Since a law passed on November 19, mayors have new tools to combat the illegal rental of furnished tourist accommodation, such as Airbnb. Paris is thus strengthening its arsenal, with new fines, increased sanctions, and even a reduction in the number of authorized rental days.
Jacques Baudrier, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of housing, hailed "a historic victory" at the end of a fight waged for more than ten years by the Paris city hall, while the city is facing a major housing crisis.
From January 1, 2025, following a vote in the city council, the maximum rental period will drop from 120 to 90 days in Paris, as permitted by the new legislation.
In addition to less favorable taxation, the text of the law allows town halls to impose heavier and more widespread sanctions on fraudulent owners. "We have much more effective legal weapons," the communist elected official rejoiced.
For example, landlords must now register with a national online service and provide proof of the main purpose of the residence being rented. In the event of a false declaration, the offender is liable to a fine of 20.000 euros.
The City of Paris is also planning to toughen up and create new fines, including that for illegal conversion of use, which will be doubled, from 50.000 to 100.000 euros.
The other fines concern platforms that do not fulfil the obligation to remove advertisements that do not respect the ceiling of overnight stays, or concierge services that are "accomplices" in a fraudulent rental.
"We do not expect this proposed regulation to have a significant impact on our business," the Airbnb platform responded in a statement sent to AFP.
"But we regret these new diversionary measures which will not resolve the housing problems, and continue to ignore the real issues linked to the concentration of tourism in the centre of Paris," she added.
"In cities that have implemented such drastic measures, such as New York, no positive impact on the long-term rental market has been observed," Airbnb said.
The deputy for housing at Paris City Hall estimates that 25.000 furnished tourist accommodations are rented illegally in the capital, for a billion euros in revenue. These are mainly accommodations rented all year round by multiple owners.
"We have won a battle," said Jacques Baudrier, who points out that 300.000 homes remain vacant in Paris. "We have others to fight, particularly on the taxation applied to second homes and vacant homes," declared the elected official.