Cheap long term rentals in Limousin France

The old French province of the Limousin is centered around the city of Limoges and covers the modern departments of Haute-Vienne, Corrèze and Creuse. This is one of the least densely populated areas of France and definitely the place to find cheaper long term rental properties in France.

The Limousin is located in the heart of France and borders Dordogne to the South-West, the Auvergne region to the East and the Central Loire region to the North. 

The Limousin is a quiet, but beautiful part of rural France. Nobody is ever going to claim that it is the most exciting place to live in France, but that is the whole point. You would want to come to the Limousin to enjoy a simpler, less-stressful life. If you enjoy nature and the simpler pleasures in life, then this part of France is ideal. There is some fabulous walking country and the Limousin is reputed to have among the best air quality in France.

The Limousin is also one of the cheaper places to buy property in France, with median prices averaging around €120,000 - €140,000. In parts of the Creuse department, median house prices in the Creuse are just €789 per m² compared to the national average of over €3,000 per m². There are plenty of houses available for renovation projects and local builders in the area have for centuries been regarded as some of the best masons in France. 

In 2016, the Limousin region was merged with the Aquitaine and Poitou-Charentes regions to become the new French administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, covering the whole of South-West France. Although it has ceased to be an administrative region, the Limousin continues to be widely used as a term to describe this part of France and the Tourism sector still uses it as a brand to market the area.

The empty France

The landscape of the Limousin is mostly hills and valleys with green pastures, forests and lakes. The region is famous for its distinctive Limousin cows and agriculture forms a significant part of the local economy. 

The only town of any real size in the Limousin region is the city of Limoges, with about 140,000 people. The area surrounding Limoges provides about half of all the jobs in the region. After Limoges, the second biggest city in the Limousin is Brive-la-Gaillarde, with just under 50,000 residents.

Discovering the Limousin

Château de Rochechouart, Haute-Vienne France

Outside of Limousin and Brive-la-Gaillarde, there is no other town in the Limousin with more than 20,000 inhabitants. Towns such as Tulle (the capital of the Corrèze department), Aubusson and Guéret (the capital of the Creuse department) are really just small market towns that haven't really grown at all during the last 100 years. 

The economy of the Limousin is dominated by 3 sectors: agriculture, forestry and tourism. In terms of agriculture, over 90% of activity in the region relates to livestock. The famous brown Limousin cows are mainly reared for their high-quality meat. Traditionally, the cows also supplied the leather to the local tanning factories and were turned into high quality shoes and gloves. There are over 2.5 million Limousin cows in France today, second only to the famous Charolais breed.

The Limousin is not just home to cattle, it is also famous for its baronet lamb and the cul noir pork from the area around Saint-Yrieix. The region is also famous for its apples (there are more than 5,000 hectares of orchards dedicated to growing them) and its plentiful supply local chestnuts.

The Oak forests in the Limousin have for centuries been used to produce the oak barrels for Cognac (and Rémy Martin is reputed to still have a monopoly on all the local oaks). Just over one third of the land in the Limousin is occupied by forests (585,000 hectares) and the region produces 4.8 million m³ of timber annually for the construction industry, furniture manufacture and for firewood. SOURCE: www.haute-vienne.gouv.fr

The Limousin has an endless supply of natural lakes and rivers where you can sail, canoe, swim and fish. There are two regional natural parks (the Parc Naturel Régional Périgord Limousin and the Parc Naturel Régional de Millevaches en Limousin) which are popular for hiking and mountain biking. The natural environment has helped create a growing green tourism industry in the Limousin. Annually, the region receives over 3.4 million tourists, of whuch with just under 40% are foreign tourists. SOURCE: visitlimousin.com

Re-population - Retiring to Limousin France

Ségur-le-Chateau, Corrèze department, Limousin [Photo: Pauline De Vos]

Large parts of Limousin have been suffering from de-population for over 100 years, as younger people left for the cities in search of work. But around 2001, this decline started to level off, as house buyers from Holland, Belgium, the UK, Scandinavia and North America, all came in search of cheaper houses and a peaceful, tranquil life-style. 

