That’s right Kathrin - any bigger and you’re into hotel status with all that entails - specifically around fire handicap access facilities.
Well Catherine looks like your mairie may have misunderstood the regs - it has been known !!! 
Logically (!bearing in mind this is France of course!) that would just be mad and would put a huge number of b&b / gite operators out of business overnight.
I totally agree Simon. I have a friend/neighbor who has just retired from being a gendarme (St tropez and yes, very clousseau) then local police municipal. He advises me on the local regs and what’s happening. He tells me everyone has refused due to the costs. I’ve discussed this with the tourist office here and discovered that most herbergers have, like me, ceased business over this situation. I do however continue with the two weeks of a local jazz festival as they have secured the right to offer without having a siren.
Have you got a copy of the regs Catherine ?
I will have to go into my files but will dig them all out, scan and copy here.
2 Likes
Catherine… I do hope you can give us some up-to-date information, please…
I’ve been doing some digging… and the info from 2011 and again in 2015… says that old/existing Chambre d’Hôtes of up to 5 rooms/15 guests are exempt from the Handicapped legislation…but I cannot find anything updated for 2017 …really would like to have it confirmed by recent publications.
1 Like
Not sure what I’ve done with most of the paperwork I’ve been sent but I do have this which was a reminder to me saying I’d be liable for a fine if I didn’t comply.
It goes on to say that ANYONE receiving the public should not only have access for handicapped but provide free movement within the building. This would have involved me widening doors for wheelchairs and lifts to upper floors or ground floor bedrooms and bathrooms. Impossible in a listed building.
Hi Catherine - would you mind posting the full body text of the letter? Cheers
Yes, it will be interesting to see the full spec…
I know that our local Council is looking to make some changes for Handicapped… going to cost a small fortune and no-one knows where the money will come from … or when/if… but this only applies to our Council-owned buildings…eg Mairie, Salle des Fêtes, Bar/shop, Church…because they receive the Public… and now, the first set of specs has been slimmed-down to make the whole thing more feasible… (so long as the money arrives).
However, existing private homes are not touched by the legislation… just as well… many old buildings do not adapt easily to modern thinking… phew…
www.service-public.fr (and I quote from today’s webpage Apr 2017)
“Attention :
La capacité d’accueil est limitée à 5 chambres et à 15 personnes en même temps. Au-delà, l’exploitant doit se conformer à la réglementation qui régit les hôtels et les établissements recevant du public (ERP).”
So the government site appears to say that under 5 bedrooms/15 people…the CD is NOT an ERP !! (établissements recevant du public)… which confirms what I found in other texts dated 2011/2015… meaning that small CD would not have to provide handicapped thingies…
looks like it may have some of the answers…
Yes Anna… anyone who falls into the ERP sector… has got some serious reading to do… by the look of things…
phew… “small is beautiful”…in more ways than one 
Thanks Anna - that clears things up! Looks like Catherine’s mairie lost the plot!
It seems that a very small establishment is classed as a Category 5 ERP which I presume means that as an ERP they are implicated in the initiative, but have less onerous obligations than the other categories?
Hi Anna… as I said… several sites (dated 2011 and 2015) were saying that CD of 5 beds/15max… owners private residence… etc etc… were NOT being asked/forced to comply with the AdAp legislation. Over that sizing… they have to provide: eg 1 bedroom with disabled access and facilities etc… with numbers increasing proportionally…
It does make sense, when you think of it… the small one is classed as a private home… and if/when larger, it becomes classed as a small hotel (ERP)…in terms of AdAp.
I’m back at the Mairie this pm for a meeting… will ask for their input as well… there are many very small CD in this area, so is worth knowing the situation with absolute certainty…
Meeting has been delayed, but I got to ask the question anyway…
From the horse’s mouth (ie Madame La Secrétaire)
Chambre d’Hote (in Private home) offering 5 beds max/15 people max… does NOT come under the AdAp (as it is NOT classed as an Etablissement Recevant du Public ERP)…BUT … just 1 more bedroom or 1 more person… drops the whole thing into the ERP sector with all AdAp etc that that implies…
Hi Simon
The document has personal information so I’d rather it not be published but here it is for your information
Catherine you didn’t have to show your personal info just the text body. I’d delete it if I were you.
To me it just looks like a mailer from a diagnostic company trying their luck;
In any case we have the answer now.
This site is interesting… talks about scams…
We have run sites for 12 years and now advertise with air bob in euros ,we have given air bob our I ban code with crises depargne but air bnb have been unable to pay money .so they pay into my uk bank and I then transfer to EUR loosening money on the . My bank says there is major snag receiving bank transfers from USA we have taken away bits of the I ban code on info from our franchise bank to no avail what are we doing wrong and has any one else this problem
Hi - you normally need both an IBAN and BIC/SWIFT code. All shown on your RIB’s or your online account.