Bed & Breakfast in Paris in the home of an owner
From the newsletter of Jean Tacquet A Survival Kit for Paris
Who can be a B&B host?
Anyone can be a host, provided that it is done at his/her primary residence and at least one independent and comfortable room is dedicated for this activity.
How can one get endorsed by the Paris City Hall and benefit from the label Hôtes Qualité Paris?
You must contact one of the organizations approved by City Hall, and sign up with them. Then they will send a professional to visit and make sure your guest bedroom complies with the guidelines.
Can I be independent?
Yes, but you must be registered with City Hall under the latest version of the tourism ordinance, Articles 324-3, 4 and 5 of April 2006, which gives the legal definition of the B&B (called “chambres d'hôtes” in French) as: “Furnished bedrooms located inside a lodging dedicated to welcoming tourists who pay for one or more nights and the related services.” In French: "Chambres meublées situées chez l'habitant en vue d'accueillir des touristes, à titre onéreux, pour une ou plusieurs nuitées, assorties de prestations".
You can download the registration form here: "Formulaire de déclaration à la Mairie".
A copy of the relevant regulation may be found here: “Décret du 3 août 2007".
Can I be a B&B host if I am myself a renter?
Yes, you can, if the lease does not explicitly forbid it. In any case, it is highly advisable to inform the landlord, who in return will check the by-laws of the co-ownership to make sure that there is no provision against this activity. Of course, if you rent in a low-income housing project, in French (H.L.M.) then it is completely forbidden.
What is the main difference between B&B and short-term rental?
Welcoming the guests! In this case, the host meets the guest, who stays in his home and sometimes joins him for meals. Guests in a short-term rental almost never meet the host.
Am I taxed on this rental income?
Yes. It should be reported on form 2042 C, and you will get an automatic deduction of 71% of the money received from this activity.
Should I purchase more insurance?
You may not need to, but on the other hand you must inform your insurance company of this new activity and the company will add a rider on the policy for it, often without increasing your premium.
Is it absolutely necessary for this to be inside somebody’s home?
Yes. The guidelines quoted above make it very clear not only that it must happen in somebody’s home but also that the home must be their primary residence; to be completely clear, the website points to the legal and fiscal definition of a primary domicile. An American resident owning an apartment who would like to get into the B&B activity would have to declare that he or she is a French fiscal resident, which would have to be linked to being a legal immigrant, i.e., holding a valid carte de séjour.
Do you see any way for our current activity to work within this framework/model they propose?
Again, the answer is clear: as the first and foremost requirement is to be a fiscal resident of France and live in the apartment, it is totally unrealistic to consider filling out the form and registering on the chance that no one will follow up. It would take about five minutes for anyone to discover the scam – calling the tax office will do it!
Useful contacts:
Mairie de Paris (City Hall) Tel. 3975 (Paris Info Mairie)
Ile-de-France region DECV/STL, Tourism sector secretariat Tel. 0 803 818 000 (0.15 euros per minute)
Direction Générale de la Consommation, de la Concurrence et de la Répression des Fraudes (DGCCRF)
Centre de documentation et d’information sur l'assurance (CDIA)
Impôts Service Tel. 0820 32 42 52
We run a B&B in a little town in Ontario but maybe we should be thinking about doing it in Paris.
Posted by: Gerry | December 18, 2010 at 08:24 PM
Sounds like renting properties in Paris is alot easier than in the UK - definately worth considering investing here.
Posted by: Bridging Finance | January 06, 2011 at 10:44 AM
Yeah it really doesn't sound too terrible. Could be a fun way to make a little extra income.
Posted by: Clint Rowley | June 29, 2011 at 06:22 PM
A business like B&B in Paris will surely bring "long-tail" income to home owners. It's a good place to put investment in.
Posted by: apartment for rent in pasig | August 23, 2011 at 08:59 AM
The room is nice and fully ventilated.
Nice post!
Posted by: Apartment for Rent in the Philippines | September 01, 2011 at 03:09 AM
It is very good. Having such facilities by the owner is very classy.. The interior look amazing.. Will try some day.. Thnxx for sharing.
Posted by: Study Abroad Consultants | December 01, 2011 at 07:35 AM