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City in Brittany becomes first to limit the size of swimming pools in France
Pools will be limited to 25m3 in size, 15m3 smaller than the average size in France
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Key points and rules to consider if want a pool at your French home
Taxes, safety measures, running costs are all things you should factor in
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Why your garden in France may look unusually ‘yellow’
Crops in northern France have been harvested early due to warmer temperatures
Will I be charged taxe foncière on my empty French home?
Certain taxes are not charged on empty homes, however in some circumstances exceptions exist

Reader Question My second home (in France) is being renovated and has been empty of furniture since March 2021. I live in the UK. Should I be exempt from property taxes?
Taxe foncière is generally payable whether a property is furnished/used or not, and is payable on all homes in France, regardless of if they are main or second homes.
Taxe d’habitation however is generally not payable on property that is unfurnished and unused on January 1 of the tax year, so you could claim repayment for the 2022 tax year.
The main issue might be supplying proof, if it is requested by the tax authorities.
Some vacant homes are still taxed
In some cases, however, a type of taxe d’habitation is payable, even for unfurnished homes.
This is payable if your commune voted for it to be levied on vacant properties – however this only applies to homes vacant for more than two years as of the relevant January 1.
Communes deemed subject to housing pressure have a separate ‘vacant homes tax’, which applies to homes vacant for at least one year.
You can read our article below to learn more about these additional levies.
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Hundreds more areas in France to levy ‘vacant home’ tax: what is this?