The French Statistics office, INSEE, has noticed a clear trend of Foreign residents favouring the least populated areas of France in which to live. Foreign residents from North America and other European countries are 16 times more likely to choose to live in areas with a declining population or a low density of population. The analysis showed that this group favoured moving to Nouvelle-Aquitaine, especially in the area covering the departments of Creuse, Haute-Vienne, the south part of Vienne, the north part of Charente and Dordogne. INSEE found that over 92% of foreign residents in this area were home owners and they had bought their house as their main residence. Furthermore, over 56% of this group are classed as retired or economically inactive. SOURCE: INSEE July 2025.

The reason for this trend, is that these areas tend to have lower house prices. For example, The city of Limoges remains one of the cheapest place in France to live. The median house sale prices was €209,460 in January 2026 and the median price for a 4 bed house was just €182,000. SOURCE: Realadvisor.fr

Best place to live in France: Limoges

Limoges - one of the best places to retire in France

The city of Limoges recently featured at #4 on the Top 10 list of best cities to live in France and it also scored highly in terms of quality of life on the Association Villes et Villages in-depth research (coming in at the 22nd best French town). 

The Michelin travel guide summarises the best features of Limoges

" . . . it is a lively city, dotted with attractive boutiques which you can explore as you stroll through the streets and along the banks of the river Vienne . . ." 

L'Express magazine nominated Limoges as a great place to live in France because it offers:

". . . a peaceful living environment with the purest air quality in France, it is a lively university town and there is a rich and varied theatre and musical cultural programme . . ."

Limoges is a small city, the 28th largest in France and due to its University, around a third of the population is under 30 years old. Limoges is home to some of France's largest companies, including Legrand (electrical component manufacturer), Renault Trucks, Valeo, Schneider Electric and Haviland (a manufacturer of luxury porcelain goods, which draws on the city's long association with the Porcelain & Ceramics industry). The rate of unemployment in Limoges is below the national average (7.10% in 2022)

Throughout its history, Limoges has been known for producing ceramics and porcelain, as well as oak barrels (used for storing Cognac), both of which made the city very wealthy.

Limoges train station

Limoges has a very famous basketball team (CPS Limoges), who play at the futuresque looking Stade de Beaublanc. They are the only French team who have won the European Basketball League. The city also has a decent Handball team and a not very good football team.

The climate in Limoges is pretty decent. It gets warm in the summer, but not baking hot (a nice 24°C/75°F). In the winter, it rarely drops below zero, with day time temperatures around 7°C/48°F. The only downside is that the winter months can be wet, especially in November.

Limoges is still definitely an affordable place to live. Despite property prices in the city booming over the last 2-3 years, in 2022, apartments in Limoges cost an average of €1,490 per square meter (which represents a staggering 17% increase over the previous 12 months) and the average sale price for houses was only €183,200.

In terms of travel, Limoges has a TGV railway (with direct connections to Paris and Toulouse). The A20 motorway connects Limoges with Orléans and Paris to the north, and Cahors, Montauban and Toulouse to the south. Limoges has its own airport, with regular flights to the UK (Bristol, Stansted, Manchester, Leeds-Bradford and Nottingham). Some seasonal flights are available to Portugal, Croatia, Majorca and Malta. In the centre of Limoges there is a quite well-developed public transport network (including one of the few remaining trolleybuses in France).

The area around Limoges is great for visiting grandchildren. Apart from the fantastic Futuroscope theme park located close to nearby Poitiers, you also have a good aquarium, the Reynou safari park, the Limousine Park, which is fantastic for kids and the huge indoor pools at L'Aquapolis.

Creuse department

Rocher de La Fileuse, Correze France

The Creuse department in the North-East of Limousin, has only 117,000 residents, making it the second least populated department in France. The department has seen its population decline by over 50% since the time of the French Revolution and nearly 25% since 1968. On average, there are now just 21 people per km².

The capital of Creuse is Guéret, a town of just 12,000 people. Another town in the department, Aubusson, grew to fame as an celebrated centre for tapestry production in the 16th-19th centuries. The town of Bourganeuf, in the west of the department, was once the headquarters of the Knights Templar in this region of France and it still retains an impressive Chateau and Tower in the centre of the town.

