"Airbnb" Decree: primary residence and registration with the city hall

Your Airbnb concierge service would like to remind you of the essential points you shouldn't overlook to rent your properties on Airbnb with complete peace of mind! As you likely know, a new decree, aptly nicknamed the "Airbnb Decree," went into effect on April 28, 2017. Following this decree, certain cities have tightened controls on short-term rentals, particularly regarding compliance with the 120-day limit for renting a primary residence. Indeed, in Paris and Nice, where there is a high concentration of short-term rentals like Airbnb or Abritel, a property registration system with the city hall has been implemented.

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What are the consequences of this Airbnb decree?

From now on, in cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants, the City Council can deliberate and decide to implement a registration procedure for any furnished tourist accommodation and for individuals offering their primary residence for short-term rental. In other words, since the implementation of the decree, if your municipality has chosen this procedure and has a functional computerized system, and if you rent your property occasionally, you must register with your city hall and include the registration number on your Airbnb, Booking, or HomeAway listing.

Your steps

Step one: Register my property with the city hall

All cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants are affected by this decree. Some cities, such as Paris, have implemented an online registration system. When this is not the case, you simply need to complete a declaration of furnished tourist accommodation at the city hall.

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Step two: Request authorization for change of use for my secondary residence

When the property you are renting has the status of a secondary residence and is located in a city with more than 200,000 inhabitants, you must request authorization for a change of use. The conditions for this change of use authorization vary by municipality; we invite you to contact your city hall to learn about them.

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Third and final step: Include your registration number on all your online listings

Once you have finished registering, your municipality will "immediately" issue you a thirteen-digit registration number. This must be indicated on all your online rental listings, regardless of the booking platform used (Airbnb, Booking, HomeAway, TripAdvisor, or Agoda). Furthermore, if you use an intermediary or any other service that posts your listing for you (like the turnkey service offered by the Welkeys Premium option), you must also provide this registration number. (All information in this article is sourced from the decree of April 28, 2017).