European justice on Tuesday validated the French law intended to regulate the rental of apartments for short periods, a "victory" for the City of Paris in a case which opposed two owners using Airbnb.

The mayor of Paris hailed "a victory" in this affair which opposed two owners using Airbnb.

European justice validated on Tuesday the French law intended to regulate the rental of apartments for short periods.

This decision was eagerly awaited, because many European cities, faced, like Paris, with a housing shortage, have tried to legislate to fight against the phenomenon of tourist rentals on Airbnb.

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In its judgment, the Court of Justice of the EU, based in Luxembourg, considers that "a national regulation subjecting to authorization the rental, in a repeated manner, of premises intended for housing for short periods of time to customers who do not take up residence there is in accordance with Union law ".

"The fight against the shortage of housing intended for long-term rental constitutes an overriding reason in the public interest justifying such a regulation", she adds.

"Nice victory! (...) We won", launched in two tweets the deputy mayor of Paris in charge of Housing, Ian Brossat (PCF).

European justice has just validated the French law on the regulation of Airbnb rentals.


This decision follows a dispute between the City of Paris and an owner who illegally rented two apartments in the 7th.


Nice victory !

- Ian Brossat (@IanBrossat) September 22, 2020

The case pitted the French capital against two owners using Airbnb.

For its part, the platform declared in an email to AFP "to welcome this decision which will help clarify the rules applicable to guests who share second homes in Paris".

"We look forward to working closely with local authorities on proportionate regulation that puts families and local communities first and works for all," she added.

The case in France is not yet over

European judges were seized in 2018 by the Court of Cassation, the supreme court in France, of several questions relating to provisions of the construction and housing code.

Previously, the Court of Cassation was itself seized by the two owners of Parisian studios, fined a total of 40,000 euros for having rented their property without the prior authorization of the town hall.

The case in France is not yet over: the French judge will now have to verify that the City of Paris provides evidence of a housing shortage.