The EU Court of Justice ruled against two Airbnb owners who were fined after repeatedly and without authorisation rent for short periods to a transient clientele.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Court of Justice of the European Union has confirmed that French housing law is consistent with EU legislation after two Parisian Airbnb owners appealed previous local decisions that ordered them to pay a fine.
In its decision, the Court stated that "repeated short-term letting of accommodation to a transient clientele which does not take up residence there" is subject to authorisation from local authorities in France.
In French cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants, owners who wish to rent their residence for more than 120 days per year must first ask for an authorisation to be granted by the mayor of the municipality.
The Court noted that this "proportionate" legislation is "intended to establish a mechanism for combating the long-term rental housing shortage, the objective of which is to deal with the worsening conditions for access to housing and the exacerbation of tensions on the property markets".
"What a great victory!" tweeted Paris deputy mayor for housing Ian Brossat who has long been battling against the housing shortage in the French capital.
Could this be a problem for Airbnb?
“We welcome this ruling that will help clarify the rules for hosts who share secondary homes in Paris", told an Airbnb spokesperson to Euronews.
They noted that "Airbnb is not a party to this case" as the "case has been brought forward by hosts who believe the rules in Paris regarding letting secondary residences are not proportionate".
"This case will have little to no impact on Airbnb in Paris", they claimed for "in 2019, more than 9 out of 10 accommodations on Airbnb were shared for under 120 days".