Swimming pool

France identifies undeclared pools with satellite technology

A total of 100,000 properties face fines if they do not decalre their swimming pools to the tax authorities

How to prepare your swimming pool in France for the upcoming winter

The practice can be a way of saving water say swimming pool trade bodies

What does the 'pool squat' case mean for property owners in France?

Squatters rights have been called into question in recent laws and court cases

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Man seriously injured during illegal ‘pool squat’ sues owners in France

Now paralysed from the neck down, the man reportedly claims the accident was due to owner negligence

Explained: safety rules for home pools in France and risks if do not comply

Barriers, alarms, shelters - we look at what features are required for pool owners

Small swimming pools make a splash in France

Mini pools under 10m2 are rising in popularity although getting one to avoid paying taxes is a 'silly decision'

How to save energy and money running your swimming pool at French home

Try these tweaks to avoid excess electricity and water bills

Do I need permission to install a shelter for my outdoor French pool?

Rules can vary dependent upon the structure and the location of a property

Can I rent the swimming pool at my French second home to neighbours?

Swimming pools are a popular choice for second home owners

Pool owners and drivers in south France: Saharan sand and algae alerts

Mustard-coloured algae will spread alongside usual dust deposits, potentially impacting pools and other bodies of water

Above-ground swimming pools in France: rules, prices, installation

They are cheaper and easier to install, but above-ground pools must still meet regulations

‘Tiny swimming pools’ catch on in France as easier and cheaper option

Smaller pools are not subject to same regulations as larger conventional ones

How do I see if any drought rules are affecting my French home?

Restrictions can greatly impact the use of water

How to wake up your swimming pool when temperatures get warmer

We look at the different steps you need to take to get your pool ready for the warmer days ahead

France's way of tracking undeclared pools is unfair, says report

The aerial photography system in use since 2021 is not applied in the same way all over the country

Stop stigmatising us during droughts, say pool owners in France

Pools only account for 0.06% of nation’s water usage, says industry federation

What is France's 'drought' website VigiEau?

You can type in your address to find out whether you can do things like fill your swimming pool or water the garden

Will I receive fine for not paying taxe foncière on old French pool?

A new pool should be declared to the property section of the local tax office

Why more French pools now require swimming caps (it’s not for hygiene)

Wearing a cap can also bring big savings on energy

10 beautiful public swimming pools to cool off in in France

The Piscine Molitor is a breathtaking Art Déco monument, but it is expensive to visit - however there are many public pools across France that are more accessible, and just as beautiful, to cool off in

Tan-through swimwear makes a splash in France

A couple who spend most of their time surfing have developed what they claim is the first swimwear in France that lets you tan through it

How do French authorities check people are not breaking drought rules?

Learn how authorities enforce water usage restrictions during drought conditions

Tax authorities discover 120,000 undeclared swimming pools in France

Aerial photography and artificial intelligence were used to help identify homeowners who had not declared their swimming pools

France widens tax crackdown to include undeclared sheds and verandas

Tax authorities want to extend their use of software that has helped find 120,000 undeclared swimming pools

France drought rules: Do they stop me topping up my swimming pool?

With droughts set to hit France hard again this year, we look at what is and is not allowed when it comes to private swimming pools

Legal bid to overturn ban on above-ground pools in southern France

Restrictions to tackle drought conditions in Pyrénées-Orientales stigmatise swimming pools, says the federation bringing the legal challenge

Tax rise dismay, inheritance change: 5 French property updates

We also look at whether pools and terraces are still adding value to homes and the villa for sale that was often visited by Grace Kelly

Map: The 28 French departments at high risk of drought this summer

Official guidelines on how water restrictions should be applied have also been updated

How to keep your swimming pool open despite drought in France

With more than three million private pools in France, but increased water restrictions across the country, we share professional tips on how to keep your pool safe and useable

France drought: sales of above ground pools banned in parts of south

The aim is to limit the temptation to use water for pools as departments prepare for local population numbers to quadruple as tourists arrive

Swimming pool still adds value to French property despite droughts

An increased selling price might look attractive but do not forget running costs, increased taxes and water bans

Pool building ban, landlords lose Pau appeal and other property news

We also look at a Dordogne castle for sale with a grisly backstory, how Macron’s pension reforms will impact mortgages and more

Swimming pools, sheds: Tax due on installation is rising in France

The tax is applied once on the installation of a new built structure requiring planning permission or a prior declaration on someone’s property

Energy audits, tax, grants: What is new for property in France in 2023

We look at the energy diagnostic tests needed for sales or letting and why installing a pool will cost more

Renovation loans, evictions, house swaps: Five French property updates

We also look at tax authorities’ Google surveillance of garden pools in 2023

Tax rise for home pools, market slowdown: Five French property updates

We also look at a case of ‘tacit’ planning permission gone wrong and support for fining people who turn their heating up too high

Pool problem, ‘rent with option to buy’: Five French property updates

We also look at why sellers may not be liable for misrepresenting the size of a property and the best places to live for workers

Language classes, motorway tolls: Tips for saving money in France

Five ways to save money in France, from paying less at swimming pools to improving your language skills for free...

Can I add a swimming pool to French home without paying more in tax?

We explain the different taxes that come into play when building a pool and look into circumstances where you do not need to pay them

Do swimming pools show up on French taxe foncière bills?

