Kohen Avocats, real estate law in Bordeaux
Real estate lawyer in Bordeaux: leases, co-ownership, construction
Unpaid rent, notices to quit, co-ownership charges, construction defects, a sale that goes wrong: the firm acts as a real estate lawyer in Bordeaux, advising and defending landlords, tenants and co-owners, from formal notice to the judge. You may choose your lawyer, whatever their bar.
Prompt, confidential reply. In real estate matters, positions harden quickly: the earlier counsel steps in, the more options remain open.
Reda Kohen
Lawyer at the Paris Bar — real estate law, leases, co-ownership and construction.
Official profile on the Avocat.fr directory
Page updated on 7 August 2026.
Leases and rent
Unpaid rent, notices to quit, security deposits, inventories of condition: the firm defends landlords and tenants alike, from formal notice to the hearing.
Co-ownership
Unpaid charges, challenges to general meetings, works, disputes with the managing agent: the firm acts for co-owners and for co-owners' associations alike.
Sale and construction
Latent defects, building site faults, ten-year builder's liability, off-plan sales (VEFA): builders bear ten years of liability by operation of law (Article 1792 of the French Civil Code).
Quick answer
Real estate law is played out on two fronts. First, the amicable one: formal notice, negotiation, settlement agreement — most lease, charges or works disputes are resolved before any hearing when they are taken up early. Then the judge: in Bordeaux, the judicial court (tribunal judiciaire), 30 rue des Frères Bonie, hears residential leases, co-ownership, sales and construction; the Bordeaux administrative court, 9 rue Tastet, hears building permits and planning law. No rule requires you to choose a local lawyer. First confidential conversation on +33 6 46 60 58 22.
Understanding your situation
Real estate law in Bordeaux, explained
Leases, co-ownership, sales and construction are governed by the French Civil Code, the Law of 6 July 1989 and the Law of 10 July 1965. Everyone may choose their lawyer, whatever bar the lawyer belongs to. What you need to know, step by step.
Key points
Real estate litigation: two judges, one method
Address, contacts, appeals: practical points of reference.
Residential leases, co-ownership, sales, construction: Bordeaux judicial court, 30 rue des Frères Bonie, 33000 Bordeaux — tel. 05 47 33 90 00.
Building permits, planning law, pre-emption: Bordeaux administrative court, 9 rue Tastet, 33000 Bordeaux — tel. 05 56 99 38 00.
Appeals go to the Bordeaux court of appeal, place de la République, 33000 Bordeaux, or to the Bordeaux administrative court of appeal, 17 cours de Verdun, depending on the subject matter.
Residential leases fall within the jurisdiction of the protection litigation judge, who sits at the judicial court; evictions are subject to the winter eviction moratorium (trêve hivernale) from 1 November to 31 March.
The firm, based in rue Margueritte in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, advises and defends landlords, tenants, co-owners and project owners in Bordeaux; where the law requires a lawyer with territorial representation rights, it arranges this with a colleague from the local jurisdiction. What matters: mastery of the subject and availability, from the first appointment to the hearing.
Residential lease
The residential lease: rights and obligations, step by step
A contract heavily regulated by the Law of 6 July 1989 — largely a matter of public policy.
For landlords
- Unpaid rent: act early — formal notice, formal demand to pay (commandement de payer), then termination and eviction under the supervision of the judge.
- Notice to quit to sell, to take back the property or for a legitimate and serious reason: strict requirements as to form and time limits (Article 15 of the 1989 Law).
- Damage and tenant repairs: the move-in and move-out inventories of condition provide the proof — the costing is prepared room by room.
Tenant's side
- Security deposit not returned, unfit housing, works the landlord must pay for: rights that must be asserted, with evidence to support them.
- An irregular notice to quit has no effect: its validity can be challenged before the judge.
- In the event of unpaid rent, the winter eviction moratorium suspends evictions from 1 November to 31 March (Article L. 412-6 of the Code of Civil Enforcement Procedures).
The reflex: put everything in writing from the first incident — letters, photos, inventories of condition. In lease matters, the case is won on evidence.
The firm handles all real estate disputes:
Co-ownership and construction
Co-ownership, construction, neighbours: the other fronts
Technical regimes where time limits govern everything — and are quickly lost.
Charges and general meetings
Recovery of charges, challenges to general meeting decisions within a strict time limit, disputes with the managing agent: the Law of 10 July 1965 governs life in the building.
Ten-year builder's liability
The builder is liable by operation of law, for ten years from acceptance of the works, for damage that compromises the soundness of the structure or renders it unfit for its purpose (Articles 1792 and 1792-4-1 of the Civil Code).
