Short-Term Rentals in Paris: Rules for Airbnb Hosts
Renting your Paris home to visitors through Airbnb or similar platforms can bring in useful income, but the city has some of the strictest short-term rental rules in Europe. This guide explains the night limits, registration and change-of-use rules as they stand in late October 2026, plus how to run a compliant listing while protests and strikes affect travel plans.
Key takeaways
- Since 1 January 2025, you can rent your primary residence as a whole in Paris for at most 90 nights per year.
- Every furnished tourist rental must be registered and must display its registration number in listings.
- Renting a second home short term in Paris requires a change-of-use authorization, with compensation rules.
- Check your lease, co-ownership rules, insurance and tax position before you list.
- During protests and strikes, clear communication and flexible policies protect your reviews.
Paris is one of the most visited cities in the world, and short-term rentals are a big part of how visitors stay there. They are also a big part of the city's housing debate. To protect homes for residents, Paris and the French state have built a layered system of limits, registration and authorizations. Hosts who ignore it risk fines, forced removal of listings and disputes with neighbors or landlords.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules are enforced and updated regularly, so check the City of Paris website, service-public.fr and impots.gouv.fr for the current position, and ask a lawyer or accountant if your situation is unusual.
The core rules at a glance
The rules depend mainly on one question: is the property your primary residence (résidence principale) or not? In France, your primary residence is generally the home where you live at least eight months a year, unless work, health or another legitimate reason keeps you away.
| Situation | What you can do in Paris | Key requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Renting a room in the home you live in | Generally allowed, with specific rules for rooms | Check local rules and declare income |
| Renting your whole primary residence | Up to 90 nights per year | Registration number on every listing |
| Renting a second home or investment flat | Only with a change-of-use authorization | Authorization and compensation rules |
| Renting a flat you rent from someone else | Only with your landlord's written permission | Plus all rules above |
The 90-night limit for primary residences
Since 1 January 2025, a primary residence in Paris can be rented as a whole for at most 90 nights per year. The national default is 120 nights, but the 2024 Le Meur law allowed cities to lower the limit, and Paris did so.
Major platforms count nights for listings in cities with limits and may block bookings once the cap is reached. Do not rely only on the platform, though. If you list on more than one site, the platform counters do not talk to each other, and the legal limit applies to your home, not to each listing.
Common mistake
Listing the same flat on two or three platforms and assuming each one's counter keeps you safe. The 90 nights are a total across all channels, including direct bookings from friends of friends. Keep your own calendar log of every paid night.
Registration: the number every listing needs
Every furnished tourist rental (meublé de tourisme) in Paris must be registered, and the registration number must be displayed on every listing. This applies whether you rent your primary residence or a property with a change-of-use authorization.
- Confirm the property's status. Decide whether it is your primary residence or a secondary property, and gather proof such as tax notices and utility bills in your name.
- Register with the city. Use the City of Paris online service for furnished tourist rentals and complete the declaration with accurate details about the property.
- Add the number to each listing. Enter it in the dedicated field on every platform you use and in any direct booking page.
- Keep records. Save the registration confirmation, your nightly calendar and booking records in case the city or tax office asks.
- Update when things change. If you move, change the property's use or stop renting, update or close the registration.
Pro tip
Make a single "compliance folder" in the cloud with your registration confirmation, proof of primary residence, landlord or co-ownership permissions, insurance certificate and a night-count spreadsheet. If an inspector or platform asks questions, you can answer in minutes.
Second homes and investment flats: change of use
If the property is not your primary residence, short-term rental in Paris is treated as changing a home into a commercial use. You need a change-of-use authorization (autorisation de changement d'usage) from the city before you rent it to tourists, and Paris applies compensation rules: in practice, the city generally expects commercial space elsewhere to be converted into housing to offset the home that is taken off the residential market.
Compensation can be difficult and expensive to arrange, and the rules vary by area of the city. For many small investors, it means a dedicated short-term rental flat in Paris is not realistic. Before buying a flat with a short-term rental plan, ask a notaire or specialist lawyer whether authorization is achievable for that address, and read the site's separate guide to rental investment in France for longer-term letting options.
Example
Imagine Sofia, who lives in Madrid and owns a small flat in Paris that she uses a few weeks a year. She had planned to rent it on a platform the rest of the time. Because it is not her primary residence, she would need a change-of-use authorization with compensation. After checking, she switches to a furnished lease for students during the academic year instead. The name and details are made up.
