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Zero interest loans: a helping hand for your new property project

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For a number of years, the zero-rate loan (PTZ) has been an essential lever in promoting home ownership among modest and intermediate households. Maintained until 2027, the PTZ 2025 has been adapted to meet the government's new priorities: supporting new construction in non-tensioned areas and promoting more environmentally-friendly housing.

A tool for home ownership

Created in 1995, the Prêt à Taux Zéro (PTZ) still pursues the same objective: to facilitate home ownership for a broad public, especially first-time buyers. This public scheme makes it possible to finance part of the purchase of a home without paying interest. Only the capital borrowed is repaid, with no administrative fees or additional costs associated with the loan. The PTZ 2025 continues to play a key role in the home-buying process, especially at a time of high borrowing rates. It offers real support to households who, without this assistance, would find it difficult to bring their project to fruition.
To qualify for a zero-rate loan, you must :

  • be a first-time buyer, i.e. have not owned their main residence in the last two years
  • have an income below a certain ceiling, which varies according to the size of the household and the location of the property (zone A, B1, B2 or C)
  • purchase a property intended to become the borrower's principal residence
  • combine the PTZ with a principal mortgage. This may be a conventional loan, a prêt d'accession sociale (PAS), a prêt épargne logement (PEL) or an Action Logement loan.
The loan must be taken out with a financial institution that has signed a specific agreement with the French government. It is not, therefore, an automatic loan, but a regulated scheme that forms part of an overall financing package.

45 900

Number of PTZ loans granted in 2024. 25,000 of these were for the purchase of a new home, 17,000 for older homes and 3,900 for low-income housing.
Source: Ministry of Housing

An attractive loan

Despite what its name might suggest, the zero-rate loan is not lacking in advantages. The PTZ 2025, in particular, is a real boost for home ownership projects, at a time when mortgage rates remain high and banking conditions more stringent. It's a flexible and strategic tool for supporting people's life paths, while making property purchases more accessible.
Here's why this interest-free loan is as attractive as ever:

  • the absence of interest considerably reduces the overall cost of the mortgage. This makes it possible for low-income and middle-income households to become homeowners without having to pay the usual bank interest.
  • the PTZ is treated as a personal contribution. This mechanism reassures banks, as it reduces the amount to be borrowed as part of the main loan. As a result, loan applications are more likely to be accepted, even if the applicant's portfolio is very strong.
  • the scheme takes account of local economic realities. Income ceilings and loan amounts are adjusted according to geographic zone, so that assistance is concentrated where real estate demand is greatest.
  • the PTZ is also a lever for residential mobility. In the event of a family change (birth, reunification) or professional change (transfer, retraining), it enables you to finance a new home in an area better suited to your current needs.

PTZ 2025 refocused on priority needs

As of April1, 2025, the PTZ 2025 can once again be used to finance all new housing, whether single-family or multi-family, and regardless of location. This is a major change to the scheme.
The following are now eligible for the PTZ:

  • all new single-family or multi-family homes, in all zones (A, B1, B2, C)
  • older homes with renovation work representing at least 25% of the total cost of the project, in less-developed zones
  • new homes for rent-to-own, leasehold or social purchase with reduced VAT, all zones combined
  • the purchase of social housing by the tenant, anywhere in France.

Definition

First-time buyers are those who purchase a property - new or old - for the very first time, without having owned their main residence for the last two years. However, this status does not prevent you from owning a second home.

Amount and repayment

The PTZ 2025 can finance up to 50% of the total cost of the purchase, in addition to a principal mortgage. The exact amount of the loan depends on a number of factors, enabling the assistance to be tailored to the buyer's specific situation. To calculate the amount granted under the zero-rate loan, several criteria are taken into account:

  • the total cost of the operation, which is capped according to geographical zone (A, B1, B2, C) and the number of people occupying the home
  • the household's reference tax income (RFR), calculated on the basis of income for year N-2
  • the borrower's income bracket, which determines the percentage of the loan that can be financed by the PTZ (up to 50% for low-income households).
The PTZ 2025 is granted for a maximum term of 25 years. The term and conditions of repayment of the PTZ depend on the composition of your tax household, the resources of all persons occupying the property, the composition of your tax household and the location of the property. The PTZ is granted for a maximum of 25 years. Repayment may be deferred for up to 15 years (subject to conditions), meaning that you pay no monthly instalments on your PTZ during this period. The PTZ can be repaid in a single period, or in two periods if there is a repayment deferral (during period 1, the deferral period, you do not repay your PTZ). Thanks to this flexibility, the PTZ 2025 adapts to everyone's financial capabilities, making home loans more accessible while keeping repayments under control over time.

Dernière modification le : 2025-04-14