“How shy!” Franck Rolland, spokesperson for the National Collective of Permanent Residents, which brings together some forty organizations across France, and Julien Bayou, deputy (Europe Ecologie-Les Verts) from Paris, had the same reaction when they learned of the proposals adopted by the government to “fight against the attrition of permanent housing in tourist areas”, presented on Tuesday, July 18.
Many elected officials, from La France Insoumise to the Les Républicains party, as well as the actors who had participated in the National Council for Refoundation, had called for strong state action on this aspect of the housing crisis. While a working group met for several months on the subject, the government favors “new measures to give local elected officials the means to find the right balance”, according to the title of the press kit.
The first objective is to “inform, raise awareness, support”. In terms of long-awaited regulation, the government recalls its objective of making long-term rentals more tax-efficient than short-term rentals, the number of which has exploded with the development of platforms such as Airbnb, Abritel or Booking.
The specific arbitrations are, however, referred to the finance bill, which will be presented in the fall. However, recommendations were made in a report of the general inspectorates, in June 2022, then refined in a cross-party bill of April 2023, tabled by the deputies Annaïg Le Meur (Renaissance, Finistère), and Inaki Echaniz (Socialist Party , Pyrenees-Atlantiques).
In addition, the government recalls the imminent publication of the decree extending from 1,100 to 3,700 the number of municipalities authorized to increase, up to 60%, the housing tax on second homes, and to regulate seasonal rentals. . “Barely more than 10% of municipalities will be affected! And how many will have the means to carry out checks, knowing that they are not the ones who will collect the fines? “Asks Julien Bayou, who launched a platform in April calling for a framework for furnished tourist accommodation.
Limit the development of second homes
The municipalities will also be responsible for deciding whether they prohibit the short-term rental of G-class thermal colanders, from 2025. The Minister of Housing, Olivier Klein, had however promised to generalize this ban, in order to prevent energy-intensive housing from , gradually banned from long-term rental, are transformed into furnished tourist accommodation.
To limit the development of second homes – which include furnished tourist accommodation – “we are currently analyzing whether it would be possible to impose in local urban development plans, during the construction of housing in certain areas , a percentage of primary residences,” says an adviser. “It is essential to also act on the existing to bring back residents all year round, urges Franck Rolland. It is clear that taxation will not discourage multi-owners of furnished tourist accommodation. We should take inspiration from Switzerland: when the quota of 20% of secondary residences is reached, those put up for sale must become primary residences. »
Finally, the government wishes to make more attractive, in tense areas, its Loc’avantages system, which allows a landlord to reduce his taxes if he rents at moderate rent to a tenant under resource limits. It also intends to support the development of local property companies, so that they create housing.
“The moment to act is constantly postponed, and all this is really not up to the challenge”, regrets Franck Rolland. The manner, finally, questions. The government wants these proposals to be included in the cross-partisan bill presented in April, which is not scheduled to be considered until December. “I will push for the exam to be brought forward to October,” says Annaïg Le Meur. “If the government is in a logic of appeasement, it would be better for it to present, on this subject which has consensus, a bill, and that it allocates means to control furnished tourist accommodation”, argues Julien Bayou.