Latent defects and off-plan sales
Latent defect, incorrect surface area, late delivery, snags not cleared: the buyer is not without resources — claims become time-barred quickly, so speed matters.
Neighbourhood disturbances
Encroachment, noise, overlooking, easements: an abnormal neighbourhood disturbance makes its author liable even without fault — the case is built on reports and measurements.
The ordinary limitation period is five years (Article 2224 of the Civil Code); in construction, ten years from acceptance of the works. Dating the starting point precisely is often half the case.
Timeline
From formal notice to court: how a case unfolds
The typical stages of a real estate case handled by the firm in Bordeaux.
The dispute
Unpaid rent, defect, contested notice to quit, general meeting decision: date the facts and gather the documents from day one — the case is built there.
The consultation
Analysis of the contract, time limits and evidence; costing of the loss; choice of route — amicable, urgent application or full hearing on the merits. The strategy is set with the file in hand.
Formal notice
A precise, dated letter from a lawyer resolves many disputes; it shifts the balance of power and prepares the ground for court proceedings if they prove necessary.
The writ of summons
Failing agreement, the case is brought before the Bordeaux judicial court, 30 rue des Frères Bonie — by urgent application (référé) where urgency or obviousness allows.
The hearing and the decision
Court-appointed expert assessment if needed, written submissions, oral argument: each claim is costed and proved, document by document.
The appeal
The judgment may be appealed within one month before the Bordeaux court of appeal, place de la République, 33000 Bordeaux (Article 538 of the Code of Civil Procedure).
Preparing your case
Documents to gather
The checklist that counts, whether out of court or before the judge.
The contract: lease and amendments, deed of sale, construction contract, co-ownership regulations.
Move-in and move-out inventories of condition, acceptance reports, snags noted at acceptance.
Rent receipts, statements of charges, calls for funds, payment records.
Written exchanges: letters, emails, formal notices, minutes of general meetings.
Dated photos, reports by a commissaire de justice (court bailiff), quotes and invoices for works.
Diagnostic reports, amicable expert reports, technical reports already prepared.
Send what you have, even if incomplete: the firm will prioritise and complete the file with you. In an emergency, call +33 6 46 60 58 22.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Ten detailed answers, based on the texts currently in force, checked on Légifrance.
Can a Paris lawyer handle my real estate case in Bordeaux?
Yes. Advice, negotiation and drafting know no bar boundaries; the firm handles its cases in Bordeaux from start to finish.
Before the Bordeaux judicial court, where the law requires representation by a lawyer with territorial representation rights, the firm arranges this with a colleague from the local jurisdiction: you keep your own lawyer for strategy, drafting and the hearing. Before the administrative court, there is no territorial representation rule.
The firm, based in rue Margueritte in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, acts for landlords, tenants, co-owners and project owners in Bordeaux.
My tenant has stopped paying rent: what can I do, and how quickly?
Act quickly and in the right order: written reminder, formal notice, then a formal demand to pay invoking the termination clause of the lease, served by a commissaire de justice (court bailiff).
If the arrears persist, the judge is asked to record or order termination of the lease and to order eviction; the winter eviction moratorium suspends enforcement from 1 November to 31 March (Article L. 412-6 of the Code of Civil Enforcement Procedures).
The firm secures each step — defects of form cost months of lost proceedings — and calculates the arrears with interest.
As a tenant, what are my rights if I receive a notice to quit or the property is damaged?
A notice to quit is valid only if it meets the requirements of ground, form and time limit laid down by Article 15 of the Law of 6 July 1989; an irregular notice to quit can be challenged before the judge.
Faced with unfit housing or works that are the landlord's responsibility, the tenant may demand performance, seek damages, and assert their rights over the security deposit.
The firm also defends tenants: the 1989 Law is a matter of public policy, and it protects both parties.
How can I challenge a co-ownership general meeting decision?
General meeting decisions are challenged before the judicial court, within a strict time limit that runs from notification of the minutes: the reflex is to date that notification precisely.
Only a co-owner who voted against or was absent may bring a claim; the vote cast at the meeting therefore determines the right to act.
The firm analyses the minutes, the notices of meeting and the majorities applied — many annulments are won on procedure.
Which court hears my real estate dispute in Bordeaux?
Residential leases, co-ownership, sales, construction: the Bordeaux judicial court, 30 rue des Frères Bonie, 33000 Bordeaux — telephone 05 47 33 90 00. Residential leases fall within the jurisdiction of the protection litigation judge, who sits there.
