PARIS, Nov 24 ― Paris authorities said yesterday they would seek tougher restrictions on short-term vacation rentals in the run-up to the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The French capital hosts the Games between July 26 and August 11, and many locals expect to cash in by renting their apartments on online accommodation services such as Airbnb and Booking.com.
Short-term rentals are already highly regulated in France.
In Paris, only main residences can be freely rented as furnished tourist accommodation. The property has to be declared to the town hall and can only be let for a limit of 120 days per year. The rules are even tougher if the property is a second home.
But authorities fear that Parisians will violate the legislation to profit from surging Olympics prices.
“We do not want owners to get rid of their tenants in June to immediately rent on Airbnb,” said Ian Brossat, a member of the Paris Council formerly in charge of housing.
He says there should be a minimum period of one year between the time a tenant is asked to vacate an apartment and when it becomes available on online accommodation services.
The proposal will be examined by the National Assembly, next week.
On Thursday, city officials sought to conduct checks on 150 homes in the French capital's popular fifth arrondissement, but few people answered the door.
“We are in favour of owners being able, when they are absent, to rent their apartments to tourists,” said Brossat, “but we must curb the anarchic and completely irresponsible development of professional offers.”
Between 20,000 and 30,000 apartments in Paris are rented out to tourists illegally, according to officials. ― ETX Studio
