The conversion of offices into housing remains limited in the Paris metropolitan area, according to a study

Within the Greater Paris metropolitan area, 57.000 m³ of office space was converted into housing in 2025, representing approximately 817 homes, a drop in the ocean compared to the more than 6 million m³ of empty office space in the Île-de-France region, according to a study by the audit and consulting firm Deloitte, published on Thursday, December 11.

The converted floor space has more than doubled compared to 2024, when 24.000 m³ was converted into housing. The study is based on office conversions of at least 1.000 m³ and ends at the end of October.

New housing is being created mainly in the three departments of the inner suburbs, while in Paris, empty offices are mostly being converted into hotels.

Among the office conversion operations launched since the beginning of the year, which will be completed in the coming years, conversion into housing represents more than half of the surface area.

"The vacancy of offices" in the inner suburbs "appears as a boon to respond to the crisis (of housing, editor's note), provided that the structural (technical and regulatory) obstacles can be removed," the authors of the study believe.

They regret, however, that "the miracle solution of office conversion" has not gained sufficient traction. The 57.184 m³ of office space converted by 2025 represents "the equivalent of approximately 817 housing units".

In addition to housing, offices are also being demolished or converted into other uses (hotels, shops, for example). In total, "only 204.000 m³ of office space have disappeared this year," notes Deloitte.

"Of the 6 million square meters of vacant space in the region, only 2% are actually being redeveloped," emphasizes Armel Ract-Madoux, partner at Deloitte, quoted in the study.

The number of buildings under construction is increasing, but mainly for conversion into new offices. "The share of office space actually transformed into another type is decreasing" compared to 2024, the study notes.

New office buildings continue to rise from the ground. In total, 1,3 million m³ of office space was under construction at the end of October 2025, 12% less than in 2024, and 756.000 m³ of new office space was delivered.

Not all of these spaces find tenants, as companies have significantly reduced their office space since the Covid-19 crisis: "61% of delivered space is still empty at the end of construction, representing more than 460.000 m³, a level not seen for over ten years." Three-quarters of this empty space is located outside of Paris.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.