Building permits, planning law, pre-emption: the Bordeaux administrative court, 9 rue Tastet, 33000 Bordeaux — telephone 05 56 99 38 00.
Appeals go, depending on the subject matter, to the Bordeaux court of appeal, place de la République, 33000 Bordeaux, or to the Bordeaux administrative court of appeal, 17 cours de Verdun.
Latent defects, problems after building works: what remedies do I have?
After a sale, the warranty against latent defects allows a claim against the seller; after building works, the ten-year builder's liability covers, for ten years, damage that compromises the soundness of the structure or renders it unfit for its purpose (Articles 1792 and 1792-4-1 of the Civil Code).
The expert assessment — amicable first, then court-appointed if necessary — is often the unavoidable step: it fixes the evidence and costs the repairs.
The firm brings in builders and insurers, building-damage insurance (dommages-ouvrage) included, and follows the expert assessment step by step.
A building permit affects my land: can I challenge it?
Yes, under strict conditions: a third-party challenge is brought before the administrative court within two months, running from the first day of a continuous two-month period during which the permit is displayed on the site (Article R* 600-2 of the Planning Code).
Standing to sue must be shown: the proximity and the real impact of the project on your property must be documented precisely.
The firm brings the case before the Bordeaux administrative court, where no territorial representation is required.
Neighbourhood disputes: what can the firm do?
Noise, encroachment, overlooking, loss of sunlight: an abnormal neighbourhood disturbance makes its author liable even without fault — the abnormality must still be proved.
Reports by a commissaire de justice, acoustic measurements, dated witness statements: the case is built before the hearing.
The firm favours quick resolution — formal notice, mediation — and goes to the judge when that fails, by urgent application if need be.
How long do I have to act?
The ordinary limitation period is five years from the day you knew of the facts allowing you to act (Article 2224 of the Civil Code).
Special time limits apply in addition: ten years from acceptance of the works for ten-year builder's liability, and strict time limits in co-ownership and planning law — every case starts with this calculation.
Checking the limitation period is the firm's first reflex: an expired time limit cannot be made up.
What are the fees for a real estate case in Bordeaux?
Fees are the subject of a written agreement, in accordance with Article 10 of the Law of 31 December 1971: before committing, the client knows what the engagement covers and what it costs.
The firm favours a fixed fee per stage: consultation and strategy, formal notice, proceedings on the merits or by urgent application, appeal. Any new engagement gives rise to an amendment.
Legal aid is available subject to means testing; a quote is prepared after the situation has been reviewed. First conversation on +33 6 46 60 58 22.
References
Official texts and related pages
The sources for this page and the firm's related areas of practice.
Official texts
- Article 1792 of the Civil Code — the liability of builders by operation of law
- Article 1792-4-1 of the Civil Code — ten years from acceptance of the works
- Article 2224 of the Civil Code — the five-year limitation period
- Article L. 412-6 of the Code of Civil Enforcement Procedures — the winter eviction moratorium
- Article R* 600-2 of the Planning Code — third-party challenge to a permit
- Civil Code on Légifrance — versions currently in force
Further reading
Verified reference points, Civil Code and special statutes
The rules of the game, in black and white.
The time limits that govern leases, co-ownership and construction — those the firm asserts in Bordeaux, with the text in support.
Ten-year builder's liability
10 years
Articles 1792 and 1792-4-1 of the Civil Code
The builder is liable by operation of law for damage compromising the soundness of the structure, for ten years from acceptance of the works.
The ordinary limitation period
5 years
Article 2224 of the Civil Code
Personal actions become time-barred after five years from the day the right-holder knew of the facts allowing the right to be exercised.
The winter eviction moratorium
5 months
Article L. 412-6 of the Code of Civil Enforcement Procedures
Any eviction order not yet enforced is stayed from 1 November to 31 March, subject to the exceptions provided by law.
Third-party challenge to a permit
2 months
Article R* 600-2 of the Planning Code
The time limit runs from the first day of a continuous two-month period during which the permit is displayed on the site.
Appealing the decision
1 month
Article 538 of the Code of Civil Procedure
The time limit for an ordinary appeal is one month in contentious matters; the case goes back before the Bordeaux court of appeal, place de la République, 33000 Bordeaux.
These reference points, set by law, apply in Bordeaux as everywhere in France. Their application is built case by case, document by document.
A real estate question in Bordeaux?
Contact the firm. Our lawyers advise and defend landlords, tenants and co-owners in Bordeaux: leases, charges, sales, construction — and on appeal where necessary.