Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Further crackdown on (unoccupied) second homes

An unconfirmed report this morning by AFP claims that the French government is considering allowing an increase of up to 20% on the 'taxe foncière' paid on (unoccupied) second home, in certain areas of France, where there is a housing shortage and lack of affordable rentals. No-one was available to comment on behalf of the government.

The report claimed that in Paris one in six dwellings is a 'résidence secondaire' and an investigative programme on French TV last night showed an inspector from the Mairie tracking apartments let short term to visitors and tourists but registered by their owners as their main residence. In one case, a family in Bordeaux owned six or more such apartments in Paris, all let furnished short term. The Mairie has for some time been imposing fines and other penalties, and insisting owners re-classify their (rental) properties as a business, subject to the usual tax and social security regimes.