Social-access loan (PAS)
A means-tested variant of the agreement loan, aimed at modest households buying their main residence. It offers reduced arrangement and guarantee costs, capped rates and eligibility for housing aid. The PAS is frequently combined with a PTZ to strengthen the financing plan.
Key points
- Subject to strict income ceilings; reserved for modest and intermediate households.
- Reduced guarantee fees thanks to eligibility for Crédit Logement or equivalent mutual guarantee.
- Automatically opens entitlement to APL accession, unlike a standard mortgage.
- Often combined with the PTZ to maximize public support on a first purchase.
Frequently asked questions
How do you check a client's eligibility for the PAS?
Compare the household's reference taxable income (year N-2) with the current ceilings, which vary by geographic zone and household composition. The broker should do this at the first meeting to avoid building an incompatible financing plan.
Why is the PAS attractive to a broker who specializes in modest first-time buyers?
Combined with the PTZ, it enables a financing plan that is almost entirely subsidized, with the net monthly payment meaningfully reduced by housing benefit. This combination can make households solvent who appeared unable to qualify with a purely market loan.
What distinguishes the PAS from a straightforward competitive-rate mortgage?
A standard loan may carry a lower rate than the PAS ceiling in favorable market conditions, but it does not open entitlement to APL accession and is not eligible for the PAS's reduced guarantee fees. The PAS's real advantage lies in its overall package of support, not its rate alone.
In practice
A three-person household in zone B2 whose reference income falls within the ceilings can secure a rate-capped PAS combined with a PTZ, then receive APL housing benefit to reduce the net installment, making the purchase viable where a standard loan would exceed their debt ratio.
Official sources
- Social accession loan (PAS) · Service-Public.gouv.fr
- Obtaining a mortgage loan · Service-Public.gouv.fr
- Mortgage credit (official guide) · Service-Public.gouv.fr