The government announces the total overhaul of the zero-interest loan. The ceiling is increased, the middle classes will be eligible but the system will no longer be valid for individual homes.
A ceiling increased to 100,000 euros, more households affected, modified geographical conditions… the zero-interest loan (PTZ) is getting a makeover! The system was supposed to stop but Bercy finally extended it until 2027, in particular to respond to the real estate credit crisis. A new formula proposed as part of the 2024 finance bill which must still be validated by Parliament.
The middle classes become eligible
The first novelty is the broadening of the criteria for being able to benefit from a PTZ. It is still granted subject to income, but the maximum salaries are higher.
Thus, from January 1, 2024, 6 million additional tax households will be able to request a loan of this type. “Today, single people earning more than 3,100 euros per month in tense areas and 2,000 euros in relaxed areas are excluded from this system. From January 1, 2024, they will be eligible for respectively up to 4,100 euros in tense areas and 2,400 euros in relaxed areas. detailed Bruno Le Maire, the mMinister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty.
200 additional cities affected
These areas which benefit from the PTZ will be expanded. 209 names are added to the list which will include 1,350 cities. This concerns, for example, Dunkirk, Bordeaux, Besançon, Bidart, Le Mans and Auxerre. These municipalities will therefore now be considered as “tense“, in other words the conditions for granting the PTZ will be more flexible. You can consult this search engine to find out if your city is located in a tight zone (it will be updated once the finance law has been promulgated).
A larger maximum loan
The maximum loan amount increases: the ceiling goes from 80,000 to 100,000 euros. Furthermore, for low-income households, the PTZ could represent up to 50% of the total credit, compared to 40% in the old version. “This represents up to 10,000 euros in additional subsidy per household“, calculates Bruno the Mayor. Another new feature: the device called “PTZ sale HLM” will be doubled and will go from 10% to 20%. It concerns social housing tenants who wish to buy it.
Banks encouraged to lend more easily
Still with the aim of facilitating access to credit, the government is asking banks to make additional efforts. Crédit Agricole has already responded. The bank will grant 1 euro of zero-interest loan for each euro borrowed under the PTZ, up to a limit of 20,000 euros. Concretely, if a household borrows 100,000 euros, it will now obtain a PTZ of 50,000 euros. In addition, he can also obtain a loan of 20,000 euros from Crédit Agricole, without interest to pay. Ultimately, the household will therefore have 70% of its credit granted at zero interest.
On average, this new PTZ will reduce the average interest rate to 3%, compared to nearly 4.5% today. This represents 10,000 to 30,000 euros in savings over 20 or 25 years.
Individual houses excluded from the PTZ for ecological reasons
The type of housing concerned is also changing. The government’s stated objective is to help first-time buyers to buy their main residence, while fighting against the artificialization of land. Houses are therefore excluded from the system. It will be impossible to request a PTZ to buy or build individual housing. The zero-interest loan will rather help you acquire a new apartment in a tense area or an old apartment with work, in a relaxed area.