Owning and Renting on the French Riviera

Owning a property in Nice, Antibes, or elsewhere on the French Riviera offers a wonderful lifestyle and a valuable investment. For many owners, short-term rentals help cover costs when the property is not in use.
However, understanding the 89-day rule in France is essential. Crossing the 90-night threshold can change your legal status from short-term host to long-term landlord — with very different rights and obligations.

What Is the 89-Day Rule in France?

French law distinguishes between short-term holiday rentals (locations saisonnières) and long-term residential leases(baux d’habitation).

A short-term rental generally covers stays of up to 90 nights per tenant. Once a stay exceeds this, it may fall under long-term tenancy law, giving the occupant tenant protections under the Loi du 6 juillet 1989.

For property owners, this means a guest can be treated as a legal tenant rather than a temporary visitor, with rights that significantly limit an owner’s flexibility.

The Winter Truce: A Major Risk for Long-Term Landlords

One key element of French rental law is the winter truce (trêve hivernale), which runs from 1 November to 31 March.
During this time, no tenant can be evicted, even for unpaid rent.

If a long-term tenant refuses to leave, eviction proceedings can only begin after the truce ends — and the process can stretch for many months.
For foreign property owners in Nice or Antibes, this can mean losing access to the property for an entire season or more.

Long-Term Rentals: Why They’re Risky for Foreign Owners

Once your property crosses into long-term rental status, it becomes subject to strict French tenant laws. Owners must:

• Sign a formal long-term lease (bail d’habitation).
• Respect long notice periods and limited grounds for termination.
• Wait potentially over a year for eviction if disputes arise.
• Postpone selling or personal use until the tenancy legally ends.

These protections make sense for residents who depend on housing stability, but for foreign owners they can cause serious complications.

Why Keeping It Under 89 Nights Is Safer

By limiting each stay to 89 nights or fewer, your rental remains classified as a short-term let, governed by tourism regulations rather than tenancy law.

Benefits for owners include:

• Full control over booking periods and access.
• Flexibility to use the property whenever you choose.
• Reduced legal risk, as guests must vacate on their checkout date.
• Better upkeep, since cleaning and inspections occur between stays.

In short, short-term rentals help you maintain control and protect your investment.

How to Stay Compliant

To keep your property safely under the short-term category:

1. Limit bookings to 89 nights or less per tenant.
2. If someone wishes to stay longer, split the booking into two separate stays with a short gap.
3. Declare all rental income in France for tax compliance.
4. Ensure your listing clearly identifies the property as a meublé de tourisme if applicable.

Following these simple steps helps you stay compliant and avoid unintentional long-term rental obligations.

The Bottom Line for Riviera Property Owners

The 89-day rule in France is not a small detail — it is the dividing line between a flexible short-term let and a tenant-protected long-term lease.

By keeping stays under 89 nights, you:

• Avoid tenant-protection laws such as the winter truce.
• Maintain full access to your property.
• Protect your investment and rental income.

For foreign owners in Nice, Antibes, and the Côte d’Azur, short-term rentals remain the most secure and manageable option.

Hope this gave some value! 

Emil @ Monsieur Folke