VINGT Paris

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.

New star system for French hotels

Read the full article on Charles Bremners site - Travellers in France know not to pay attention to the number of stars attached to a hotel. You can turn up at an establishment rated with three and find the plumbing broken and the bed in a state of decay. The government is finally getting around to changing a state of affairs that is odd for a country which receives more visitors than any other. Under a new tourism law, hotel ratings are to be put into the hands of outside consultants. Classifications will be reviewed at least once every five years. Under the current system, in force since 1986, once a hotel received its stars, no-one checked again to ensure that they were still deserved. That means that a three-star hotel of 1986 can still boast of its rating even if it has not had a lick of paint since.......
 

Crackdown on Private Landlords - Paris moves to free up housing in the city centre

Recent moves made by the City of Paris to apply laws restricting the rental of apartments in central Paris may have significant effects for thousands of private owners, in Paris and abroad.  According to the Prefecture de Paris, nearly 38,000 apartments in Paris are being rented for short stays and moves to prosecute some owners of these properties have begun.The reasons cited for the application of this law is to alleviate the chronic shortage of affordable housing in the city centre (see our posts about this from 2006).   Bonapart Paris's Owner, Susie Hollands and well known blogger about French life and property, Tony Tidswell, held a meeting with François Plottin, Chef du Bureau, at the Mairie de Paris’ Direction du Logement et de l'Habitat in Paris on Wednesday, 19 November and Thursday 26 November 2009.

Hidalgo : "Jeudi noir défend une cause juste"
envoyé par LEXPRESS. - L'info video en direct.

Report on L'Express on the housing shortage in Paris.

It is technically illegal for any owner of a property in Paris not classified as commercial to re-let their property for any period of less than one year. The sole exception is for student rentals, where the term can be no less than nine months.    Property owners are obligated to make sure their apartments, and the rental activity, comply with the law, in order to satisfy the legal aspects Paris has set for retail rental "commercial activity" and we are assisting our owners to regularise their situations  Any apartment advertised for short-term rental can be considered as having been rented, and therefore scrutinized under the law, by the authorities.

Pink PQ

One trend that I can see will take a while to catch on in Paris, even trendy Paris. Portuguese paper products company Renova sells Renova Black, lauded as the first fashionable toilet paper. Price per roll is EUR 2.17. Renova Black is also available as Renova Red, Renova Orange, and Renova Green.

But not in Renova Grainy Pink. The preferred colour for toilet paper all over France.

n.b. - PQ, or papier cul - toilet paper in France.

Paris' new architecture museum

Beside the Louvre Pyramid and the Centre Pompidou (to name a few of the few), this labyrinth of narrow streets doesn't leave much room for new architectural projects. You may find your fix however, at the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine, also known as the Cité Chaillot, a newly opened museum in Paris displaying a variety of exhibitions on contemporary architecture -- both French and foreign -- including different approaches to town planning. You can also go for a virtual tour to discover the museum's different galleries. Also, in efforts to encourage thought on the matter, the museum regularly organizes conferences and debates.
Upcoming: a debate in context of the Prix de l’Union Européenne pour l’architecture contemporaine Mies van der Rohe - Prix 2007

New wine column on Bonapart's sister site, I V Y paris

Matthew Rose writing for I V Y Paris & Bonapart Consulting

L'Ebrescade: For Adults Only
MARCEL RICHAUD (below) is one of those rare French wine producers who have made Cairanne, a Côte de Rhone, into a cult vintage. The cépage for
L'Ebrescade, one of Richaud's top-shelf vintages, is a blend of syrah, grenache and mourvédre. I recently tasted the 2004 L'Ebrescade and suddenly began to sing. If this bottle were a woman, I'd say she's rather like Lindsay Lohan: spicy, smoky and very sexy, oh and a little wild in just the right way.

Priced between 24 to 26 euros, the 2004 production for the L'Ebrescade came to approximately 5,000 bottles and is clearly one of the great wines Richaud has to offer. (Richaud's vineyards are relatively small - just 30 hectares). It's alcohol content is great, too : 15,5%, but there's no killing taste of alcohol here, just pure pleasure.
Read more on I V Y paris.