Imm pdt prix cc ? Decoding French apartment ads

Release: May 2021

Around the world, countless ads appear every day advertising apartments in New York, Tokyo, Berlin and elsewhere. This is also the case in France, of course, where the housing market in Paris in particular is highly competitive.

Advertisements are placed on various portals such as Seloger.com or Pap.fr and their abbreviations are often difficult to understand for many readers, especially if you don't speak French very well.

For this reason, I would like to present a few common abbreviations and phrases in this article.

For example, a fairly typical apartment ad might look like this:

"Appt avec balc, dans imm pdt, 2p en rdc, vue impr, cuis éq, 1 ch av rgt, WC sép, pkg, 1550 cc".

What does pdt mean? Or even rdc and especially cc? 

Actually quite easy to understand, if you crack the code! I present the most important abbreviations to understand French apartment ads in the following glossary.

Glossary: How to read apartment ads in France & Paris

  A

al: à louer (to rent)
amén: aménagé (furnished) or aménageable (can be converted)
appt: appartement (apartment)
asc: ascenseur (lift)
av: avec (with) or à vendre (for sale)
anc: ancien (describes an old building, often in need of renovation)
apd: à partir de (from a certain date)

 B

balc: balcon (balcony)
beg: bon état général (good basic condition, but one should assume e.g. painting work or similar)
bur: bureau (office)
bcp: beaucoup (a lot)

 C

cc: charges comprises (incl. service charges), more rarely "commission comprise" (commission included)
ch / chbre: chambre (bedroom)
chauff: chauffage (heating)
chem: cheminée (fireplace; often only decorative, so do not dream of a blazing fire)
cpt: comprenant (contains)
cv: centre-ville (city centre)
cont: contemporain (contemporary)
cuis éq: cuisine équipée (kitchen with appliances) 

 D

dble: double (double)
dg: dépôt de garantie (deposit)
dig: digicode (door code on the front door)
dpe: diagnostic de performance énergétique (energy performance certificate of the apartment/building)
dup: duplex (duplex apartment)
disp: disponible (available)

E

et / etg: étage (floor)
éq: équipé (equipped)
ext: extérieur (outside)

 F

F2/3/4: describes the number of rooms
fai: frais d'agence (agency fee)
fn: frais de notaire (notary's fee)

G

gge: garage (garage)
gren: grenier (roof truss)
grd: grand (large)

H

hc: hors charges (without additional charges)
hsp / ht pld: hauteur sous plafond (ceiling height) 
 

Not far away from Paris: Modern apartment block in the department Hauts-de-Seine 

 I

imm: immeuble (building)
ind: indépendant (separate; for example, bathroom and toilet are often separate)
int: intérieur (inside)

 J

jard: jardin (garden, only in Paris rather rarely)

 M

mais: maison (house)
mezz: mezzanine (mezzanine)

 N

nd: non disponible (not available)
nég: négociable (negotiable)

 O

ouv: ouvert (open, for example an open kitchen)

 P

pche: proche (close; often refers to the surroundings and shopping facilities etc.)
pk / pkg: parking (parking space)
pisc: pool
poss: possibilité (possibility)
pp: plain-pied (at ground level)
pqt: parquet
pdt: pierre de taille (describes external walls of ashlars)
plac / plcd: placard (built-in cupboard)
pft ét: parfait état (perfect condition)
prox: proximité (proximity; often refers to the surrounding area and shopping facilities etc.)

 R

rdc: rez-de-chaussée (ground floor)
rdj: rez-de-jardin (ground floor facing the garden)
rén: rénové (renovated)
réf: référence (reference number, e.g. of the advertisement)
rgt: rangement (storage space) 

 S

sam: salle à manger (dining room)
sdb / sb: salle de bains (bathroom with tub)
sdd: salle de douche (room with shower)
sde / se: salle d'eau (washroom, at least with washbasin, sometimes also with shower)
séj: séjour (living room/dining room)
sép: séparé (separate)
sh: surface habitable (living space; important for rooms with roof pitch)
ss: sans (without)
s-s: sous-sol (basement)

 T

tbe: très bon état (very good condition)
terr / tess: terrasse (terrace)
travx / tvx: travaux (renovation works)
tt: tout (all / total)

 U

us: us-américaine (describes an open kitchen) 

 V

vit / vtr: vitrage (windows; look for double glazed (double vitrage) if possible)
vis: visite (visit)
vue impr: vue imprenable (unobstructed view)

Of course, this list is not exhaustive, but it already includes many common abbreviations, especially if you are looking for an apartment for rent.

Other phrases you can find when looking for an apartment in France

In order to attract potential tenants, some advertisements are embellished with a few phrases that are supposed to make the reality a little more attractive. These include for example:

• un adorable appartement: "a cute apartment" - don't expect much space
• un quartier animé: "a vibrant residential area" - it will be noisy here
• idéal étudiant: "ideal for students" - often a mini-studio and on the 6th floor without a lift
• un appartement à rafraîchir: "an apartment to be fixed up" - one can expect major work to be done here
• un appartement avec du potentiel: "an apartment with potential" - likewise, high financial expenditure included
• un logement atypique: "atypical accommodation" - e.g. with a special floor plan

In short, house hunting is an adventure, sometimes easier, sometimes more stressful. During viewings, pay attention to the points that are most important to you, and especially to small details such as water connections in the kitchen or bathroom for a washing machine. Don't hesitate to ask if the apartment heats up in summer, look for musty smells that indicate dampness, look at the windows and let the water run briefly to get an impression of the general condition.
 

I wish you the best of luck with your apartment search in France! Contact me for assistance with viewings in Paris!