Le Meur law: what changes for tourist rentals in France

Key takeaways

• Law n° 2024-1039 of November 19, 2024 (known as the Le Meur Law) regulates short-term tourist rentals: mandatory registration with a national teleservice, lower municipal day caps, reduced micro-BIC tax deductions, and expanded powers for co-ownership associations (copropriétés).
• A defined-days lease relies on the civil code secondary residence regime (Articles 1714 and following of the French Civil Code). It is a recurring part-time furnished rental signed with an identified tenant, completely excluded from the Le Meur Law’s scope.
• Part-time rentals are subject neither to registration with the national teleservice, nor to 90/120-day annual caps, nor to co-ownership rules restricting short-term hotel-style rentals.
• Under a defined-days lease, at €55 per night, two fixed nights per week mean rent of €476 per month, providing hosts steady rental income without the regulatory burdens of tourist rentals.

Since its enactment, the Le Meur Law on short-term tourist rentals has sparked intense discussion among apartment and secondary residence owners: mandatory prior registration, annual day caps, expanded powers for co-ownership assemblies. If you rent your secondary residence a few days a week to a fixed mobile professional, a legitimate question arises: does your property fall under these new statutory constraints?

The legal answer is unambiguous: the Le Meur Law targets the regulation of short-term tourist rentals, meaning dwellings rented to transient clientele who do not establish domicile there, on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. The defined-days lease, which formalizes part-time furnished rentals at Kowo, operates under standard civil code secondary residence lease law. It is a recurring rental on fixed assigned days with an identified tenant. Here is why the two legal regimes are strictly distinct and what this implies for managing your property.

What the Le Meur Law imposes on short-term tourist rentals

Law n° 2024-1039 of November 19, 2024 aimed at strengthening local regulation tools for short-term tourist rentals (accessible in full text on Légifrance) fundamentally reformed short-term lodging in France.

The five core statutory measures include:

1. National registration with a teleservice: once the national registration teleservice goes live, scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026, registration of short-term tourist rentals will be mandatory, under threat of administrative fines (up to €10,000).
2. Lower municipal day caps: the municipality may, by a reasoned decision, lower to as few as 90 days per year (down from 120 days previously) the maximum period during which a primary residence can be rented to tourists.
3. Tax reduction on micro-BIC status: flat-rate tax deductions on non-classified tourist rental income are reduced from 50 % to 30 % (with an annual revenue cap lowered to €15,000), sharply diminishing short-term rental tax incentives.
4. Energy Performance Certificate (DPE) compliance: in metropolitan France, short-term tourist rentals subject to change-of-use authorization must be rated between A and E (between A and D from January 1, 2034); from January 1, 2034, short-term tourist rentals, unless the dwelling is the host’s primary residence, must meet the energy performance levels of decent housing.
5. Expanded co-ownership powers: in co-ownership buildings whose rules prohibit any commercial activity, a two-thirds majority vote in annual general meetings can now amend co-ownership rules (règlement de copropriété) to prohibit short-term tourist rentals in the building.

These measures reflect a public policy commitment to curb rental speculation and preserve permanent housing supply in metropolitan areas and tourist regions.

Why a defined-days lease is not a short-term tourist rental

All these statutory obligations share a single legal triggering criterion: they apply exclusively to short-term tourist rentals (meublés de tourisme), defined under Article L. 324-1-1 of the French Tourism Code (and detailed on Service-Public.fr) as dwellings rented to revolving clientele who do not establish domicile there and who stay on a daily, weekly, or monthly transient basis.

