In Montmartre, the hunt for illegal tourist rentals

It's painstaking work with which the agents of the habitat and housing department (DHL) have resumed full-time since the spring and the return of foreign tourists to the capital: going through the ads on the platforms, then go there to find apartments that do not comply with the legislation.

“We must do everything to prevent this return of tourists, which is welcome, from leading us to a return of illegal tourist rentals to the detriment of the housing of Parisians”, declared the deputy (PCF) for housing Ian Brossat, present for the launch of the control operation.

The town hall's policy "has started to bear fruit, it would not be a question of going back now", insisted the elected communist, already in this position under the previous mandate of mayor Anne Hidalgo and who has obtained several legislative tightenings and legal victories in order to limit the proliferation of these furnished apartments.

Last changes of screw to date: since January, any change of use of a trade in tourist furnished is subjected to authorization of the town hall and the residences transformed into tourist hirings must be the subject of a triple compensation in surface in the most touristic areas.

A highly discouraging measure.

In 2021, the Airbnb platform, attacked by the City, was fined eight million euros for having published a thousand advertisements without a registration number. More than 200 owners have also been sentenced for non-compliance with the town planning code or the tourism code.