes

Changing the destination of a premises can affect your property taxes. You must declare your change of destination by filling out a form:

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

You can also use the online service “Manage my real estate”:

Taxes: access your Public Finance space

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

Who shall I contact

Change of use

Step-by-step approach

In principle, a change of use is exempted from administrative formality.

There is a change of use when you use a building built and dedicated to housing to make something other than housing (business, commercial or agricultural premises, tourist furnished rentals, ...). All categories of dwellings and their annexes are concerned (homes, caretaker's lodges, service rooms, official dwellings, dwellings included in a commercial lease and furnished premises).

The change of use is subject to authorization by the mayor when the municipality is part of the perimeter of application of the annual tax on vacant housing (TLV), known as in tense areas.

A simulator allows you to check if your municipality is part of it:

Check if the tax on vacant housing (TLV) applies to your municipality

The change of use is also subject to authorization in the municipalities which decide by deliberation of the municipal council or theEPCI: titleContent . To find out, you must contact your town hall or the Basu: titleContent for Paris.

Who shall I contact

Warning  

As natural person, you may engage in a professional or commercial activity in part of your principal residence without authorization for change of use. For this, your lease or condominium by-law must not oppose it and you must not receive customers or goods. If your home is located on the ground floor, your activity must not cause nuisance, danger to the neighborhood or damage to the building.

You can also rent your main residence without authorization for short periods.

Your application for a change of use authorization is different depending on whether you are in a municipality where you have to compensate for the loss of a dwelling by the gain of another dwelling. If you have to compensate, you can, for example, turn a commercial, professional or office space into a dwelling.

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

Who shall I contact

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

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Change of use with compensation

The application form for authorization to change use is specific to each municipality. It is to be collected from your town hall (or 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 of change of destination the premises or its title.

You must complete and submit the form:

  • By dematerialized means according to the provisions taken by the commune (consult the website of the town hall or inquire on the spot)
  • Per letter RAR: titleContent
  • Hand-held.
Who shall I contact
General case

You must complete and submit your file:

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

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

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

If you can't do it digitally, you can also send it in letter form RAR: titleContent to the following address:

Who shall I contact

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

    Housing and Housing Branch

    103, avenue de France

    75013 PARIS

Change of use 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 from the Basu: titleContent for Paris.

You must complete and submit it:

  • By dematerialized means according to the provisions taken by the commune (consult the website of the town hall or inquire on the spot)
  • Per letter RAR: titleContent
  • Hand-held.
Who shall I contact
General case

You must complete and submit your file:

  • By dematerialized means according to the provisions taken by the commune (consult the website of the town hall or inquire on the spot)
  • Per letter RAR: titleContent
  • Hand-held.
Who shall I contact
In Paris

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

Office reception and service to the user (Basu) of Paris: one-stop shop

If you can't do it digitally, you can also send it in letter form RAR: titleContent to the following address:

Who shall I contact

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

    Housing and Housing Branch

    103, avenue de France

    75013 PARIS

Warning  

If your change of use is accompanied by work subject to city planning authorization, you must obtain the following 2 authorizations:

However, you only have to file the city planning authorization application. It is also valid for a change of use authorization.

In general, the response time is 2 months when your file is complete. However, a change of use by-law may provide for a different time frame. To find out, you must contact your town hall (or the Basu: titleContent for Paris).

Your change of use authorization is different depending on whether it was obtained with or without compensation for the loss of a dwelling.

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Authorization without compensation

Authorization for change of use without compensation is granted as staff and provisional. It ends definitively at the same time as your professional activity. It may not be passed on to a person carrying out the same activity or to a purchaser of the premises concerned.

Authorization with compensation

Authorization for change of use with compensation is attached to the premises and not to the person. She is definitive. The premises offered as compensation are mentioned in the authorization that is published in the real estate file or registered in the land book.

Changing the use of a dwelling can affect your property taxes. You must declare your change of use by filling out a form:

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

You can also use the online service “Manage my real estate”:

Taxes: access your Public Finance space

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

Who shall I contact

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.

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

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    • Request a call

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

  • For information on the change of use, the local urban plan or your RFP or CP file

    Town Hall

  • For information on the change of use, on the local urban plan or on your DP or PC file in Paris

    Paris: Reception and user service office (Basu)

  • For information on property taxes

    Departmental Center for Property Taxes (CDIF)

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