The French short-term rental market: a guide for international companies

1. How big is the French short-term rental market?

France is one of the largest short-term rental markets in the world. It has more than a million Airbnb listings, second only to the United States. In Europe, it ranks among the top three countries for nights booked through Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia, alongside Spain and Italy.

Demand is spread across very different markets: Paris and the Île-de-France region all year round, the Riviera and Provence, the Atlantic coast, Brittany, the Alps in winter and summer, and a long tail of rural and mid-sized destinations. Each has its own seasonality, its own type of properties and, increasingly, its own local rules.

Sources: Eurostat data on short-stay accommodation booked via online platforms (2025); Statista via Hospitality ON for Airbnb listings.

2. The Le Meur law and national registration

The law of 19 November 2024, known as the Le Meur law, has reshaped the rules for tourist furnished rentals (meublés de tourisme). Its main measures:

• Lower tax advantagesFrom 2025 income, the micro-BIC allowance falls to 30% (up to €15,000 of revenue) for unclassified rentals and 50% (up to €77,700) for classified ones.
• Energy performance requirementsNew listings that need a change-of-use authorisation must meet minimum energy ratings, and all tourist rentals must be rated A to D by 2034.
• A 90-day cap for main residencesMunicipalities can limit the rental of a main residence to 90 days a year, down from 120.
• More power for municipalitiesQuotas, zones reserved for main residences and a simpler change-of-use regime, available to any municipality that wants it.
• Easier bans in condominiumsCo-owners can now ban tourist rentals by a two-thirds majority in many buildings, instead of unanimity.
• Mandatory registrationSince 20 May 2026, every listing must be registered and display its number, with fines of up to €10,000 for a missing registration and €20,000 for a false one.

Registration goes through a national online service, and platforms must share activity data with the authorities. This is France's implementation of the EU regulation on short-term rental data, which applies across the EU from 20 May 2026.

Property managers are directly concerned: as intermediaries, they must check that each property they manage is compliant, and they can be fined.

This summary is for information only and is not legal advice. Rules keep changing and vary by municipality: check with a French legal professional.

3. Conciergeries: who your customers are

In France, professional short-term rental management is dominated by conciergeries: companies that manage properties on behalf of owners, usually for a commission of around 20% of rental income, with cleaning often billed separately.

There are thousands of them. Most are small local businesses managing a few dozen properties, founded by former hosts, hospitality or real estate professionals. Alongside them you will find growing regional players, a few national networks and franchises, and traditional real estate agencies that have added short-term rental to their services.

This structure matters for your go-to-market. Your typical buyer is often the founder, who handles operations, sales and owner relations at the same time. They have little time, a tight budget, and they compare you with the tools other managers around them already use.

4. The carte G and payment flows

In France, handling money on behalf of property owners is regulated by the Hoguet law. It requires a professional licence, the carte G (property management card), with a financial guarantee and insurance.

Many conciergeries do not hold a carte G. Without it, they can provide services such as check-ins, cleaning and guest communication, but they cannot collect rent, the tourist tax or deposits for the owner. They rely on split payments, with the platform paying the owner directly, or on partners who hold the licence.

For a software or payment company, this is not a detail. Payment flows, owner statements, invoicing of management fees and the way your product handles money must fit both models: with and without the carte G.

5. How French property managers buy

• In French, from start to finishWebsite, product interface, demo, support, contracts and invoices. A translated website is spotted in seconds.
• On recommendationPeers, manager communities, industry media and events weigh more than ads. One respected manager using your product opens many doors.
• Through integrationsManagers want your product to work with the PMS, channel managers and tools they already use, including French ones.
• With local proofTestimonials and case studies from French managers, with figures, in French.
• With clear, compliant termsPrices in euros excluding VAT, French invoicing rules, GDPR, and features that help with local regulation.

The French ecosystem is small and connected. Industry events, professional associations and media such as Welkomz, the media I founded for French short-term rental professionals, are where reputations are made.

6. Common mistakes of newcomers

• Translating instead of localisingLiteral translations, the wrong vocabulary, US examples and US pricing.
• Targeting the wrong segment firstIndividual hosts, small conciergeries, regional leaders and agencies have very different needs and budgets.
• Ignoring regulationRegistration numbers, the 90-day cap, the tourist tax and the carte G all affect your product and your pitch.
• Skipping partnershipsWithout the right integrations and partners, you stay invisible, whatever your marketing budget.
• Expecting results too fastTrust takes time in France. A launch needs a plan over several quarters, not a single campaign.

7. Where the opportunities are

Regulation is a constraint, but it also creates demand. Managers need help with compliance: registration numbers, night counts, owner documentation, data reporting. The market is professionalising and consolidating, and growing conciergeries are investing in tools for automation, pricing, guest experience, access and security.

Visibility is changing too. French managers increasingly ask AI assistants such as ChatGPT or Perplexity which tool to choose. Companies that build a strong presence in French content, media and partner ecosystems now will be the ones those assistants recommend.

Planning to enter France? Start with a French market audit to size the opportunity, or a product crash test to see how French managers react to your product.