She was one of the first victims of the arrival of short-term rentals. A flagship destination for Ile-de-France residents for the weekend, the city of Saint-Malo has been fighting for years against the phenomenon of so-called “Airbnb” accommodation. Accused of all evils and in particular of preventing residents from finding accommodation, the short-term rental system is now regulated.
Since Monday, its fate has even been discussed by deputies in the National Assembly, following the bill from Annaïg Le Meur (Renaissance) and Iñaki Echaniz (PS). Since 2021, the corsair city has boasted of having the “strictest regulations in France” after the establishment of quotas in each district and the limitation to a single request per owner. A little more than two years after the implementation, it is clear that the Saint-Malo real estate market has not experienced a revolution. Some owners, however, have chosen to leave the platforms to turn to medium or long term. According to the municipality, 400 homes would be affected.
“It’s always stressful”
“I decided to stop renting. I no longer want to spend sleepless nights worrying about a bad grade, a negative comment or the response to it. I’m starting to lose my health. » This testimony left by Sabine on a forum alone illustrates the mental burden placed on owners choosing to use platforms like Airbnb or Abritel. “It’s always stressful because there’s always something going wrong. You are constantly contacted to turn on the water heater or because there is a radiator that is getting too hot. And since people only stay one or two nights, it’s always urgent. »
Karine is a real estate agent in Saint-Malo and also owns several properties that she rents out. For her, the short duration has two major advantages: it is extremely profitable to quickly amortize a loan and less restrictive to recover her property. “When you have problems with your tenant, it takes you years to get rid of them. »
Karine, however, decided to stop Airbnb for one of her accommodations. “It’s super time-consuming. Often, owners get fed up and stop after four or five years. » What then becomes of these accommodations? Difficult to know. But in real estate agencies, the number of new long-term rentals “can be counted on the fingers of two hands,” assures Martin Giboire, development director of Giboire Immobilier. “It’s far from being a tidal wave. What we have noticed above all is that we see fewer investors asking us to do Airbnb, because we cannot guarantee them that they will have a registration number. »
This famous number aims to regulate the number of short-term accommodations in the corsair city. A measure that seems effective, even if it suffers from a major problem. “The regulations are good and there are improvements. But as long as we do not have controls, we will not have sanctions,” assures Martin Giboire, repeating the words of Mayor Gilles Lurton.
In Saint-Malo, “it’s hell” for accommodation
In Saint-Malo and throughout the Emerald Coast, the tightening of regulations has absolutely not solved the main problem: residents are unable to find housing. ” It’s hell ! When renting, there is absolutely nothing to offer,” assures Karine. Anaïg and Pierre know something about it. Retired, they are bombarded with calls regarding their accommodation. One of the few offered for year-round rental. “We’re old so we don’t want it to take too long to take care of it. I’m not going to travel every day to count the teaspoons,” says Anaïg. The couple from Malouins, however, admit to only accepting young couples for a simple reason: “In general, they only stay two or three years, the time to find something to buy. This way, if we need our accommodation back, we can. » Every day, Anaïg receives calls from desperate people who cannot find housing. “The phone rings non-stop.”
For real estate professionals, the solution to the short-term rental phenomenon would be to make it less financially attractive, in particular by adjusting taxation. “Investors look at their profitability. If the short duration is more interesting, then they will go for it. Today, Airbnb is the Holy Grail,” assures Martin Giboire. In the most popular areas, a property offered on a short-term basis can bring in up to three times more than a traditional rental. An intermediary tends to develop there. The mobility lease allows, for example, to accommodate a student for ten months and to recover their property during the two summer months.