We expect properties rented in the UK to have proper checks and licenses, so what is different in Spain or France? Yes, as others have pointed out, the message is get legal.
This is similar to new rules coming in about dog sitting, and unlicensed boarding of pets. Why should those of us that play by the rules suffer by losing business to cowboys and girls
I am so pleased to this response, I expected to be slagged off for being more French than the French! So many people are doing it in my village that the local mairie has said, no more licences will be granted.
I agree totally with Clare. I cannot add anything else.
Well put Clare
geoff
I think the bit in bold sums it up
Cette autorisation n'est toutefois pas nécessaire lorsque le logement constitue la résidence principale du bailleur; les propriétaires qui habitent dans leur logement peuvent donc le louer quelques semaines par an sans demander d'autorisation. As I said before it applies to those who have holiday home and do not live here permanently, benefit from extra income and in a lot of cases do not declare in either country. Those who are legit will not be affected. As Val has said in a nut shell if you don't want to get caught or fined, get registered, be legit and pay your taxes like the rest of us. But I do understand the protectionism in places like Paris. It is a high cost area to live in and those who work there with an average income in these cities can barely afford to live there with the rental market as it is and yet these people who are mainly the workers who keep these cities afloat. I wholly agree with the FRench on this one.
you find that this is a little more balanced:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/0b0b81c6-d425-11e2-a464-00144feab7de.html
Well said Val. I was trying to say the same about those who tax evade but didn't really want to upset everyone. Although, I do object to paying organisation like Gites de France that is a rip off. But the amount of people who do not even register with the Mairie is unbelievable. Someone once said to me, what they don't know wont hurt them and I will do nothing until they approach me. Well lets hope they throw the book at them. Burying your head in the sand is ridiculous. It is up to the individual here to make themselves legal or face the consequences. It is not difficult and if you want to be rated it does not have to be through Gites de France, it can be arranged by the local tourist office or prefecture. But I think a basic licence would be enough to deter with very high fines if they don't would suffice
There's another side to all this that I've seen in France. People buy a house and do it up. Then they advertise on English web-sites (or Dutch, or Danish) that the French don't see and the monies paid go into a English bank account. They might call it a gîte but don't list it with the French gîte associations. Local people just think they just have lots of visitors. Then the holiday homes fill in tax forms saying they have no income in France. This is the black market, let's not mince words. Brits do it in Spain as well, but the Spanish take more prisoners than the French do. Meanwhile, the Mail writes with lots of "coulds" but their pathetic chavinism against Europe comes over strongly here.
Second paragraph, I like it! & hear hear! :-) and I love the ideas in the last.
I quite agree with you Clare, we run our business in a similar way and can only encourage others to do likewise.
Barbara, It's a vast topic, " la crise" is everywhere but we all have to live with our times, 10 years ago we didn't expect as much from tourism, the property market in France was pretty dead, rural restaurants were really cheap and friendly etc etc...We didn't need to make money out of a second home or add to pensions but now we do.
We all have to battle on in these difficult times, rural France can be hostile if alone, not speaking the language and competition is out there, quality or not and the initial debate was on the taxation which is high for everyone here in France and maybe we all thought we could do more under the table years ago but that has evolved too and I would prefer paying half as much as we do.
We used to be estate agents, I was the first Brit to have the carte Professionelle in the North of France nearly 20 yrs ago, we went out of business due to the plunge in the propery market in the North, it hasn't recovered but other Estate Agents survived by modernising their marketing, cutting overheads and being on top of the times, we weren't so I can't give any lessons. We are just trying to keep ahead of things by trying new ways of marketing and doing fab breakfasts like you do and this year we'll be doing tapas evenings instead of our traditional table d'hote ...
