France imposes 'record fine' against Paris building turned into Airbnb

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The French court imposed a "record fine" for the illegal conversion of a Paris building into tourist accommodation rented by Airbnb. The information was released by city hall this Friday (17).
Access to housing in the French capital, where rents continue to rise, was one of the main themes of the March municipal elections. Between 2012 and 2023, Paris lost almost 140,000 inhabitants - around 12,000 per year, according to official data.
A Paris court sentenced on Wednesday (15) a real estate civil society to pay 585,000 euros (around R$3.5 million) for illegally transforming a building in the 9th district into tourist housing.
The property, purchased at the end of 2022, functioned as a social residence for people in a vulnerable situation. At the end of 2023, it was converted into 11 short-term accommodation units.
The properties were rented through the Airbnb platform, without respecting the regulations that require prior authorization for a change of use.
"It is the largest fine imposed against a landlord", said Paris Housing Councilor Jacques Baudrier. The court also ordered the immediate interruption of the activity.
The city hall estimates that there are around 25 thousand illegal tourist accommodations in the city, amidst a scenario of strong pressure on the real estate market. This week, it announced the creation of a brigade with 150 agents to monitor this type of activity.
In November 2024, the French Parliament approved a law to reinforce the regulation of tourist housing.
In 2025, the Court imposed 2.4 million euros (R$14.3 million) in fines of this type in Paris. According to Baudrier, this year the total is already close to 1 million euros.
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Source: G1