Paris continues Airbnb crackdown with €600k fine
Paris has imposed its largest-ever fine on landlords using Airbnb illegally, as part of an ongoing crackdown aimed at easing the city’s housing crisis and reducing the number of unauthorised tourist rentals.
A court in Paris has issued a record fine of nearly €600,000 to landlords who illegally converted a residential building into short-term tourist rentals on Airbnb.
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The owners, operating through a property company, had turned a former social housing building into 11 holiday apartments without proper authorisation.
Authorities say the case highlights a wider issue, with around 25,000 illegal rentals believed to be operating across the French capital.City officials have welcomed the ruling as a major step in tackling the housing shortage, which they say is being worsened by short-term lets and second homes.
Under current rules, second homes cannot be rented to tourists, while primary residences are limited to 90 days per year and must be registered.
The fine is the largest of its kind so far, signalling that enforcement is intensifying as the city pushes to return more properties to long-term housing.