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I have been a regular Airbnb voyager since 2012 but decided this year to become a host. I live in Brittany, France.
My listing is for the use of two rooms in my home with shared facilities.
I was led to believe by a neighbour who is also an Airbnb host that I would have to register my rooms with the local mairie. When I contacted the mairie today enquiring what I need to do, I was informed that for chambre d’hote (private room short term rental in your home) doesn’t need registering but if my guests are not French nationals they would have to be registered with the prefecture. Are there any hosts here who are based in France who have any further information regarding this point?
I only intend to host for no more than the 120 days a year, in that situation do I have to register as a Micro Entrepreneur for tax purposes?
My husband is a french National and we’ve traveled through France and stayed at many gites but not Airbnb. I am American and was never asked for anything from a hotel or gite. What would the process be?
It might vary by city or region. Or, it may be a reaction to the new sharing economy. Paris has cracked down on Airbnb quite a bit.
Thank you for your feedback Maggieroni
I don’t think this is a reaction to Airbnb, I believe it has been in place for sometime now. I’m going to have to look into this more deeply.
In the meantime I have found a useful link which explains the status of chambre d’hote and the various ramifications of that status, which would be my case as an Airbnb host.
They certainly do! I though as a British citizen I was well versed with bureaucracy, but the French administration is in a league of its own. Even after 30 years of living here I still get taken unawares.
I’ve always had to provide ID when staying in hotels in France. Were they saying you as the host would need to provide information on who is staying with you?
Perhaps security has increased in recent times in France.
Hi Jax, we are in the Loiret near Pithivier and have been doing ABB for 4 years now. I think it’s nonsense that you would have to register non-nationals with the gendarmerie. I have never heard of this either as a traveler or as a host. The local Office de Tourisme here cracked down on the ABB’s this year and so we were required to register as a Chambre D’Hote with the Mairie and keep a record of the number and ages of our guests, but that is all.
A few months back we had a visit from the Gendarmes…they wanted to know if anyone from an eastern-European country had stayed with us recently. We hadn’t hosted anyone of that description, said so, and they politely thanked us and left…they would have told us in that context if we were supposed to be reporting non-French to them.
So I wouldn’t worry about it, but if you want to make sure just go to your local gendarmerie and ask them. I am sure you will get a very polite and simple response!
Thank you for your response, that’s really helpful :)
I made an enquiry with my local mairie asking whether I needed to register but the secretary said no not necessary, but it was her that then asked what the nationality was of my guests and that they may need registering if non French.
I thought I would check in here first before contacting the local prefecture (as she suggested). I do get the impression now though that in the last few years the mairies in the small communes have had many of their responsibilities taken away, for example I made an enquiry about renewing my old carte de sejour before next March (Brexit, if it happens - ) and the reply was much the same, contact the prefecture.
Out of interest are you registered as a business for ABB? I was only envisaging to be available for the 120 nights a year, and after some research I’m a little confused as to whether it is necessary to go down that route for such a short period of the year. I of course would be expecting to declare any income made for the impots. Understood if that’s a delicate question.
Many thanks again, its good to have a clear response.
No we are not registered as a business. There is no need and I don’t see any advantage other than being able to buy supplies and food (we do a Table d’Hote) at wholesale prices.
We have been declaring and paying income tax on our ABB income for the last 2 years. It is taxed under the regime “Micro Entreprise” but you don’t have to be a registered enterprise to declare it. You declare the amount ABB shows for yearly earnings and enter it on the line for “Locations Meuble’” or “Chambre d’Hote”. There is an automatic Abattement of 50% and then anther deduction if it is your primary residence and then you pay about 20% on the amount remaining.
Glad I could help.
It’s taken awhile and I am still learning…it’s complicated by the fact that things are in such flux that the rules keep changing. We just got a system running smoothly to pay the Taxe de Sejour to be in compliance with the Office de Tourisme, and then a couple of weeks later RBB announced that starting the next month that ABB would be collecting it. Also each region and city have there own specific rules!
Vive la France! Well let’s see how we do on the WC finals Sunday.
Just a funny aside when my husband and I were in France during the elections I went with him to vote and they tried to get me to vote as well and I’m American lol. I did get to go to the after party at the local cafe which was paid for by the local maire. The French have the oddest combination of laissez-faire and bureaucracy!
) and the reply was much the same, contact the prefecture.
