Vacation Rentals: Registration Required Starting May 20
Starting May 20, all owners of furnished vacation rentals—both new and existing—must register with a national online service. Platforms will no longer post any listings without a registration number, under penalty of sanctions. This marks a key step in the tightening of regulations on short-term rentals.
Regulation of furnished vacation rentals is taking a new step forward. Starting May 20, 2026, all providers of furnished seasonal rentals must register online through a national online service. This measure stems from Article L 324-1-1 of the Tourism Code, supplemented by Decrees No. 2026-196 and 2026-197 of March 19, 2026. It follows on from the anti-Airbnb law passed in late 2024, which profoundly reshaped the tax and regulatory framework for this activity. For investors who have invested in vacation rental properties, or who occasionally rent out their primary residence, the timeline calls for immediate vigilance.
A national requirement that applies to all rental property owners
The requirement is universal. It applies to all rental property owners and all municipalities, warns Bruno Cantegrel, founder of Monsieur Hugo, a rental management software company. Platforms—Airbnb, Booking, Abritel, and their competitors—will require the registration number to post a listing. Without this number, the listing will be removed, and the platform itself will be subject to financial penalties. The regulation applies to both new listings and existing landlords, who must comply within the specified time frame.
The government’s objective is clear: to centralize information in a single database that municipalities can access in order to better monitor compliance with the rules. The goal, in particular, is to identify those who rent out their primary residence for more than 120 days a year—or 90 days in municipalities that have lowered the authorized limit, such as Paris, Bordeaux, or Saint-Malo—explains Bruno Cantegrel. Municipalities facing the tightest housing markets will thus have an unprecedented management tool at their disposal, enabling them to identify violators and adjust their quota policies.
Several areas of uncertainty to watch in the coming weeks
Several practical details still need to be clarified. The procedure for accessing the online service itself has not yet been fully clarified. Baptiste Bochart, a lawyer at Jedéclaremonmeublé, speculates that it will be through the town hall’s website. Another unknown concerns landlords: in certain municipalities that have already established their own local registration numbers, will they be required to re-register on the national platform? The question remains open, and the first clarifications should come from the implementing regulations and technical guidelines expected before the law takes effect.
For an investor or property owner who rents out their property as a furnished vacation rental, several precautions are necessary right now. First, clearly identify the legal status of the activity: a primary residence rented out occasionally, a second home used exclusively for rental, or a property owned personally or through a company. Next, verify compliance with local regulations: authorization for a change of use in Paris and other major cities, maximum number of rental days, existing registration with city hall, and rules specific to condominium associations. Finally, plan to file the declaration through the national online service as soon as it opens to avoid any removal of listings that could negatively impact seasonal profitability.
Beyond the purely administrative aspect, this new milestone confirms the overall trend: investment in furnished vacation rentals is entering a phase of accelerated standardization. Tax benefits have been gradually reduced by the 2025 Finance Act, which lowered the micro-BIC tax deductions and tightened the depreciation rules under the actual income tax system. Combined with an increasingly strict regulatory framework, this trend is prompting investors to reconsider their strategy: continue with short-term rentals within a more restrictive framework, switch to long-term furnished rentals, or divest the property in favor of other investment vehicles. This is a decision that should be made in consultation with a financial advisor, taking into account personal goals and actual net returns.
