The Le Meur law on furnished rentals: what changes

Do you let out a furnished property? Are you thinking of investing in buy-to-let? Then you have probably heard of the much-discussed Le Meur law, the latest arrival in the already dense jungle of French property regulation. Enacted in 2025, this law aims to bring a little order to the very (too?) buoyant short-term furnished rental sector. Spoiler: Airbnb and investors chasing easy yields will not be jumping for joy.

What exactly is the Le Meur law?

The Le Meur law, named after MP Annaïg Le Meur, is a piece of legislation that regulates furnished tourist rentals far more tightly, particularly in high-demand areas where housing for permanent residents is in short supply.

The aim? To curb abuses in the furnished rental market, especially in major cities such as Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux, where entire sections of buildings have been turned into unlicensed hotels at the expense of local residents.

What the Le Meur law changes in practice

Before the Le Meur law, letting a furnished flat for a few days on a platform such as Airbnb, Abritel or Booking was practically child's play. Now, a few new hurdles stand in the way:

• Shorter permitted letting period: in high-demand areas, the maximum drops from120 to 90 days a yearfor a main residence.
• Stricter registration requirement: any property offered as a furnished let must now beregistered with the local council, even outside high-demand areas.
• Change of tax regime: the end of the highly advantageous LMNP (non-professional furnished landlord) status for multi-property owners; alevelling of the tax treatmentis planned to narrow the gap with unfurnished lettings.
• Penalties for non-compliance: beware, fines can reach15 000 €for offenders!

Why was this law needed?

Because the furnished holiday rental market had quite literally exploded, to the point of creating serious housing pressure in certain cities. By converting homes intended for residents into short-term lets for tourists, many owners have helped push rents up and squeeze the available supply.

The result? Young professionals, lower-income families and even the middle classes are struggling to find somewhere to live. The Le Meur law therefore attempts to rebalance the rental market without killing off buy-to-let investment: no easy balancing act.

So what should you do as an owner?

If you are an investor or you let out a furnished property, there is no need to panic (but a little recalibration is in order):

• Check where your property sits: is it in a high-demand area? The rules there are stricter.
• Rethink your letting strategy: long-term furnished lets and unfurnished lets are becoming competitive again.
• Plan ahead on tax: thesimplified actual-cost regimecould become your best friend for continuing to optimise your rental income.

The impact on buy-to-let investment

The Le Meur law could mark a turning point. Gone are the double-digit yields promised by YouTube courses on the "explosive profitability of Airbnb". We are heading instead towards a return to balance:

• More properties coming back onto theconventional rental market;
• Adrop in rental pressurein certain areas (that is the goal);
• Alevelling of the tax treatmentbetween furnished and unfurnished lettings.