As part of parliamentary debates on the draft law for access to housing and renewed urban planning (ALUR), MPs clarified on Thursday, September 12, the rules governing the rental of furnished tourist accommodation.

The definition is now clear: it refers to "furnished premises rented repeatedly for short periods to transient clientele who do not establish their primary residence there ." Renting such accommodation still requires prior authorization for a "change of use," from residential to tourist rental.

But to obtain this change of use, the landlord will now have to request the agreement of a majority of the co-owners, which is likely to be difficult. Few individual landlords currently request this change of use, because it is costly and implies that rental income is considered commercial income.

Currently, most landlords prefer to rent discreetly through a specialized agency or an online platform like Airbnb or Abritel. Unless a neighbor files a noise complaint, the City of Paris has no way of monitoring how the property is actually being used.

Unlike in other French cities, municipal agents in the capital did not have the power to inspect properties suspected of being tourist rentals. With the amendment passed by parliament on Thursday, they will now be able to do so.

"SUPPLEMENTARY INCOME"

Another new feature is that any intermediary paid for the rental of furnished tourist accommodation (real estate agency or Internet platform) will have to inform its advertising clients of the legal obligations and collect from them a declaration on honor attesting that they have complied with them.

"In the interest of administrative simplification and legal clarification ," the government adopted another amendment specifying that prior notification of furnished tourist accommodation rentals is not mandatory when the property is the landlord's primary residence, meaning they occupy it for at least eight months a year. In this case, such rentals are considered more of a "supplement to income," Ms. stated .

Source: Le Monde