Leases, co-ownership rules and insurance
If you are a tenant
Renting out a flat you rent from someone else (sous-location) requires your landlord's written agreement. Without it, you may face termination of your lease and claims to repay what you earned. In rent-controlled Paris, sublet rent also cannot exceed what you pay.
If you are in a co-ownership building
Most Paris flats are in co-ownership buildings (copropriété) with building rules (règlement de copropriété). Some rules restrict or prohibit commercial or tourist use. Read the rules and recent meeting minutes, and keep good relations with neighbors: noise, keys and frequent arrivals are common sources of complaints.
Insurance
A standard home policy may not cover paying guests. Tell your insurer you rent short term and ask how guest damage, theft, liability and loss of income are handled. Platform guarantee programs have their own conditions and are not a substitute for proper insurance. If your neighborhood has seen unrest, ask whether riot and civil commotion damage (émeutes et mouvements populaires) is covered, and with what deductible.
Tax on short-term rental income
Income from furnished tourist rentals must be declared in France. It is usually treated as furnished rental income (BIC), and tourist rentals have their own thresholds and allowances within the simplified regime, which have been tightened in recent finance laws. You may also need to collect tourist tax (taxe de séjour) from guests; platforms often collect it automatically, but direct bookings are your responsibility.
Because the details change frequently and depend on your residence and other income, check impots.gouv.fr and consider an accountant, especially if you live outside France. Platforms share host income data with tax authorities, so assume the tax office knows what you earned.
Hosting during protests and strikes
As of late October 2026, France is seeing cost-of-living protests. A nationwide day of action on 17 October 2026 led to clashes and damaged shops in several cities including Paris, and partial curfews were imposed in some areas afterward. Yellow vest groups announced actions on 24 and 31 October, and five unions called a national day of strikes and demonstrations on 5 November 2026.
Flights and trains have largely operated, but strike days can bring cancellations, road closures and closed attractions; the Louvre closed during the unrest, according to Skift. The US State Department has France at Level 2 ("Exercise increased caution"), and the UK FCDO has not advised against travel but recommends avoiding protest areas. Guests are reading those headlines too.
What helps guests feel confident
- A short, calm message before arrival with practical local tips
- Simple pointers to official travel advice and transport apps
- A clear plan for late arrivals if trains or flights are disrupted
- Flexible date changes where your calendar allows
What damages reviews
- Silence when guests ask about safety
- Rigid refusals for travelers whose flights were canceled
- Dramatic or political comments about the protests
- Self check-in instructions that fail when streets are closed
Stay neutral and practical in messages. Tell guests where demonstrations are commonly announced, suggest they follow local media and authorities, and offer to adjust check-in times. Check what your platform's cancellation policy and any "major disruptive events" rules say, because they decide who bears the cost if a guest cancels. Keep your night count in mind when you move bookings: shifting a stay should not push you over 90 nights.
Your Paris short-term rental checklist
- Confirm whether the property is your primary residence and keep proof
- Register the rental with the City of Paris and display the number on every listing
- Track paid nights across all platforms and direct bookings, staying within 90
- For a second home, check whether a change-of-use authorization is achievable before listing
- Get written permission from your landlord if you are a tenant
- Read co-ownership rules and recent meeting minutes
- Tell your insurer about paying guests and check riot cover
- Declare income and handle tourist tax on direct bookings
- Prepare a neutral guest message for strike and protest days
Frequently asked questions
Is the limit 90 or 120 nights in Paris?
In Paris it is 90 nights per year for a whole primary residence, since 1 January 2025. The national default is 120 nights, but the 2024 Le Meur law allowed cities to set a lower limit, which Paris did.
Do I need a registration number if I only rent a few nights a year?
Yes. Every furnished tourist rental in Paris must be registered and display its number on listings, regardless of how many nights you rent.
Can I rent my second home in Paris on Airbnb?
Only with a change-of-use authorization from the city, which comes with compensation rules. For many owners this is hard to obtain, so check feasibility for your address with a specialist before listing or buying.
What if a guest cancels because of the protests?
Your platform's cancellation policy and its rules on major disruptive events usually decide refunds. Many hosts offer date changes as a goodwill gesture, which can protect reviews, as long as the new dates fit within your night limit.
Related reading
The bottom line
Short-term renting in Paris is possible, but only within clear limits: up to 90 nights a year for your primary residence, a registration number on every listing, and a change-of-use authorization for anything else. Check your lease, building rules, insurance and tax position before you list, and keep records that show you are compliant.
While protests and strikes continue, calm and practical communication with guests is your best tool. Check official sources for the latest rules and travel advice, and plan your calendar so goodwill gestures never push you over the legal limit.
