Airbnb Rules in Nice 2026: The Complete Owner's Guide

The Airbnb rules in Nice changed significantly on 1 January 2026: primary residences may now be let for a maximum of 90 nights per year (down from 120), permit quotas apply in four districts of the city, and registration moves to a single national online service by 20 May 2026. Nice is now one of the most tightly regulated cities in France for short term rentals — yet letting your property remains entirely possible, and profitable, provided you follow the rules. Here is the complete, up-to-date guide.

Regulations evolve regularly: the information below is accurate at the time of publication and provided for guidance only. When in doubt, refer to official sources (Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur, service-public.fr).

What changed in Nice's short term rental regulations in 2026?

Three major shifts came into force. First, the annual letting limit for a primary residence dropped from 120 to 90 nights, voted by the city council in May 2025 and applicable since 1 January 2026. Second, the city introduced change-of-use quotas: 671 permits per year in total across the four most pressured districts. Third, the national Le Meur law (November 2024) is rolling out across France: a single national registration portal by 20 May 2026 at the latest, energy performance (DPE) requirements for tourist lets, and tougher taxation for unclassified rentals.

In practice, your obligations hinge on one simple question: are you letting your primary residence or a second home?

How many nights can you rent out your primary residence in Nice?

A maximum of 90 nights per year since 1 January 2026. Nice is among the first major French cities to lower the legal ceiling from 120 to 90 days, as the Le Meur law allows in high-pressure housing zones.

This is not a theoretical limit: platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com automatically block your calendar once the cap is reached, thanks to data sharing between platforms and the French tax administration. There is no slipping through the net — and exceeding the cap carries a civil fine of up to €15,000.

Worth remembering: a primary residence (the home you occupy at least eight months a year) does not require change-of-use authorisation. You do, however, need a registration number and must account for tourist tax, like any host.

Second homes: change-of-use authorisation is mandatory

To let a second home as a furnished tourist rental in Nice, you need a temporary change-of-use authorisation issued by the city — from the very first night. Nice's general rule is strict:

• one authorisation only per owner and per tax household;
• valid for 3 years, non-renewable, non-transferable to another person or property;
• an energy rating (DPE) between A and E is required with your application (A to D from 2034).

Source: City of Nice municipal regulations — Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur, June 2026.

Beyond those three years (or for a second property), two routes remain: compensation — converting an equivalent surface currently in another use back into housing, a costly mechanism mostly reserved for substantial portfolios — or the mixed-letting scheme (student housing for most of the year, tourist letting in summer).

Our view as investors: these constraints reshape the market rather than close it. Less tourist-rental supply in the busiest districts also means demand concentrating on compliant properties — and solid occupancy for those who operate properly. We unpack that trade-off in our comparison of long-term vs short-term rental in Nice.

Vieux Nice and the city centre concentrate most of the 2026 quotas. Photo: Constantin — Unsplash.

The 2026 quotas: 671 permits across four districts

This is the year's headline change. In the four most touristic districts — Vieux-Nice, Riquier – Port – Mont Boron, City Centre and West Nice — change-of-use applications are now subject to an overall quota of 671 permits per year, with applications accepted only in February, online via the city's portal (changementdusage.fr/nice, where you can test your address).

Three important caveats:

• renewals of previous authorisations, mixed letting and compensation files are not subject to quotas and can be submitted year-round;
• outside the application window, no file is accepted or processed;
• the quota procedure is under temporary suspension from 1 February to 31 August 2026, pending a court ruling. The picture may still change — one more reason to seek guidance before committing to a project.

Source: 2026 quota public notice — Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur.

How do you get a registration number in Nice?

The 13-character registration number is mandatory for publishing any short term rental listing in Nice, whether the property is a primary residence or a second home, classified or not. It is issued via the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur online service, alongside your tourist tax declaration — and, for a second home, after the change-of-use authorisation has been granted (the two numbers are separate).

A national development to note: by 20 May 2026 at the latest, registration moves to a single national online portal introduced by the Le Meur law. Existing hosts keep their obligations; penalties, meanwhile, have been raised: up to €10,000 for failing to register and €20,000 for a false declaration or using a fake registration number.

Tourist tax and taxation: what applies in 2026

Declaring your property to the Métropole's tourist tax office is compulsory for every tourist rental, classified or not. For unclassified properties, the tax is proportional to the nightly rate (around 5% excluding VAT per person per night, capped); classified properties benefit from a flat rate that is often more favourable. The major platforms generally collect the tax on your behalf — but the initial declaration remains your responsibility.

On income tax, the Le Meur law reshuffled the micro-BIC regime: the allowance for unclassified rentals fell to 30% with a €15,000 revenue ceiling, against 50% up to €77,700 for classified properties. Getting your property officially classified (one to five stars) has therefore become a first-rate tax lever — a topic we will cover in detail in a future article.

How do you stay compliant without giving up your weekends?

Let us be direct: Nice's regulatory landscape has become a profession in its own right. Between address eligibility checks, the February application window, the DPE, the registration number, tourist tax and night caps, improvisation is expensive — up to €20,000 in fines in the most serious cases.

That is exactly why at Be My Guest, regulatory compliance is included end to end in our management service: we prepare and track every file (registration, change of use, tourist tax) for each property we manage in Nice and along the Côte d'Azur. As short term rental investors ourselves for over 7 years, we apply to your property the same standards we demand for our own: a profitable operation, and an impeccable one. To understand everything delegated management covers, read our guide to Airbnb property management in Nice — and if your apartment is not quite ready yet, our pre-rental preparation checklist.

Wondering what the 2026 rules mean for your property? Let's talk: free valuation and compliance review.

Official sources

To check the latest position or start your formalities:

• Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur — letting a furnished tourist rental: procedures for individuals (2026 quotas, change of use, required documents)
• City of Nice change-of-use portal (test your address's eligibility and apply online)
• Law no. 2024-1039 of 19 November 2024, the "Le Meur law" (national registration portal, energy ratings, penalties)
• Service-public.fr — letting a furnished tourist rental (national rules, town-hall declaration)
• Métropole NCA tourist tax portal (declaration and host account)