PARIS-A majority of large French companies are dissatisfied with the buildings they occupy, suggesting that France's real estate stock is poorly adapted to users' needs, according to a survey by BNP Paribas Real Estate and France's Essec Business School.

Some 73% of 119 firms surveyed said their property situation is less than optimal. "The main factors behind the general feeling of dissatisfaction were obsolescence and unsuitability, which for BNP raises the question of how well the real estate stock is adapted to users' expectations," a company official said. The annual survey was carried out in first quarter 2010.

Users complained most about the size of office space, rent levels and the technical performance of buildings. Some 64% of respondents are contemplating a move in 2010, up from 58% a year earlier, mainly to cut expenditures or rationalize occupied premises. The proportion of firms saying their rents are above market increased to 31% from 23% last year, while 54% said they had renegotiated rents in 2009.