Airbnb sentenced to Oléron, severely supervised by law Le Meur Echaniz, reduced to 90 days a year for main residences in Bordeaux, how do you live this climate increasingly hostile to your activity?
We live it through what the hosts tell us: the profits from the furnished tourism rental are not recognized. In Bordeaux, 91 % of goods on Airbnb are rented occasionally, without effect on the housing market. This just impacts purchasing power: median income fired by a host amounts to 3,700 euros gross per year. 60 % of hosts say they rent to complete the end of the month. This affects purchasing power, tourist reception, economic activity for shops. In France, it is a billion euros and 9,000 jobs. The hosts don’t understand and either!
Do you understand that there are areas where tourists find accommodation but not residents?
In reality, these are diversion measures, we say that we will put housing on the market by reducing the number of days when a main residence can be rented. This is obviously false, it is already a main residence. The hosts will have less purchasing power, travelers fewer options, less activity.
What do you suggest?
We must act on the causes of the housing crisis: vacant housing and construction deficit. Let us stop believing that we will resolve this crisis by taking diversion measures. In Bordeaux, restrictions have been in place since 2018, the real estate situation has not improved: rents increased by 16 %, real estate prices by 36 %. The impact of short -term rental on the housing market is zero or marginal, depending on the location. We are going to annoy people for occasional rentals in 91 % of cases. They will sleep with neighbors or in the family to rent at home, we are very far from a rental investment. In Bordeaux, those who rent intensely on Airbnb, more than 120 days per year, represent only 0.5 % of the housing stock.
The median income fired by a host amounts to 3,700 euros gross per year. 60 % of hosts say they rent to complete the end of the month ”
You are also in the viewfinder of hotels, which denounce unfair competition …
Hotel offers and tourist furnishings are complementary. When you go one night for work, you go to the hotel. If it’s for a week on vacation, you have more choice for short -term rental. The complementarity is also geographic: in France, 29,000 municipalities have Airbnb housing, but only 5,000 have a hotel. Families are allowed to have accommodation with kitchen, rooms, sometimes a green space, without having to go to the restaurant morning, noon and evening. I add that hotels have never been so full.
In the region, the Basque Country has adopted severe restrictions against short-term rentals, what do you think?
The housing crisis is massive, I am in favor of rules that have a real impact. The law Le Meur Echaniz allows mayors to set quotas by neighborhoods, it is very interesting. Les Sables-d’Olonne and Annecy began to do so. In the Basque Country, accommodation needs are diverse, some need a furnished tourist, others from a hotel. But since the measures are in force, to my knowledge, no housing has returned to the market. The real subject is secondary residences, not the income of short -term rentals.
I have the example of a pétanque expert who began to offer lessons, since we launched this service he has not been full, he became professional in two months “
Airbnb has just launched the concept of “Super app of the daily”, what is it?
This is the possibility of reserving experiences and services on the Airbnb application. 70 % of French people choose their destination according to the experiences they can find. We highlight the host who has a passion or expertise to share. This can be a stonemason or a winemaker with whom you rent and who will share your universe with you. Added to this is services with or without accommodation, a hairdresser, a chef at home for example. We offer accommodation, experiences, services. I have the example of an expert in pétanque who began to offer lessons, since we launched this service he has not been full, he became professional in two months.
Does this allow you to get around the obstacles to your accommodation activity?
Accommodation remains dominant, but the services will take an important place. The tourism experience market is immense, everyone is looking for this. We relate authentic hosts with travelers. We have very strong ambitions in this area. We take what makes the Airbnb strength and adapts it to other areas.