French parliament approves bill to rein in tourist rentals

The legislation, which has been successful the works since April 2023, aims to slash taxation breaks for tourer properties successful a bid to curb short-term rentals amid shortages of affordable housing.. Photo: Grégoire CAMPIONE / AFP/File
Source: AFP

The French parliament connected Thursday approved a measure aimed astatine tightening the regularisation of tourer accommodation specified arsenic Airbnb to combat the shortage of affordable housing.

France is the second-largest marketplace for Airbnb, with listings successful much than 29,000 towns and cities successful the country.

The National Assembly little location adopted the authorities by a ample majority, with the acold close voting against.

The measure -- the effect of a compromise betwixt the 2 houses of French parliament -- had been unanimously approved by the precocious location Senate connected Tuesday.

Airbnb said it regretted the caller restrictions due to the fact that of their interaction connected hosts, though it expected nary large effect connected its ain business.

"We regret the inclusion of further measures that volition load mundane families with further taxation costs and bureaucracy," the institution said successful a connection to AFP.

The legislation, which has been successful the works since April 2023, aims to slash taxation breaks for tourer properties successful a bid to curb short-term rentals amid shortages of affordable housing.

The bill's backers accidental that the roar successful Airbnb-type rentals has contributed to encouraging speculation, and made entree to accepted lodging harder.

"Restoring the superior relation of lodging is our lone goal", said Annaig Le Meur, 1 of the lawmakers down the bill.

'Housing crisis'

Lawmaker Inaki Echaniz pointed to "a lodging crisis" and "an explosive summation successful the fig of furnished tourer accommodation, which has risen from 300,000 to 1.2 cardinal successful 8 years."

The taxation allowance for furnished tourer accommodation would autumn to 50 percent from 71 percent, with a headdress lowered to 77,700 euros (83,500 dollars).

The authorities would slash taxation breaks for non-classified tourer properties to 30 percent from 50 percent, with a headdress of 15,000 euros.

The authorities besides gives mayors a "toolbox" to modulate short-term accommodation, Echaniz said successful a statement.

It volition beryllium imaginable to chopped the rental durations of superior residences to 90 days a twelvemonth from 120 days now.

Local authorities volition besides beryllium capable to acceptable quotas for furnished tourer accommodation.

"Hundreds of mayors, from Paris to Biarritz, from Annecy to Saint-Malo, are impatiently awaiting this projected law," said Laurent Lhardit, lawmaker and lawman politician of Marseille.

In Marseille, "we are acceptable to deliberate arsenic soon arsenic the instrumentality is promulgated to use the strictest regulations successful France successful this area," added the Socialist MP.

Far-right lawmakers denounced the legislation, slamming an "outrageous and punitive taxation system."

The instrumentality volition "favour the giants of the edifice assemblage to the detriment of those who simply privation to gain a supplementary income from their property," said Alexis Jolly, a subordinate of the National Rally.

Airbnb said it was already moving with much than 350 towns and cities crossed France "to enforce section rules"

"We privation to enactment with municipalities to guarantee that caller powers are leveraged wherever determination is simply a wide request and trackable impact," it added.

Representatives of the edifice industry welcomed the move.

"The caller instrumentality takes up measures that the tourism manufacture has been advocating for a agelong clip successful bid to amended the regularisation of furnished vacation accommodation," the CAT and ADN Tourisme federations said successful a statement.

The measures, they added, would warrant "the diverseness and prime of the accommodation connected offer, which is truthful important successful presumption of attracting tourists to our regions".

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Source: AFP