The city of Paris is tracking down fraud in opulent buildings in tourist districts with the help of a team specializing in the inspection of tourist accommodation, whose use is regulated by increasingly strict laws that are often ignored by the owners.
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“If we find tourists here, it’s a jackpot,” enthuses Ingrid Simon, a sworn trainer for the city of Paris, and types in the access code for a building in the 6th arrondissement, where the price per square meter is the highest in Paris.
Early in the morning, behind an elegant red door on Boulevard Saint-Germain, good luck. Not one, nor two apartments, but an entire building that belonged to a single owner who was suspected of renting out his property as furnished tourist accommodation.
Together with Jean-David, also a sworn municipal agent, Ingrid Simon is part of the team that travels the streets and buildings of the capital every month in search of fraudulently rented short-term accommodation.
Certain details are unmistakable: nameless mailboxes overflowing with leaflets and advertisements of all kinds, or equally anonymous doorbells with the same sticker in the name of an online rental site.
“120 days a year”
In Paris, where finding housing has become a challenge, “the rule is simple,” Ian Brossat, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of housing, told AFP.
“If you have a primary residence, you have the right to rent your accommodation for up to 120 days a year. If you have a second home, you have no right to rent it out unless you have an exemption linked to a compensation mechanism,” he explains.
The agents ring the bell in the lobby of the building. No Answer. It’s early, just after nine o’clock. “We must succeed in intercepting tourists before they visit the city,” said Ms. Simon, citing suspicious advertisements spotted on various tourist rental sites.
At the same time, two Australian tourists come down the stairs. When questioned by the agents, they confirmed that they were renting one of the apartments in the building. The reservation is checked and the agents link it to one of the suspicious goods.
The numerous clues are verified in the stairwell, where the same code boxes are installed next to every door on all floors, allowing the key to be removed independently.
This is the first step of the inspection. “After the visits, we carry out more in-depth analyses. We also contact the owners who present their arguments to us and then refer them to the courts,” explains Jean-David.
“Secret Hotels”
The agents carry out the second part of their mission under a veranda on Rue Dauphine. In every mailbox they leave a note and a leaflet reminding them of the legislation.
In Paris, since 2022, for 1 m2 converted into commercial space, the owner is obliged to convert 2 or 3 m2 of commercial space into residential space in the same neighborhood, punishable by a fine of up to 50,000 euros.
In the absence of clear evidence, neighbors are questioned about possible nuisances. Claire, who lives on the 6th and last floor, is categorical: the property is “an AirBnb” and “it works all year round”.
“Someone moved because of the constant noise of suitcases,” she added.
Harassment that is likely to increase as the Olympics approach. For Ian Brossat, “the idea is not to ease the pressure as the Olympics get closer”.
“We don’t want accommodations to be turned into illegal hotels rented out to tourists all year round. This deprives us of housing in a city that already lacks housing for its workers,” he argues.
In 2022, the city of Paris collected fines totaling almost 2.5 million euros.