French Mairies can soon request Airbnb property list
French Mairies in local towns and cities will soon be able to request a list of all properties listed on online rental websites - such as Airbnb - in new rules designed to monitor the practice.
From December 1, Mairies of communes in France will be allowed to request - once per year - a full list from platforms such as Airbnb and Abritel, showing all of the properties that are listed in the area.
The details will include the full address (including the building, floor number and/or apartment number), the rental registration number of the property (required for the listing itself), and the number of days per year that it is available for rental via the given website.
The online platforms will have one month to respond to any Mairie requests, and will send the data electronically.
The new authorisation comes after large cities such as Lyon, Bordeaux and Paris introduced a requirement for each online rental property to display an official registration number on the listing. The number, which is granted by the local authority, proves that the property owner or would-be landlord has permission to offer the space for short-term rentals.
In some communes, where a “change of use” rule is in place, properties that have been declared as the owner’s main residence also have a rental limit of 120 days per year - except in cases in which more days are required, such as for professional reasons, health reasons, or force majeure.
The new request rules will help to ensure that each property is authorised for short-term rental, as well as help ensure that properties do not exceed the 120 day rule.
Online rental platforms are currently required to block the listings of properties that have hit the 120 day limit, under the French Loi Élan (Évolution du logement, de l’aménagement et du numérique).
Those that do not, or owners who try to circumvent the law - by renting the property privately, by listing the home twice, or on several different platforms at once - risk a fine of €50,000 per property.
In towns that require a registration number on properties, any page listing that does not show the required number also risks a penalty of €12,500 per property.
