Illegal tourist flats raided

CITY officials in Paris have raided unlicensed tourist flats in the capital’s 6th arrondissement and are carrying out further raids in the centre of the city today to crack down on illegal tourist lets.

The move comes after previous raids last May with officials stressing they are targeting people renting out flats to tourists year-round such as some of those on the likes of Airbnb and not those renting out a room or a flat from time to time.

Five new staff have been appointed to the controls office to police tourist flats and they are looking through ‘for rent’ ads on holiday websites to identify those available for much of the year.

The mairie says unlicensed tourist accommodation is preventing flats being available for people to live in – with Paris having a widescale housing problem.

But officials added that illegal tourist flats also fuel property speculation, speed the departure of residents from city centres, spoil residential life in the district and hurt the quality of life of people living next to them.

Ian Brossat, deputy mayor with responsibility for housing, said: “Tourist flats are very profitable – we want to scare the owners.”

He said flats were a 'cash machine' and added that they wanted a city where the people who worked in the city could live in the city and enjoy city life rather than a dead tourist site.

“We are targeting property professionals who rent flats illegally all year round and who often buy flats with the aim of turning them into tourist accommodation.”

The mairie is examining about 900 files out of the 30,000 tourist lodgings in the city and aims to get an agreement with the owner to put the property on the residential letting market.

If not, it will take them to court, where they face a €25,000 fine - although the city has asked the government to increase this to €100,000. Fines in 2014 totalled more than €500,000.