The Creuse department is located high up on the Massif Central plateau and large parts of the department contain the Limousin forest, as well as lakes and reservoirs. The Creuse has been successful in developing itself as a Green tourism destination since the late 1990s. The travel website www.Routard.com voted the Creuse among the 10 most zen destinations in France - defined as:

"natural environments conducive to relaxation and rejuvenation"

The Creuse enjoys a temperate climate with relatively warm & sunny summers (with average temperatures around 23°C / 75°F - so not nearly as hot as other parts of South France); mild springs and autumns; and cold, but sunny winters. Autumn is generally the best time to be here, with mild temperatures, crisp blue skies and the foliage of the trees turning yellow and burnt orange. During the winter, which can stretch from November through to mid-March, there is often snowfall and the days can be crisp. It does rain quite a bit in the Creuse, with around 1,000mm per year in the South and 600 mm in the North of the department. But during the year, there is an average of 15 dry days per month, with no rain.

Bourganeuf, Creuse France [Photo courtesy of https://www.tourisme-creuse.com/]

The department is also regarded as having some of the cheapest property in the whole of France and has over recent years attracted an increasing number of house-buyers from Holland, Germany, Belgium and the UK. 

The inhabitants of the Creuse, also lay claim to creating the popular French desert of Clafoutis. This baked dessert is made with batter and cherries.

Long term rentals in the Creuse department

We have a number of properties available for long term rentals in the Creuse department. In particular, there are these two apartments, which are interesting because apart from being quite cheap to rent, they are also available for 12 month annual rentals. If you need to apply for a 12 month long stay visa for France; then the apartments offer a good base to show that you have accommodation set up in France (which is one of the key parts of the visa application process). Both apartments are located in the located in the heart of the pretty medieval town of Bourganeuf, close to the city of Limoges in South West France.

Bourganeuf cheap property to rent long term in France (Ref: 2344) 

This cheap apartment for long term rentals is located in the heart of Bourganeuf, close to the city of Limoges in South West France. The town features picturesque streets and a lovely main square, which the apartment overlooks. Bourganeuf has a good range of shops and services, including an a Carrefour and Aldi supermarket, several bakeries, petrol station, a butcher, a couple of restaurants and a popular cafe-bar. Also, with a bus service direct to Limoges (where you can pick up a TGV train to Paris or flights to/from the UK), it is perfectly possible to stay in Bourganeuf without the need of a car. The Limousin countryside around the town is very pretty, with endless possibilities for walks, cycling and horse riding.

The apartment is located on the main square in the town and within a few steps you can shop for your groceries, or watch life go by in one of the cafes on the square. The studio apartment is located on the first floor of a small apartment building and comes with a main living room and a separate bathroom.

The apartment is available for long term rentals of up to 12 months from €350 per month + bills.

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Bourganeuf apartment for long term rentals Limousin France (Ref: 2345)

If you are house-hunting around Limoges, then this apartment in Bourganeuf offers very cost-effective accommodation during your stay. The apartment is located on the main square in the town, with lovely views out over the medieval Chateau and Hotel de Ville. Bourganeuf is a very friendly and well-equipped small town. Bourganeuf has a good range of shops and services, and there is bus service from the town direct to Limoges (where you can pick up a TGV train to Paris or flights from Limoges airport to/from the UK).

The apartment is located on the second floor of an old town house and comes with 2 bedrooms, a bathroom and living room. The apartment is accessed via the large oak staircase. Inside, the apartment is light and airy and comes with Electric heating in all rooms.

The apartment is available for long term rentals of up to 12 months from €600 per month + bills.

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Haute-Vienne department

The Haute-Vienne department is relatively over-run with people compared to the neighbouring departments of Creuse and Corrèze. The department is home to 373,000 people. However, when you consider that over 300,000 people live in the greater-Limoges area of the department, it shows you how few people live in the rest of the department.

Over one-third of the department is taken over by forests and there are many rivers and lakes, as well as plenty of historical castles (with Chateau de Rochechouart perhaps being the most famous).

