Shakeup in France for Tourist Housing
In Paris and throughout France, seismic changes have hit tourist housing. Are tourists affected? Will prices increase? What will change?
A summary of the changes
Paris receives about 50 million visitors per year on average. Many people have made a business of the influx of tourists by buying apartments and listing them on sites such as Booking.com, Air Bnb, and VRBO. For a long time, this has presented a myriad of housing choices for the traveler and a potentially lucrative business for property owners.
So, why isn’t the French government happy?
The abundance of apartments devoted to in-and-out tourists has decreased available housing for residents, students, and families. Some areas of the cities have a high enough proportion of rental apartments that it changes the atmosphere from a neighborhood to a cluster of hotels.
In an effort to stem the tide of apartments turning into hotels, the Paris government has created strict laws that will change the lodging landscape. These laws began to take shape as far back as 2024, and since March 2026, are being strictly enforced.
Many larger cities around France have a milder version, whereas others won’t be affected at all, since cities and towns are able to make their own 
laws and limits.
What changed?
People who rent out their own homes while they are gone can do this for only 90 days per year, as opposed to 120, the previous limit.
Investment apartments used for tourist rentals are hit the hardest. They must register their property with the government and get a registration number that will be visible in the apartment and on digital platforms. They must pay a fee to the government to compensate for the loss of use of the unit for long-term housing. Those who neglect to register will be fined and these fines show that the French government is not kidding around!
Already this year I noticed that rental apartments in Paris posted a much higher city tax than in the past, up to 16% in addition to the 10% VAT tax, which adds 26% to the total bill. This step falls into the same category of reducing the attractiveness of apartment rentals.
Hotels have a more modest city tax of several euros per person per day.
How will this affect tourists?
It is likely that soon there will be fewer tourist apartments, as some landlords choose to convert their apartments to long-term use for residents.
Other apartments may raise prices to compensate for the fees owners pay to the government.
Hotels may also increase pricing, since apartment inventory will be lower.
For your trip to Paris, you may notice a slight but acceptable increase and go ahead with your reservation. But be sure to find out if your rental apartment is registered. Ask the landlord for the registration number or look for it on your receipt. It’s their responsibility to register, but if they haven’t done this, it may make your reservation less solid.
You can also choose to stay in a hotel instead of an apartment. Booking directly with hotels instead of an online platform can often save you money, and it helps hotel owners financially as well.
If you want an apartment for whatever reason and you’re not finding enough affordable housing in Paris, consider a lodging in one of the close-by suburbs, in the southeast or southwest. Not only will this be cheaper than one in Paris, but you may appreciate the smaller town feel of the residential neighborhood. Many of these are on a metro line (since metros usually extend two or more stops outside the city limits.) Or choose a town on an RER line. It’s a little further, but you can still get in and out of Paris with ease.
Another Travel Change: E.E.S.
Another change that will affect travel throughout Europe (but is unrelated to the above housing changes) is called the E.E.S., or Entry/Exit System. It was implemented in April, 2026. This replaces the stamping of passports as non-E.U. visitors pass through European airports. Now when you travel, prepare to have your photo and fingerprints taken before you go to your gate. Although this seems like it would be a quick procedure, delays in European airports are sometimes significant, up to a few hours. This is due to the newness of the system and glitches in the equipment. Some countries process visitors more quickly than others.
How to Prepare for E.E.S.
If you’re traveling in Europe this year, think about scheduling plenty of time between connecting flights, and avoid passing through unnecessary countries. For example, if you’re headed to Paris, book your flight so that you won’t have to pass through Frankfurt or London to get there. Probably by next year, the bugs will have been worked out, and things will roll along more smoothly.
All of these big changes will be ironed out in time, but it might not be this summer. Prepare to be patient and try to leave enough time around arrivals, departures, and security lines in airports.
Above all, don’t stop traveling to Europe and France! These are minor inconveniences amidst the big picture of your wonderful trip!
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