Do you want to know better how tourist accommodation works? This section is made for you!
1- Tourist hotels
A tourist hotel is a commercial accommodation establishment offering furnished rooms or apartments to customers who stay for the day, week or month but who, with some exceptions, do not take up residence there. It is operated all year round permanently or only during one or more seasons. It is said to be a “seasonal hotel” when its opening time does not exceed nine months per year in one or more periods.
The hotel classification reform results from Law No. 2009-888 of July 22, 2009 on the development and modernization of tourist services. This reform focuses on two main areas: the overhaul of the criteria and the classification procedure.
Regulatory texts :
- Article D311-4 of the tourism code ;
- Download the national sheet: Fire safety small hotels
2- Guest rooms
The guest room is a room set up in a private home to accommodate, for a fee, tourists passing through for one or more nights. The night includes breakfast. The owner can choose to offer a table d'hôtes in addition to the room. An owner can rent up to 5 guest rooms and accommodate a maximum of 15 people (fire safety standards).
He must declare his activity to the town hall, specifying: his identity and address, the number of rooms rented and the opening periods. Failure to comply with this formality is punishable by 3rd class criminal fines ranging from €45 to €450. The rooms are located in the resident's main residence or in their secondary residence (main or adjoining building). Reception is provided physically by the resident.
Unlike other types of tourist accommodation, guest rooms are not subject to prefectural classification. However, they must meet the following characteristics:
- Provide access to a bathroom and a toilet.
- Be in compliance with current regulations in the areas of hygiene, safety and health.
- The rental is accompanied by the minimum provision of household linen.
The use of the name “bed and breakfast” is now reserved for the activity thus described. Any person who wishes to carry out this activity must make a declaration to the town hall before opening for rental. The declaration is the subject of an acknowledgment of receipt by the town hall. Any change concerning the information elements must be the subject of a new declaration.
Download the following documents:
- CERFA form (PDF) declaration at town hall.
- Instruction of December 23, 2013, sent by Sylvia Pinel and Benoît Hamon, to the prefects relating to the main regulations applicable to guest room rentals
3- Furnished tourist accommodation
Furnished tourist accommodations are furnished villas, apartments, or studios, for the exclusive use of the tenant, offered for rental to a passing clientele who spend a stay there characterized by rental by the day, week or month ( which does not exceed 90 consecutive days) and who does not take up residence there (Article D 324-1 of the Tourism Code). The classified accommodation must be for the exclusive use of the tenant, without passage from the owner or other tenants during the entire stay. A furnished tourist accommodation generally includes: a living room, an equipped kitchen, a bathroom and WC, one or more bedrooms.
The classification of furnished tourist accommodation, like the classification of other tourist accommodation, aims to indicate to the customer a level of comfort and service. The classification has 5 categories ranging from 1 to 5 stars, it is voluntary and is valid for 5 years. The classification grid contains 112 criteria divided into 3 main chapters: equipment, customer services, accessibility and sustainable development (Order of August 2, 2010 setting the standards and the classification procedure for furnished tourist accommodation). The lessor of the furnished accommodation (or his agent) must have a visit to his furnished accommodation carried out. To do this, it addresses an organization of its choice among those appearing on the list of organizations accredited by the French Accreditation Committee (COFRAC) or the list of organizations referred to in 2° of Article L. 324 -1 of the tourism code. The respective lists of these different organizations are available in the “control organizations” section of the site. https://www.classement.atout-france.fr/
The declaration of furnished tourist accommodation, whether classified or not, is mandatory as long as it does not constitute the main residence. The lessor must make his declaration to the town hall of the municipality where his furnished accommodation is located, using the form cerfa n ° 14004 * 02. He receives an acknowledgment of receipt. Any change concerning the information provided (on the lessor, the furnished accommodation, the rental periods) must be the subject of a new declaration to the town hall. Please note: if no declaration has been made, the rental company is liable to a fine of up to €450.
