Short-term rental rules in France

The Le Meur law makes registration compulsory for every holiday rental, including your main home, with a number to show on every listing. A national online service is replacing the town hall declarations; until it's available, declare with your mairie. Check the current status on service-public.fr.

You can rent out your main home (résidence principale) for at most 120 nights a year, and cities can lower this to 90. Above that, it's treated like a second home.

In Paris and many other big cities, renting a second home as a holiday let needs a change-of-use authorisation, often with compensation (converting other space into housing). Cities can also set quotas and zones.

Co-owners can now vote to ban new holiday lets in many buildings, and you must tell the syndic when you start renting. Check your règlement de copropriété first.

Not registering can cost up to €10,000, a false declaration up to €20,000, and going over the night limit up to €15,000.

Holiday lets that aren't your main home will gradually need a minimum energy rating, reaching class A to D by 2034. Some cities can already ask for the DPE when you register.

A smoke detector is required in every home in France. A fire extinguisher, first aid kit and emergency numbers are good practice too.

Under the simplified micro-BIC regime, unclassified holiday lets get a 30% allowance on income up to €15,000 a year; classified ones (meublés de tourisme classés) get 50% up to €77,700. Above these limits, the real regime applies.

Most communes charge a tourist tax per person per night. Platforms like Airbnb usually collect it; if you rent directly, you collect and pay it yourself.

You may also owe the business property tax (CFE), and social charges apply to the income. An accountant can help you choose the best regime.

Since 20 May 2026, platforms must check registration numbers and share booking data with the authorities. In France this works together with the national registration under the Le Meur law.