In Summary
| 📜 Section | Description |
|---|---|
| 🏠 Introduction | Overview of the importance of registering your Airbnb property with the local authorities for legal compliance and to avoid penalties. |
| 🔢 What is the Airbnb registration number? | Explanation of the unique 13-digit code provided by local authorities to regulate and track short-term rentals. |
| 🎯 Objectives of the registration number | Discussion on how the registration number assists municipalities in controlling and monitoring rental activities, ensuring compliance with local laws such as the 120-day limit for primary residences. |
| 🚫 Mandatory registration | Details explaining why the registration number is required in many cities to maintain transparency and compliance in the housing market. |
| 🛡️ Protection of the rental market | Explores how the registration number helps preserve residential housing by preventing excessive commercialization of properties for tourism purposes. |
| 🏛️ Why register? | Explains the necessity of registration to control rental days, preserve housing access, regulate tourist rentals, and prevent market abuses. |
| ✍️ How to obtain a registration number | Step-by-step guide on accessing the municipal website, filling out the required form, submitting the application, and including the number in your listing. |
| ❌ Consequences of non-compliance | Highlights fines and the possibility of removal of listings for failure to comply with registration requirements. |
| 📌 Conclusion | Summarizes the importance of obtaining and maintaining a registration number for legal and ethical operation of Airbnb rentals. |
Renting a property on Airbnb offers many advantages, including additional income, but it is important to comply with local regulations. In France, many cities require owners to declare their short-term rental activity. This declaration involves obtaining a registration number from the local authorities. Without this number, it becomes impossible to publish an advertisement online, which can lead to sanctions. This article explains in detail the importance of this number and how to obtain it to remain compliant with the law.
What is the Airbnb registration number?
The registration number is an essential element for regulating the rental market. To understand its importance and role, we will detail several key aspects in the following sub-sections.
Definition and role of the registration number
The registration number is a unique 13-digit code issued by the town hall of the municipality where the property is located. It serves to identify owners who rent out their property as a furnished tourist accommodation on platforms like Airbnb, Abritel, or Booking. This code must obligatorily appear in all online listings to prove that the owner complies with local regulations.
Objectives of implementing the registration number
The main goal of the registration number is to enable municipalities to control and track short-term rentals within their jurisdiction. This control has become essential in large cities where housing supply is often limited. By imposing this number, authorities aim to limit abuses and ensure that tourist rentals do not reduce the availability of housing for permanent residents. It also allows better monitoring of rental activities, especially to verify that owners respect the legal limit of 120 days per year for primary residences.
Why is it mandatory?
The registration number is mandatory in many French cities to ensure compliance with local regulations. This obligation stems from laws introduced to regulate the tourist rental market, especially in cities like Paris, Lyon, Nice, and Bordeaux, where demand for housing is particularly high. Without this number, it is forbidden to rent out your property on short-term platforms. This measure ensures transparency and compliance of rental activities in the eyes of municipal authorities.
How does the registration number protect the rental market?
The registration number plays a crucial role in protecting the real estate market. By regulating short-term rentals, it helps preserve the long-term rental housing stock, particularly in areas with high real estate pressure. It allows to prevent rent price surges and ensures that permanent residents can still find affordable housing. This system also helps to avoid real estate speculation, which could be exacerbated by an oversupply of properties for tourist rentals.
Information needed for registration
| 📋 Requested information | 🔍 Description |
|---|---|
| 🏠 Property address | Full address of the property to be rented. |
| 🛏️ Number of rooms and beds | Number of rooms available to tenants and capacity. |
| 📅 Planned rental duration | Indication of the period during which the property will be rented. |
| 🔢 Type of residence | Main residence or secondary residence. |
| 📂 Additional supporting documents | Documents required depending on the city (tourist furnished classification, etc.). |
Steps to obtain a registration number
| 📝 Step | ⏳ Details |
|---|---|
| 1. Access the municipal website | Visit your city’s official website to find the online declaration form. |
| 2. Fill out the form | Enter the requested information about your property and rental plans. |
| 3. Submit the application | Send your application online, often for free. |
| 4. Receive the number | Obtain the unique number via email or through your online account. |
| 5. Add the number to your listing | Input the number in the “Regulations” section of your Airbnb listing. |
Comparison of short-term rental platforms
| 🌐 Platform | 📜 Is registration mandatory? | 📝 Section for adding the number |
|---|---|---|
| Airbnb | Yes | “Regulations” section of the listing |
| Abritel | Yes | Dedicated section in settings |
| Booking | Yes | “Legal Information” section |
Why is it necessary to register with the local authorities?