Throughout the Haute-Vienne you will find plenty of medieval towns and villages, such as Solignac, Uzerche and Aubazine (home to the orphanage where Coco Chanel grew up). There is a famous 180km tourist trail called 'La Route Richard Coeur de Lion', which links up 19 churches, chateaux and villages all besieged by Richard the Lionheart, before he was killed in battle at Châlus-Chabrol, in the department.

Despite its lovely countryside, Haute-Vienne has always been an important industrial centre in Central France, especially for porcelain and leather work (shoes and gloves).

It also has a reputation as a centre for political militancy (a large strike in 1905 left one person dead and scores injured). Today it still has one of the lowest unemployment rates in France and Limoges, is fast becoming one of the best places to live in France for studying and working.

The Haute-Vienne department is also home to one of the 150 Most Beautiful Villages in France. The village of Montemart was built around a 10th Century castle that was later destroyed on the orders of Cardinal Richelieu. Today only the tower of the castle remains, together with the medieval centre of the village, with market place and old merchant buildings.

The village of Oradour-sur-Glane in Haute-Vienne, was the unfortunate scene of a massacre of its inhabitants by the SS Das Reich division on 10 June 1944. The massacre was in reprisal to an attack on the Germans by the local resistance forces. The ruins of the village have been preserved as a monument to the villagers who lost their life and to the memories of World War II in France.

Long term rentals in the Haute-Vienne department

Le Dorat, Haute-Vienne

We have a range of properties available for long term rentals in the Haute-Vienne department. A number of these are centred around the town of Le Dorat, which is a popular destination for ex-Pats. The town of Le Dorat is a pretty place and also benefits from a local train station, with services to Limoges and Poitiers. The town was founded in 950 AD alongside the chapel of Saint Pierre. The town still has plenty of impressive buildings dating back to the 12th and 13th Centuries. The central square holds a bustling market every Wednesday and there is a good range of cafe-bars, restaurants, shops, an Inter Marché supermarket and a local hospital and medical centre. The town holds a number of events and festivals throughout the year, as well as a popular Christmas market.

The town has a famous race course (Le Dorat Hippodrome) which first started holding races in 1900. The local area has a long standing equestrian tradition and there is an annual Horse festival held in the town every August.

Villa Carré 2 bed house for long term rentals near Limoges France (Ref: 2292)

Villa Carré is a 2 bed house for long term rentals located in the centre of Le Dorat, a pretty medieval town located 50kms from the city of Limoges. This well-equipped house comes with 2 en suite bedrooms, a spacious terrace, wood burner and good internet connection.  

The house is very handy for the airport at Limoges (40 mins drive) which features flights to the UK (London Stansted, Manchester, Nottingham and Leeds-Bradford). Poitiers has direct TGV services to Paris. The house comes with:

• 2 bedrooms
• 2 bathrooms
• Modern kitchen
• Large living room
• Home office
• Large terrace

This 2 bed house in Haute-Vienne is available for long term rentals between September and May from €1000 per month + bills.

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The Burrow 2 bed cottage with garden for long term rentals France (Ref: 2289)

This lovely rural cottage in the Haute Vienne department, is the ideal base for a long stay in France. The nearby town of Le Dorat is a pretty place with bars, supermarket, bakeries etc, and also benefits from a local train station. The town is also close to Limoges airport and it is easy to pick up TGV trains to Paris from Poitiers.

All the living space is located on the ground floor (with a large insulated loft space on the first floor). The cottage is pet-friendly and the garden is enclosed. The efficient wood burner, make this property an ideal place to rent all year around.

• 2 bedrooms
• 1 bathroom
• Fully-fitted kitchen
• Open plan living room with original stone fireplace
• Large loft space - can be used as art studio/home office/storage
• Private parking

The cottage is available for long term rentals between October to May from €750 per month + bills. 12 month annual rentals may also be available.

