More challenges in Paris for Airbnb

With less people travelling, there have been renewed calls to convert Airbnb properties into long-term housing (Photo (C) Daria Shevtsova, Pexels)

With travel still largely off the cards for now, the Airbnb model is facing its biggest crisis to date. But in Paris, however, the backlash began long ago…

There are few aspects of life that haven’t been touched in some way by the pandemic – and real estate is no exception. From the growing surge in digital nomads to the renewed interest in gardens and balconies, there are a whole host of different trends to have emerged.

However, one side-effect that’s been of particular interest to many of our customers has been the dramatic effect on Airbnb. With vacation rentals still largely empty for now, there have been renewed calls to free up more of these properties for long-term housing – an idea that is gaining growing support.

“Here at VINGT Paris, we have long advocated for the strengthening of regulations around Airbnb,” says founder and CEO, Susie Hollands. “Now, with so many holiday rentals in the city now lying empty, we feel that it’s time to take action again – and do everything possible to return more accommodation to long-term housing.”

Long-running battle

As regular readers will know, these latest discussions follow a long-running battle between Paris City Hall and Airbnb, which have resulted in some fairly strict regulations already. Currently, property-owners in the French capital are only allowed to rent out their apartments for up to 120 days a year – and that’s if it’s their primary place of residence. Also, every property also has to be registered with the City of Paris – and those who fail to comply risk a steep fine.

In addition to this, the Mayor of Paris recently announced plans to hold a referendum on the subject of Airbnb. While the details of this are still to be finalised, it looks likely that Parisians will be asked whether or not they would like to see the annual rental period of these apartments limited still further.

Then, on top of all that, Airbnb could also face tougher regulations at European level. Officials in the EU are currently deciding whether to introduce new guidelines that would classify the company as a “gatekeeper” platform, paving the way for much stricter rules.

Tighter restrictions

“While we may not have all the details yet, it looks increasingly likely that holiday rentals in Paris will be subject to even tighter restrictions going forward,” says Susie. “The good news, though, is that long-term rentals are always in huge demand here – and continue to be so now, even during the pandemic.

“So for anyone interested in finding out more about this, we encourage you to get in touch for a chat. Our experts will be able to advise you on renting out your property both safely and legally – and, if desired, we can also take care of every aspect of this through our property management service.”

For more information, or to arrange an informal chat with one of our experts at VINGT Paris, contact us using the form here.

• To discover more about the Airbnb situation in Paris, you can read our previous stories below…THE LATEST UPDATE ON AIRBNBAIRBNB LAWS IN PARIS GET EVEN STRICTER

  AIRBNB BACKLASH IN PARIS

  CAN I USE MY PARIS APARTMENT FOR SHORT-TERM RENTALS OR AIRBNB?