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 monitor short-term rentals. |
| 🎯 Objectives of the registration number | Discussion on how the registration number helps municipalities control and oversee 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 compulsory in many cities to maintain transparency and compliance in the housing market. |
| 🛡️ Protection of the rental market | Explore how the registration number helps preserve housing stock by preventing excessive commercialization of properties for tourist purposes. |
| 🏛️ Why register? | Explains the need for 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 how to access the municipal website, fill out the required form, submit the application, and include the number in your listing. |
| ❌ Consequences of non-compliance | Highlights fines and the possibility of removing listings for failure to meet 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, notably additional income, but it is important to comply with the 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 a listing online, which can lead to sanctions. This article explains in detail the importance of this number and how to obtain it to ensure legal compliance.
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 subsections.
Definition and role of the registration number
The registration number is a unique code consisting of 13 digits, issued by the city hall of the municipality where the accommodation is located. It serves to identify owners who rent their property as a tourist furnished property on platforms like Airbnb, Abritel, or Booking. This code must obligatorily appear in all listings posted online to prove that the owner complies with the local regulations.
Objectives of implementing the registration number
The main goal of the registration number is to enable municipalities to control and monitor 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 abuse and ensure that tourist rentals do not reduce the availability of housing for permanent residents. It also facilitates better monitoring of rental activities, particularly 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 adherence to local regulations. This obligation results from laws designed 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 prohibited to rent out a residence 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 stock, especially in areas with high real estate pressure. It allows for preventing rent hikes and ensures that permanent residents can continue to find affordable housing. This system also helps avert real estate speculation, which could be exacerbated by a large availability of properties for tourist rentals.
Required information for registration
| 📋 Information Requested | 🔍 Description |
|---|---|
| 🏠 Property Address | Full address of the property to be rented. |
| 🛏️ Number of rooms and beds | Number of rooms available for tenants and capacity. |
| 📅 Planned rental period | Indication of the period during which the property will be rented. |
| 🔢 Type of residence | Main or secondary residence. |
| 📂 Supporting documents (if any) | Necessary documents depending on the city (tourist furnished classification, etc.). |
Steps to obtain a registration number
| 📝 Step | ⏳ Details |
|---|---|
| 1. Access the municipal website | Visit your city hall’s website to find the online declaration form. |
| 2. Complete the form | Fill in the requested information about your property and rental plans. |
| 3. Submit the application | Send your application online, often free of charge. |
| 4. Receive the number | You will receive the unique number by email or through your online account. |
| 5. Add the number to your listing | Enter the number in the “Regulations” section of your Airbnb listing. |
Comparison of short-term rental platforms
| 🌐 Platform | 📜 Is registration mandatory? | 📝 Section to add the number |
|---|---|---|
| Airbnb | Yes | “Regulations” section of the listing |
| Abritel | Yes | Dedicated section in settings |
| Booking | Yes | “Legal Information” section |
Why do you need to register with the local authorities?
Registering with the local authorities is a fundamental 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 owners comply with local rules specific to seasonal rentals.
Monitoring the number of days rented
The primary aim of this requirement is to enable cities to verify that owners respect the legal limit of 120 days per year for renting their primary residence. This restriction applies to properties rented for short durations to prevent these residences, which should be occupied by their owners, from turning into permanent tourist furnished rentals. Registration allows the municipality to control compliance with this limit while protecting the supply of housing available to permanent residents.
Cities where registration is mandatory
| 🌍 City | 📜 Is registration required? | 📅 Limit of 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 |
Maintaining housing access
In certain cities, especially those with high housing demand, short-term rentals can reduce residents’ access to affordable housing. That is why many municipalities have implemented this registration system. It allows monitoring tourist rentals and prevents owners from maximizing profits by renting their properties to tourists rather than locals, which could worsen the housing shortage in those 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 enables cities to collect data on the number of properties rented short-term and to monitor their impact on the local housing market. This tracking process is particularly important in highly touristic areas, where short-term rentals can negatively affect the traditional rental stock.
Preventing abuse and speculation
The registration number is also a tool for preventing abuse. Without this system, some owners might rent their property illegally or non-compliantly, especially beyond the allowed 120 days. The registration requirement helps to limit excesses and ensure owners follow local regulations regarding tourist rentals. It also helps prevent properties from becoming speculative investments, used solely for tourist rental purposes, at the expense of permanent residents.
How to obtain a registration number for your property?
Obtaining a registration number for your property is a simple and usually free process, designed to regulate short-term rentals. This procedure allows owners to comply with legal obligations and rent their property transparently. Here are the steps to follow to get this number:
Access the municipal website
The first step is to visit your city hall’s website. Many municipalities now offer online services to facilitate administrative procedures. You need to find the section dedicated to tourist furnished rentals or short-term rentals, where you will find the online declaration form. This form is key to obtaining your registration number.
Complete the declaration form
Once on the municipal website, you must fill out an online form with specific information about your property. Commonly requested details include:
- Complete address of the property you wish to rent.
- Number of rooms available for tenants.
- Number of beds and capacity.
- Planned rental duration, especially if it involves repeated short-term rentals.
These details are 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 out each field accurately to prevent delays in processing your application.
Submission and receipt of the registration number
After completing the form, simply submit your application online. Depending on the city, processing can be instantaneous or take a few days. Once validated, the municipality will send you a unique registration number, often via email. This number consists of 13 digits and is specific to your property. You should keep it safely, as it will be necessary for all your rental listings on platforms such as Airbnb.
Add the number to your Airbnb listing
After receiving your number, you need to add it to your Airbnb listing 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 the listing. This step is mandatory to keep your listing online, as platforms are required to block or remove listings without this number.
Save 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 monitor your rental activity and ensure you respect legal limits, notably the 120-day limit for primary residences.
What are the consequences if you fail to register?
If you do not adhere to the registration obligation, you risk significant fines that can reach several thousand euros. Indeed, some cities impose heavy penalties on owners who do not declare their short-term rental activity or exceed the allowed number of nights. In addition to fines, your Airbnb listing could be removed or blocked on the platform. This can also harm your reputation as a host and complicate managing your future rentals. To avoid these issues, it is crucial to comply with current legislation.
Sanctions for non-registration
| ⚠️ Offense | 💸 Sanction |
|---|---|
| Failure to provide registration number | Fine up to €5,000 |
| Exceeding the 120-day limit | Fine up to €10,000 |
| Non-compliant listing on the platform | Removal or blocking of the listing |
