top cx logo
cx logo
Explorearrow down
search icon

Airbnb rules in Paris upheld by European Court of Justice

The European Court of Justice has found in favour of French regulations that require landlords to obtain approval from the Mairie before listing their properties on rental sites such as Airbnb.

The Mairie of Paris hailed the decision “a victory”, as the city seeks to fight the illegal letting of properties to tourists on websites such as Airbnb (and similar), which it says has a negative effect on housing in the capital.

Under French law, Paris users of sites such as Airbnb must register their property with the Mairie first, and receive an authorisation number that proves they have the right to list it online. This number is shown on the property listing. Properties that are listed online on such platforms without this authorisation are illegal.

In its ruling, the ECJ upheld this, and agreed that prior registration and authorisation should continue to be necessary.

It said: “The national rule requiring authorisation for the repeated letting of premises intended for short-term accommodation to transient customers who do not take up residence there is in line with EU law. The fight against the shortage of long-term rental housing is an overriding reason in the general interest justifying such a regulation.”

The ruling comes two years after the French Supreme Court, la Cour de cassation, escalated the case to the ECJ, after ordering two Parisian property owners to pay €40,000 in fines, for having listed their properties on Airbnb without getting prior authorisation from the Mairie.

Ian Brossat, deputy Paris mayor in charge of housing and accommodation, celebrated the ruling as “a beautiful victory”.

In a later tweet and interview with news network France 3 Paris, Mr Brossat said: “We are not fighting a war against Airbnb or short-term tourism accommodation platforms. We are fighting a battle for Parisians’ housing. Because in the past few years, we have seen that the rise of Airbnb is happening to the detriment of Paris housing.

“And we are very happy that the ECJ has today said that we are right, because there had been a risk for about a year that all of our regulations would go out of the water....We held on, and we are happy that the ECJ has recognised the validity of our regulations.”

In light of the ECJ ruling, the Ville de Paris authorities will now be required to provide evidence of this aforesaid housing shortage.

Related stories

French Mairies can soon request Airbnb property list

Paris mulls tighter rules on Airbnb

Tenant owes landlord €46k in ‘Airbnb rent’

Resident or second-home owner in France?
Benefit from our daily digest of headlines and how-to's to help you make the most of life in France
By joining the newsletter, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
See more popular articles
The Connexion Help Guides
featured helpguide
Visa and residency cards for France*
Featured Help Guide
- Visas and residency cards (cartes de séjour) for France help guide - Understand when visas and residency cards are required to move to France or come for an extended stay - Applies to Britons (post-Brexit) and to all other non-EU/non-EEA/Swiss nationalities - Useful to anyone considering a move to France, whether for work or otherwise, or wanting to spend more than three months at their French second home
Get news, views and information from France