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Thiat house for long term rent near Limoges France (Ref: 2300)

This 3 bed house for long term rentals is located in the small village of Thiat, in the Haute-Vienne department in central France. The house is the perfect base for a house hunting trip in the Limoges/Poitiers area of central France. The house is well-equipped for a winter stay. It is fully double glazed and there is central heating, as well as a fireplace in the lounge

The Haute-Vienne department is a lush green area of France that borders Dordogne to the south and the Charente to the west. The Loire Valley is to the north. The local town of Val-d'Oire-et-Gartempe has a range of shops, restaurants and services (including a bank, primary school, pharmacy and medical centre). The popular town of Le Dorat is 15 mins away. The house is also very handy for the airport at Limoges (50 mins drive) and the city of Poitiers which has direct TGV train services to Paris.

The house comes with:

• 3 bedrooms
• 1 bathroom
• Central heating & Double glazing
• Open plan living room with fireplace
• Small garden and courtyard
• Off-road parking for 2 cars

This 3 bed house in Haute-Vienne is available for long term rentals between November to March from €750 per month + bills..

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Corrèze department

Just over 240,000 people live in the Corrèze department, but nearly one-fifth of the population is centred around the town of Brive-la-Gaillarde. The department has seen a 25% reduction in its population since 1901. 

Tulle is the capital of the Corrèze department. Tulle was formerly an important centre for textiles and its local MP, François Hollande, would later go on to become the President of France. It is also noted in France for the production of accordions - which may or may not want you to move here. 

Brive is quite an attractive small town, with its distinctive sandstone buildings. It is a transport hub in the South of the Limousin, lying at the cross-section of the A89 motorway between Bordeaux and Lyon and the A20 Motorway between Toulouse and Paris.

The small town of Uzerche is known as the 'pearl of the Limousin' due to its location on a small rocky outcrop one bend in the Vézère river. In 51 BC, the site of the current town was the scene of the last battle between the Gauls and Julius Caesar's Roman army. The town has 2 impressive castles and is a popular tourist destination.

Correze department, France

Corrèze is home to 5 of the Most Beautiful Villages of France:  

• The village of Collonges-le-Rouge is probably the most distinctive village in Corrèze, being built almost entirely from the local red rock.
• The village of Curemonte has a stunning hilltop position with lovely views. Located in the far South of Corrèze, on the border with the Lot department, the village features three castles, a 12th century Romanesque church, some well-preserved some medieval houses and a lovely market square.
• The lovely of Segur-le-Château is located on the banks of the river and features some beautiful medieval houses.
• Organized around a Benedictine monastery, the village of Saint-Robert, also features a beautiful fortified 12th Century Romanesque church and many medieval mansion houses
• The medieval village at Turenne has two fortified towers and comes with beautiful views across the Limousin countryside.

The Haute Corrèze area of the department, located on the Massif Central plateau, has developed an important tourism sector for hiking, climbing and mountain biking. In the southeast of the Corrèze department, there is a really picturesque section of the Dordogne river as it meanders past the towns of Bort-les-Orgues, Bassignac-le-Haut, Argentat and Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne. The river valley here has been granted UNESCO status.

Moving to Limousin rural France

If you are interested in moving to the Limousin in France, we feature a number of long term rental properties in the area. Rental house prices in the Limousin tend to be a lot cheaper than the rest of France and certainly a lot different to the neighbouring departments of Dordogne and Charente. You can often find a one bed property for around €550-600 per month + bills and a 2 bed property for €650-800 per month + bills. 

The Limousin is certainly a good area of France if you are looking to rent a property for a full 12 months. You can see our full range of long term rental properties in the Limousin here: Long term rentals in Limousin

Where to next . . . ?

If you are interested in renting a house in France on a long term basis in 2026, but you are looking for more ideas on where to be based in France or the likely rental costs of properties, then the following articles may be of interest to you. 

We make the process of renting a house in France very straightforward. We don't require a stack of paperwork like a lot of French rental agents. We simply ask for copies of your ID (passport) and some evidence of ability to pay the monthly rent (which could be a copy of your bank statement, employment contract, bank reference or copies of your current rental/home loan payments). You can secure the property by paying a 1 month deposit (which becomes your security deposit for the tenancy).