Tourist or seasonal rentals are now illegal in Paris, provided you comply with certain regulations. What do offenders risk?
Since December 1, 2017, it’s no longer legally possible to rent out a Parisian property on tourist rental platforms such as Airbnb without first havingauthorization from the Marie de Paris and without possessing a registration or license number. Although the laws are designed to govern the functioning of the Republic, a few clever people still have fun transgressing them and putting themselves at odds with the legislation. What do they risk? What do you risk by renting out your apartment on Airbnb in Paris?
Heavy penalties, but different scenarios
As important as it is to know how to rent out your primary or secondary residence on Airbnb, it’s also important to know what penalties you’re exposing yourself to if you do so in the City of Paris without City Hall approval. There are two possible scenarios:
Primary residence
If you are a property owner and the property you are renting out on Airbnb is your principal residence, you could be fined 450 euros if you rent it out without authorization.
Second homes
Things are much saltier and harsher in the case of second homes. The law stipulates a fine of up to 50,000 euros for anyone renting out their Parisian second home on Airbnb without authorization or registration. Non-cumulative, this fine applies to a single property only, and is subject to a maximum penalty of 1,000 euros per day and per square meter until the situation is regularized.
This means, more or less, that if you have 10 properties considered to be your second home, and you rent them out on Airbnb without authorization from the Marie de Paris, you’ll be fined a record 500,000 euros. Added to this staggering sum is a fine of 1,000 euros per day and per square metre. You might as well give up on the idea of renting without authorization right away, and even if you were thinking of concealing the rental of one or all of your second homes on Airbnb, the State has a little present for this particular case.
What are the risks of concealing the rental of your Paris home?
In the event of concealment or attempted concealment of premises subject to authorization by the Mairie de Paris, you could face a gargantuan fine of up to 80,000 euros, as well as a criminal penalty of one year’s imprisonment. This heavy penalty also applies to false declarations, in accordance with article L651-3 of the French Construction and Housing Code.
In other words, if you want to rent out an apartment or house on Airbnb in Paris, it’s best to choose the legal route: Airbnb rentals in Paris: how do you go about being legal?