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Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Paris France: Amend the Paris short-term rental laws and make them fair for all.

Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Paris France: Amend the Paris short-term rental laws and make them fair for all.

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This petition has been created by Adrian L. and may not represent the views of the Avaaz community.
Adrian L.
started this petition to
Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Paris France
The current short-term rental laws have been deemed unconstitutional by several of our attorneys, take rights away from both landlords and tenants, are economically disastrous for the city and unfair for all parties. There is a better way for a win-win situation than penalizing the people.

The rental laws in France for cities of over 200,000 -- Paris the only one currently enforcing them -- prevent secondary residences to be leased less than one year! As they intend, it IS working for the city to put vacation properties back on the market for long term residential living.

Owners who have been contacted by the city are either 1) complying by converting them to long term rentals at greatly reduced rates, 2) selling their properties or 3) stopping the rentals in order to avoid the heavy fines imposed for continuing the practice after the deadline of three months to make these changes.

The end result is that 1) property investors are losing money on their investments -- as it's quite difficult to cover costs at the current long term rental rates, 2) again losing the value of their investments, as prices are coming down, while capital gains tax is up (and if they can sell at all thanks to the current glut of property on the market) and 3) that the owners who can afford to keep them without renting them will mean that the properties are vacant most of the year.

The other big loser is, of course, the average "short-term" (less than one-year) renter who needs proper accommodations, rather than a hotel room or someone else's primary residence (which can legally be rented short term up to four months a year), to live in or enjoy during their stay in Paris -- whether it be for three nights or three months. In fact, you have the right to be in France three months without a visa, but you are not entitled to housing in the City of Light. Ironic, isn't it?

As the number of privately-owned apartments designed for short-term rental and occasional use by their owners diminishes, thanks to these laws intended for the good of the Parisian resident, a new crop of monied entrepreneurs are seizing the opportunity to fill the void. This is the law of supply and demand.

It was announced that the Ascott Limited is opening a second luxury "apart’hotel" in Paris: The Citadines Suites Arc de Triomphe Paris.

Congratulations to the big corporation who can afford to spend €26 million to renovate and revamp the building to satisfy the regulations imposed on the city, while the little guys -- the individual investors who trusted Paris with their hard-earned savings, as well as the visitor who wants to live in Paris like a real Parisian -- suffer and lose.

According to the publicity put out by the Citadine's PR office, the apartments offer all the comforts of home and a host of other amenities in a great location for business and leisure guests. But it's not cheap! As a special offering to celebrate the opening of the new Citadines Suites Arc de Triomphe Paris, the opening rate is €191 per night for a 37m2 "Superior Suite." The offer is valid until March 31st of this year and includes breakfast. (Note, this is 'low season.')

Compare that with a luxury one-bedroom apartment of comparable size in Le Marais that we advertise on our site for low season is €125 per night. Sorry, breakfast isn't included. So you can either have it in the luxury of your own apartment or at the café downstairs, but it will not have cost you and additional €66 for the privilege. The apartments are only as large as two-bedrooms that can accommodate up to four adults and two children. This means larger families are out of luck. Again, the average renter is losing out.

The corporation (CapitaLand) is one of Asia's largest real estate companies. It is headquartered in Singapore and "the company's businesses in real estate and real estate fund management are focused on its core markets of Singapore and China." Great. Just look at who's making all the money! Certainly not the local entrepreneurs...or even France for that matter!

Another one just came on the market: "Résidence de tourisme et d’affaires entre Bastille et Bercy Village" - http://www.reside-etudes-invest.com

The big guys are going to 'clean up' while the individual investor is suffering.

A few of my colleagues commented on this new development: "Look who benefits from the new laws? Quelle surprise! Did I say hotel lobby? This may be 'la preuve.' Once again, France says to entrepreneurs: 'You can suck it.'"

"This truly is infuriating because it is so hypocritical. As long as the biggest fattest establishment capitalists are at work, then the government doesn't object. They don't seem to mind that all these apartments have been permanently removed from the stock of available Paris apartments for Parisians. Unlike the common short-term rental apartments that could always switch back, these will never return. They'll be out of the reach of Parisians forever!"

"Whether well-meaning or not, these naive government policies create an ideal environment where opportunistic big business can thrive (who ultimately hurt exactly who the government is trying to protect). They’re playing the mayor like a harmonica."

"Paris will look like New York before long: big money controlling massive amounts of property, forcing up values, driving down availability as government controls and fines the little guy. France needs to grasp the notion that entrepreneurs keep the country vital and enterprising individuals are not the enemy."

If you agree with what this message and what our colleagues have to say, then take a stand! Sign this petition and make a strong statement to Socialist Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo that she needs to find a solution that benefits all without punishing so many.



Posted (Updated )