A defined-days lease operates under an opposite contractual logic:

• No registration with the national teleservice: registration covers short-term tourist rentals, rented to transient clientele who do not establish domicile there, on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. A civil lease signed for fixed weekly days between two identified parties falls outside tourist teleprocedure requirements.
• No 90 or 120-day cap: municipal caps target short-term tourist rentals of primary residences by transient hosts. A secondary residence rented under a civil part-time lease on recurring days is not subject to this cap.
• No restriction from co-ownership short-term rental bans: clauses aiming to prevent daily tourist foot traffic do not apply to a civil lease signed with a fixed, recurring tenant.
• Distinct tax and legal regime: the relationship is governed by Articles 1714 and following of the Civil Code, delivering stable contractual security to both parties without suffering micro-BIC tax reductions targeting non-classified tourist lodging.

The three legal criteria distinguishing the two models

Three factual elements distinguish the two contracts:

1. Schedule recurrence and fixity: a defined-days lease assigns identical weekly slots (e.g., Monday 6 PM to Thursday 9 AM) across the entire lease term.
2. Tenant identity: the lease is nominative, signed with an identified tenant, avoiding revolving anonymous travelers.
3. Written contract format: a written civil furnished lease specifying notice periods and monthly rent, rather than a simple digital platform booking receipt.

Financial comparison: civil lease yields vs tourist rentals

Consider an apartment host in Paris, Lyon, or Bordeaux choosing between tourist rentals and part-time furnished leasing:

• Under short-term tourist rentals: mandatory registration, risk of municipal caps, reduced tax deductions (micro-BIC allowance cut from 50 % to 30 %), and time-consuming check-in/cleaning logistics.
• Under Kowo defined-days leases: zero hotel registration, predictable rent of €55 per night. For two fixed nights per week, the rent is €476 per month (totaling €5,712 per year), with reduced maintenance costs and stable occupancy by a trusted professional.

For the mobile tenant, this €476 monthly rent proves far more economical than accumulating hotel nights (exceeding €1,100 per month) or short-term tourist rentals (around €780 per month).

Preserving building tranquility and co-ownership relations

A central benefit of defined-days leases lies in peaceful relations with building managers (syndic) and co-owners.

Defined-days leases restore residential serenity. The weekday tenant is identified and uses the apartment as a peaceful second home. There are no parties, late-night noise, or tourist crowds.

What this changes for the tenant

For the tenant, legal immunity from the Le Meur Law guarantees housing continuity. In co-ownership buildings whose rules prohibit any commercial activity, a co-ownership vote can ban short-term tourist rentals.

Conversely, a defined-days lease is a valid, binding lease contract that commits the host for the agreed duration, protecting the tenant against sudden cancellations or high-season rate spikes.

Essential checklist before establishing your civil lease

• Ensure the drafted contract is a Civil Code secondary residence lease explicitly stating assigned occupancy days.
• Obtain proof of the tenant’s primary residence located in another municipality.
• Avoid mixing models: do not rent the same apartment under a defined-days lease during weekdays and on short-term tourist platforms on weekends.
• Notify your insurance company of the property’s part-time furnished rental use.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Le Meur Law mandate DPE energy ratings for defined-days leases?
No: the Le Meur Law’s energy performance requirements target short-term tourist rentals: in metropolitan France, short-term tourist rentals subject to change-of-use authorization must be rated between A and E (between A and D from January 1, 2034); from January 1, 2034, short-term tourist rentals, unless the dwelling is the host’s primary residence, must meet the energy performance levels of decent housing.

Must I declare my property at city hall to sign a defined-days lease?
No. Prior municipal declarations and registration with the national teleservice apply exclusively to short-term tourist rentals.

Can a co-ownership association prohibit defined-days leases?
In co-ownership buildings whose rules prohibit any commercial activity, the general meeting can amend the rules by a two-thirds majority to prohibit short-term tourist rentals. A civil secondary residence lease signed with a fixed tenant falls under normal residential building usage.

The Le Meur Law strictly regulates tourist lodging but leaves part-time civil leases untouched. To secure your contract drafting, explore our complete legal dossier and read our guide to the defined-days lease explained. To evaluate your property yield without tourist constraints, read monetizing a secondary residence without Airbnb.