We look at how the bills are set out and whether they contain details of structures such as pools

‘Who’d pay €20?’: Why 29 public swimming pools in France have closed

Soaring energy costs have led to one private company to take drastic action, but France’s national swimming federation is not happy

Are above ground pools subject to the taxe foncière in France?

We look at which types of swimming pools are subject to local taxes

Undeclared swimming pool detection system to be used across France

The system has resulted in €10million being collected in extra taxes during a trial in nine departments

Should France ban private swimming pool use amid drought crisis?

An MP says the idea should not be ignored but only be used as a last resort in the combat against droughts

Swimming pool ‘squatter’ incidents on the rise in southern France

Police are receiving more and more calls about people using pools without permission but often their power to act is limited

Rent-a-pool: grain containers inspired French mobile pool business

A pool builder in rural Tarn-et-Garonne got the rental idea while watching lorries load crops at the side of a field

Annual burkini row ‘demonises’ all five million muslims in France

Journalist Nabila Ramdani gives her view on the latest ‘Muslim dress’ saga to hit France and how the arguments against the burkini just don’t stack up

Pools, prices, islands: Five updates for property owners in France

We also look at a costly planning permission error and how a shortage of houses is pushing up prices

How French tax authorities are tracking undeclared swimming pools

A new AI aerial photo tool is being tested in some parts of France, but some critics say it is far from foolproof and could see residents landed with unfair taxe foncière bills

Are all public swimming pools now open in France?

Yes, swimming pools are now fully able to open in France.

The Connexion's guide to owning a swimming pool in France

It’s been a hot summer and readers with gardens may be wondering about the cost of fitting a pool for next year...

French tax office begins to use aerial shots to find undeclared pools

The measure is also targeting home extensions in nine departments before being used throughout France in 2022

Calls for ‘swimming licence’ to reduce number of drownings in France

Recent survey suggests most drownings occur in natural environments, where swimmers find it harder to assess conditions. Meanwhile a mobile pool in a lorry is touring rural areas teaching people to swim

French property market news: September roundup

Our pick of stories for property owners in France from the last month

Digne-les-Bains: Pool builder flees to Corsica with customer deposits

Volunteer firefighter who promised families he would install swimming pools earlier this year has taken deposits worth thousands and now cannot be contacted

Tax and planning: When and how to declare a swimming pool in France

With the tax office teaming up with Google to spot undeclared pools, we look at the rules so as not to be caught out

Growing trend for shipping containers as trendy pools in France

Industrial-chic swimming pools crafted from shipping containers are in high demand thanks to their looks, price point and durability

French homeowners face long wait for swimming pools as demand soars

Installers’ order books are filled for months in advance - but a pool is not only good to use but can be a sound investment to raise property value

How much of our tax bill is due to having a swimming pool?

Having a pool on your property does increase the valeur locative of a property and this figure is used to work out the level of taxe foncière due

Laws affecting swimming pool owners in France

As a swimming pool owner, are you liable for accidents that happen in your pool when you’re not there?

France lockdown boosts salt water swimming pools popularity

Why have salt water swimming pools become increasingly popular in France over the past decade?

What to do if your pool turned green during lockdown

Owners arriving later than usual at holiday homes, as European travel restrictions lift, may have the bad experience of finding their pool has turned green.

20 pools to reopen with new rules in France

Twenty public swimming pools will reopen with new rules at the beginning of June, as a trial for the second stage of deconfinement.

Containers reborn as value-for-money swimming pools

An Australian idea of using old shipping containers as swimming pools has been adapted for the French market.

Time to shut French home’s pool down for winter

Summer is well and truly over

I earned €150 a month with my French home’s pool

It is only November but one home-owner is already thinking of next summer and her swimming pool – and how to rent it out after earning €150 a month doing just that this year.

Paris pool closes due to ‘pro-burkini’ protest

A public pool in Paris closed this weekend after pro-burkini activists mounted a protest against the ban on the body-covering swimsuit, and demanding “access for all to leisure facilities”.

Take a dip… in a bus

An old regional bus has been converted into a swimming pool and is to be installed – and used – outside the Louvre-Lens museum in Pas-de-Calais this month

France warned on 30% rise in accidental drownings

The number of accidental drownings in France rose by 30% in the summer of 2018, health agency Santé Publique France (SPF) has warned.

A new pool in one week - from dig to swim

Sponsored content: Compass Pools' swimming pools can be installed in just one week - and come with a 40-year guarantee!

Google Earth threat has people rushing to pay tax

A mayor aims to boost taxe foncière payments after using Google Earth to spot undeclared or unauthorised swimming pools and other constructions in the commune.

Website helps you rent out your pool

Swimmy has 16,000 subscribers and allows private owners to rent their pools

One in five pools breaks safety laws

One in five private swimming pools does not have safety equipment, breaking the law obliging all pools to have a cover, alarm or barrier in place.

121 deaths by drowning in 35 days in France

Lack of lifeguards, and poor standard of swimming lessons to blame, according to secretary general of Fédération des maîtres-nageurs

Macrons plan to build private pool at holiday fort

Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron are planning to construct a private outdoor pool at their official holiday residence, the Fort de Brégançon, in a bid to escape being seen by paparazzi on the fort’s private beach.