Furnished tourist accommodation: the mandatory declaration

Do you let out a flat on Airbnb, a holiday home on Booking or a family gîte during the sunny months? Then there is one formality that deserves your full attention: the online declaration of your furnished tourist accommodation.

Holiday rentals have been going from strength to strength for several years now. Faced with this enthusiasm, the French authorities have gradually tightened the rules in order to keep better track of tourist accommodation and streamline administrative procedures. The result: declaring furnished tourist accommodation is increasingly handled through a single online process.

There is no need to panic, though. Even if officialdom can sometimes bring on a cold sweat, the process is generally simpler than it looks. In this article, you will find everything you need to know about declaring your furnished tourist accommodation online: the steps to follow, the documents to get ready and the best practices for staying on the right side of the rules.

What is furnished tourist accommodation?

Before we get to the paperwork, let us quickly recap what furnished tourist accommodation actually means.

It refers to a furnished property offered to a transient clientele who stay there for a short period without making it their permanent home. That could be:

• a flat;
• a detached house;
• a studio;
• a gîte;
• a chalet;
• a holiday villa.

The property must be equipped in such a way that guests can live independently there for the duration of their stay.

Today, millions of nights are booked every year through holiday rental platforms, which explains why a more precise regulatory framework has gradually taken shape.

Why declare your furnished tourist accommodation?

Declaring furnished tourist accommodation serves several purposes.

First, it allows local authorities to identify properties used for tourist letting. In some highly sought-after towns, the growing number of holiday rentals can have an impact on the local housing market.

Second, the declaration makes it easier to check that owners are following the applicable rules. In particular, it allows the authorities to verify:

• compliance with maximum letting periods for main residences;
• that the property meets the required standards;
• payment of any tourist tax;
• compliance with tax obligations.

Finally, it brings greater transparency for guests and booking platforms alike.

Who needs to declare online?

Most owners offering a tourist let are concerned.

You will generally need to complete this step if you let out:

• a second home;
• a property used exclusively as a holiday rental;
• a gîte or a holiday home;
• a flat listed on Airbnb, Booking or Abritel;
• your main residence, within the limits set by local rules.

Some municipalities apply specific rules, so it is always wise to check the provisions in force with your local town hall.

Declaring online: a simpler process than before

For a long time, the procedure varied considerably from one municipality to another.

In some towns you had to fill in a paper form and post it to the town hall. In others, a local online platform was already up and running.

The aim of going digital is now to simplify the whole process through a single, centralised online procedure.

In practice, owners will be able to declare their furnished tourist accommodation directly through a dedicated platform, without endless back-and-forth with the administration.

A welcome time-saver for everyone, including council staff, who will see rather fewer forms printed out at the last minute.

How to declare your furnished tourist accommodation online

Step 1: Gather the information you need

Before you start, get together the key details about your property.

You will generally need to provide:

• your contact details;
• the full address of the property;
• the type of property;
• how many people it sleeps;
• the number of rooms;
• its status (main or second home).

Having all of this to hand will save you valuable time when filling in the declaration.

Step 2: Log in to the dedicated platform

The declaration is made directly online, through the portal set up for that purpose.

You will need to create an account or identify yourself using a secure authentication system.

The interface has been designed to guide owners step by step, which greatly reduces the risk of mistakes.

Step 3: Complete the form

Next comes entering the details of the property.

Take the time to check every piece of information:

• address;
• floor area;
• how many people it sleeps;
• property category;
• any letting period.

A typing error can cause complications later on, particularly during inspections.

Step 4: Obtain your registration number

Once the declaration has been approved, a registration number is usually issued for the property.

This number becomes the official identifier for your furnished tourist accommodation.

Keep it somewhere safe and display it on your listings on booking platforms whenever the rules require it.

Step 5: Update your listings

Once you have your number, remember to update all your listings:

• Airbnb;
• Booking;
• Abritel;
• your own website;
• partner agencies.

Failing to display the number where it is compulsory can lead to penalties.

Which documents should you have ready?

The exact list may vary depending on your situation, but it is often useful to prepare:

• proof of identity;
• proof of address;
• the land registry details for the property;
• the characteristics of the property;
• any authorisations required locally.

The more complete your file is from the outset, the smoother the process will be.

What happens after the declaration?

Once your furnished tourist accommodation has been declared, several obligations remain.

In particular, you must:

• keep the information up to date;
• report certain significant changes;
• comply with local letting rules;
• declare the income generated to the tax authorities.

So the initial declaration is not a formality to be filed away in a digital folder and forgotten for good.

The most common mistakes to avoid

Forgetting to declare the property

This is, of course, the most problematic mistake of all.

Even if your property is only let for a few weeks a year, it may still be subject to declaration requirements.

Providing inaccurate information

An incorrect number of guests or the wrong address can make administrative checks far more complicated.

Not displaying the registration number

Where it is compulsory, the number must appear clearly on your rental listings.

Ignoring local rules

Every municipality can apply its own specific provisions, so checking beforehand is essential.

What are the risks of not declaring?

Penalties can vary depending on the nature of the breach and the rules that apply.

In some cases, owners may face:

• administrative fines;
• orders to bring the property into compliance;
• restrictions on letting the property;
• closer scrutiny.

All of which is to say that it is better to spend a few minutes on the declaration than several weeks sorting out a compliance case.

Declaration and star rating: two different procedures

One common source of confusion is the star rating of furnished tourist accommodation.

Be careful: declaring a property and having it rated are two separate procedures.

The declaration officially registers the property.

The star rating, on the other hand, is a voluntary step that assigns a category, generally from 1 to 5 stars, based on the level of comfort and the facilities on offer.

A star rating can bring several benefits:

• better visibility;
• greater credibility with guests;
• certain tax advantages, depending on your situation.

Why this change is actually good news

Even if a new piece of administrative paperwork never sparks wild enthusiasm, this modernisation has a number of upsides.

It helps to:

• harmonise procedures;
• cut down on paperwork;
• simplify inspections;
• improve transparency in the market;
• put owners' businesses on a safer footing.

For conscientious hosts, who make up the vast majority of the sector, this change is above all a way of making their business that bit more professional.

Conclusion

The online declaration of furnished tourist accommodation is gradually becoming an unavoidable step for every owner involved in holiday rentals.

The good news: the process is generally quick, accessible and much simpler now that it is online. By preparing the information you need and following the steps set out in this guide, you should be able to obtain your registration without any particular difficulty.

Beyond the legal requirement, this step also helps to protect your business and build guests' trust.

When it comes to holiday rentals, it is far better to spend a few minutes on an online declaration today than several hours untangling an administrative problem tomorrow. And between you and us, it is probably the only time filling in a form lets you head off on holiday with complete peace of mind.