How can a city try to regulate rentals on Airbnb?

The mayor of Montpellier wants to tackle Airbnb (illustration) -

• On September 15, during the metropolitan council, Michaël Delafosse (PS), the mayor of Montpellier, said his intention to work on the regulation of rentals on Airbnb.

• "When it becomes a full-fledged activity, it destabilizes the hotel industry, and it puts the housing in tension", explained the elected, to the metropolitan council.

• The municipalities have several levers to try to control rentals on the platforms: check whether the maximum threshold is respected, force owners to register with the town hall or touch the tourist tax.

"Do you know what the new noise in the Escutcheon is?"

That of the suitcases on wheels!

»On September 15, during the Metropolitan Council, Michaël Delafosse (PS), the mayor of Montpellier (Hérault), indicated his firm intention to work quickly to regulate rentals on Airbnb.

"We are going to put resources into it," thundered the elected official.

In the hyper-center, many accommodations that could be rented are cut out, and become Airbnb accommodations.

Of course, this represents additional income for some, and it is quite understandable.

But when it becomes a full-fledged activity, it destabilizes the hotel industry, and therefore jobs, and it puts housing under strain.

"

"Relatively liberal" legislation

But can a municipality really tackle the famous platform of furnished rentals?

Or is it a losing battle?

“Many cities are now trying to regulate rentals via Airbnb, explains

Antoine Courmont, researcher at Science Po, expert in the relationship between cities and digital technology

, to

.

But their capacities to do so come up against French legislation, which is relatively liberal in this area.

For it to be more restrictive, it would have to evolve.

"

But, recalls this researcher, we are not attacking Airbnb, but "people who rent on Airbnb".

Thus, main residences cannot be rented for more than 120 nights per year.

In 34 municipalities, where rental tension is high, the platforms have made a commitment in recent months to the government to block reservations when owners exceed this threshold.

In the region, Nîmes, Frontignan and Sète appear in the list of cities where this restriction is in force.

Not Montpellier.

Data transmitted to municipalities

"If the city of Montpellier considers that there is a proven housing problem, if it is identified as such by the Ministry of Housing, then blocking reservations at 120 days is something that can be fully discussed,"

Timothée de Roux, President of the National Union for the Promotion of Vacation Rental (UNPLV) and Managing Director of Abritel.

But the vast majority of properties rented in cities are primary residences.

Blocking rentals will never solve housing problems, since they are primary residences.

"

Today, furnished accommodation reservation platforms must transmit all rental details to the municipalities.

"The Montpellier town hall, like the others, has all the data: through the payment of the tourist tax, we give it the owner's address, the dates of stay, the number of nights, the number of people, etc." , continues the president of the UNPLV.

"With this data, the municipalities can strengthen controls to identify the lessors who exceed 120 days per year, and prosecute them", notes the researcher, Antoine Courmont.

"We are asking for an increase in the tax rate"

Cities can also use the tourist tax lever to try to regulate the phenomenon.

This is the wish of Nous Sommes, in Montpellier.

"To effectively fight against the abuse of residential housing rented overnight on Airbnb, and therefore removed from the rental stock, we are asking for an increase in the tax rate equivalent to that of Paris or Lille", asks the movement, represented on the council metropolitan by Alenka Doulain.

In some cities, such as Paris, rental companies must also register in advance before putting their goods online.

To effectively fight against the abuse of residential accommodation rented overnight on AirBnB and therefore withdrawn from the rental stock, we are asking for an increase in the tax rate equivalent to that of Paris or Lille. # Montpellier # CM3M

- We are Montpellier (@NousSommesMtp) September 15, 2020

"The supervision of the rental activity on the platforms, we understand it," continues Timothée de Roux.

It is an activity that has grown considerably, with the rise of certain platforms.

We are ready to discuss it, and we have been doing so for a long time with public authorities and local communities.

"But he recalls, it should not be forgotten that" the benefits of short-term furnished rentals are numerous for the attractiveness of local tourists ".

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• Languedoc-Roussillon

• Tourism

• Economy

• Montpellier

• Airbnb

• Rental