Registering with the local authorities is an essential obligation imposed by local authorities to regulate and monitor short-term rental activities, such as those conducted on platforms like Airbnb. This process is crucial for several reasons, including controlling the number of nights rented and ensuring that owners comply with local rules specific to seasonal rentals.
Control of rental days
The main purpose of this obligation is to allow cities to verify that owners respect the legal limit of 120 days per year for renting out their primary residence. This restriction applies to properties rented for short periods to prevent these residences, which should be occupied by their owners, from becoming permanent furnished tourist accommodations. The registration allows the municipality to monitor compliance with this limit while protecting the offer of available housing for residents.
Cities where registration number is mandatory
| 🌍 City | 📜 Is registration number mandatory? | 📅 Maximum days for primary residences |
|---|---|---|
| Paris | Yes | 120 days per year |
| Lyon | Yes | 120 days per year |
| Bordeaux | Yes | 120 days per year |
| Nice | Yes | 120 days per year |
| Marseille | Yes | 120 days per year |
Ensuring housing access
In some cities, especially where demand for housing is high, short-term rentals can reduce access for permanent residents to affordable accommodations. Therefore, many municipalities have implemented this registration system. It enables the monitoring of tourist rentals and prevents owners from profiting from their properties by renting to tourists instead of locals, which could worsen the housing shortage in these areas.
Regulation of tourist rental activities
By registering their property with the municipality, owners participate in a regulatory system that helps local authorities better manage the rental market. This allows municipalities to collect data on the number of properties rented short-term and to monitor their impact on the local real estate market. This tracking process is particularly important in tourist hotspots where short-term rentals can negatively affect the traditional rental stock.
Prevention of abuse and speculation
The registration number is also a preventive tool against abuses. Without this system, some owners might rent their property illegally or non-compliantly, especially beyond the 120-day threshold. The obligation to register helps to limit excesses and ensure owners respect local regulations concerning tourist rentals. It also helps prevent properties from becoming speculative investments, used solely for tourism leasing at the expense of permanent residents.
How to obtain a registration number for your property?
Getting a registration number for your property is a straightforward and typically free process set up to regulate short-term rentals. It allows owners to comply with legal obligations and rent out their property transparently. Here are the steps to follow:
Access the municipal website
The first step is to visit your city’s official website. Many municipalities now offer online services to facilitate administrative procedures. You will need to find the section dedicated to tourist furnished rentals or short-term rentals, where you can find the online declaration form. This form is essential to obtain your registration number.
Fill out the declaration form
Once on the municipal website, you must complete an online form with specific information about your property. Commonly requested details include:
- Full address of the property you wish to rent.
- Number of rooms available for tenants.
- Number of beds and capacity of the property.
- Planned rental duration, especially if it involves repeated short-term rentals.
This information is necessary for the municipality to accurately monitor the characteristics of your rental and ensure your property complies with local regulations. It is important to fill each field correctly to avoid delays in processing your application.
Submission and receipt of the registration number
Once the form is completed, simply submit your application online. Depending on the city, the processing time can be instantaneous or take a few days. Once validated, the municipality will send you a unique registration number, often by email. This number consists of 13 digits and is specific to your property. You should keep it carefully, as it will be essential for all your rental listings on platforms like Airbnb.
Adding the number to your Airbnb listing
After receiving your number, you must add it to your listing on Airbnb or any other short-term rental platform. Airbnb allows you to insert this number in a dedicated section, under the “Regulations” or “Preferences” tab of your listing. This step is mandatory for your listing to remain active, as platforms are required to block or remove listings that do not include this number.
Keep the number for future use
The registration number you receive is valid for the duration of your rental activity. It does not need to be renewed as long as you continue renting the same property. Therefore, it is important to keep this number for all future listings or updates. This number also allows the municipality to track your rental activity and ensure you respect legal limits, including the 120-day maximum for primary residences.
What are the consequences if you do not register?
If you do not comply with the registration requirement, you risk heavy fines reaching thousands of euros. Indeed, some cities impose severe penalties on owners who fail to declare their short-term rental activity or exceed the allowed number of nights. Besides fines, your Airbnb listing could be removed or blocked on the platform. This could also harm your reputation as a host and complicate managing your future rentals. To avoid these issues, it is crucial to adhere to current legislation.
Penalties for non-registration
| ⚠️ Violation | 💸 Penalty |
|---|---|
| Missing registration number | Fines up to €5,000 |
| Exceeding the 120-day limit | Fines up to €10,000 |
| Non-compliant listing on the platform | Removal or blocking of the listing |
