What is 鈥楽RU number鈥� on French house sale document?
A 2000 law led to several major chances for buyers, sellers, and builders
The SRU stands for Solidarit茅 et Renouvellement Urbain
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Reader Question: We are in the process of buying a home and received paperwork with an 鈥楽RU鈥� number on it. What is this, is it something to do with social housing?
These letters refer to a French law, known as the loi SRU (Solidarit茅 et Renouvellement Urbain), and it does partly relate to social housing.
In place since 2000, one part of the law requires that in certain communes that are part of larger urban agglomerations (eg. close to cities), 20%-25% of housing built is allocated as social housing for those on benefits and lower incomes.
More than half of all communes fail to respect these laws 鈥� which are difficult to implement 鈥� and between 2023 and 2025, hundreds were given exemptions.
The mention of the law, however, likely does not in your case relate to social housing requirements.
It is more likely related to another facet of the law known as the 鈥�notification SRU鈥�, part of the law鈥檚 measures to provide increased protection for buyers and sellers.
This provides a 10-day 鈥榗ooling-off鈥� period after signing the promesse de vente pre-sale agreement, where the buyer can change their mind without facing any penalties and applies to all private property purchases. This was previously set at seven days, but increased to its current level in 2015.
During this period the seller cannot require you to pay any deposit towards the purchase.
Prior to the law, this right only related to purchasing new-build property.
We cannot see anything about an 鈥楽RU number鈥� specifically, though you may be thinking of the full name of the law itself, which is Loi n掳 2000-1208 du 13 d茅cembre 2000 relative 脿 la solidarit茅 et au renouvellement urbains.
The aspect of the law requiring a set amount of social housing is known as . Other parts of the law related, for example, to parking spaces near areas of public transport and the creation of local development plans (PLU, plan locale d鈥檜banisme).
Read more: Departments across France increase property purchase fees
However, it is a that affected several laws relating to property, including