The thing is Barbara is that we run our rentals like a proper accountable business and we are fine. Take the illegitimate people out of the equation and the legitimate will flourish. You would not believe some of the cheeky punters who email us asking for reductions to compete with someone else on the same advertising website, who is sooo obviously not legit. We stick to our guns and still get the bookings. We work closely with local restaurateurs and they get business as well and we offer a professional / accountable service. When I say that, we are available if anything goes wrong and are fully accountable for that. On top of that our clients say that we are the cleanest, most professional holiday let they have been to and some of the stories they have told us about rentals that they have had before is quite frightening.
But I am not riding with the gloom.
This is me looking at what is surrounding me.
I am a doing fine.
I WOULD like to see others do well in my region.
Provence is flourishing....that is great...then
here in 33/24 something is lacking?
That's pretty gloomy Barbara... Hope things pick up in your area as it's pretty buoyant here in Provene.
Everyone is missing the key issue here. It is those who have holiday homes. I think those, like us who have holiday lets on the site of our main residence and who are registered legitimately with the Mairie will not be affected provided they are registered businesses. I know at least four people in my village alone who are not legitimate. What they are referring to is those that do not treat their rentals as a business. We pay income tax on our rental business earnings under AE, taxe de sejour & CFE ( Business tax) or Taxe professional as it used to be known. If you are legitimate, I think everyone should stop panicking and also take this as a little scare mongering. What you have to remember, whether we like it or not, is that there are a few who rent out, do not declare in either country and slip through the net and this benefits no one economy. Also these people rent out for a pittance and endanger those trying to make an honest living by offering holidays lets for less than the real going rates. The tip for the day is 'Get legal and the government won't fight back!' Also this benefits those who are legitimate by taking those who are not out of the system, therefore reducing the competition.
Well will anyone want to buy a holiday home or will anyone move here?
What will flourish?
Restaurants...already dying.
Immobiliers will struggle even more.....so that does effect some of us.
The wedding Industry may well become affected.
I am sure that it is not just about the tax it is about bad judgement.
It’s not just an European issue, have a look at what’s hit airbnb:
http://business.time.com/2013/10/07/airbnbs-woes-show-how-far-the-sharing-economy-has-come/
Quality has no connection to tax, there are great hotels, B&B and gîtes run by French, Brit and Dutch just to name a few nationalities but I totally disagree with trying to avoid local taxes…
There are rubbish places to stay too they may or may not pay their rates?
There appears to be quite a vast difference between Daily Wail saying letting out homes will be banned and what appears to be happening, so who is NOT helping tourism or people who would like to have a holiday home in France, Spain or wherever the case may be? Somehow or other this story is being turned into the holy grail of where is best, home in the UK as ever. So stay in Shangri La or go to the hell holes which everything across the Channel, Irish Sea and even the Tweed can only be. Something is happening for sure, but until people actually know be careful swallowing such stories.
Does anyone have a French reference for this? I'd like to read up on it.
Jane yes I Agree with you.
Many of the French are complaisant about the standard they offer with their hotels.
Once they were so great at everything relating to cuisine, hotels and similar but the
quality has diminished over the recent years.
Maybe we can blame government direction and the taxations or, perhaps the French need
to up their game....try a little harder.
There is no excuse for soggy baguette and cheapest bought in stuff.
Do something and do it well it makes you feel good.
My breakfast usually includes some stranger breakfast things like rice pudding made
with fresh vanilla and cream, a decent fruit salad,a savoury tart made with lardon and
cheese....maybe a pancake.
Coffee is from a catering style machine and the clients are offered more than 1 cup.
In many cases I offer flexi hour breakfast which can begin as late as 11.
So the clients linger and breakfast becomes their lunch.
The prob with B and b is that most people want Fri and Sat night.....they are on their
way to another area or they are attending a wedding.
2 nights is insufficient to create enough revenue to live on.
Most B and B owners have big house. Huge huge heating bills.
Gite is a better option.
This has a slightly different take on things! :-)
http://www.spain-holiday.com/rentalbuzz/latest-on-the-new-holiday-rentals-law-in-spain
But it appears something is happening.