Renting Out Your House While on Holiday: What Can You Earn?
Renting out your house while on holiday on the French Riviera: €15,000–35,000 over the summer, fully within the primary-residence cap. The owner's guide.
Renting out your house while on holiday on the French Riviera can earn between €15,000 and €35,000 over a single summer, depending on the town, the size of the property and its outdoor space. And here's the good part: your own time off falls at exactly the right moment. While you enjoy your holidays, your house enjoys its best season. Because July and August add up to only around sixty nights, you stay comfortably within the limit allowed for a primary residence. Here is what you can realistically expect, and how it works in practice.
How many days can you rent out your primary residence?
This is the first question, and the answer is reassuring. A primary residence can be let on a short-term basis for up to 120 days a year anywhere in France; some municipalities lower that cap to 90 days by council decision — Nice has done so since 2025. A summer let runs to roughly 60 nights between early July and the end of August. You therefore stay well below the cap, even in the strictest town on the Riviera.
In other words, letting your primary residence over the summer is the simplest and safest use there is. You don't need a change-of-use permit (that applies only to second homes), you keep your house all year round, and you hand it over only while you are away. Your house funds your year while you are somewhere else.
One thing to note: since 20 May 2026, a prior declaration to the town hall (via the national online service) is required before letting, and your registration number must appear on every listing. Nothing insurmountable — and at Be My Guest, we put that file together for you.
What can you earn, town by town?
Take a representative property: a family house sleeping 6 to 8, with a garden and ideally a pool, let over the summer only. This is exactly the kind of home international families look for on the Riviera, and the outdoor space makes all the difference to the price.
| Area | Indicative summer income |
|---|---|
| Nice and its bay | €15,000 – 30,000 |
| Cannes | €18,000 – 35,000 |
| Antibes / Juan-les-Pins | €15,000 – 30,000 |
| Villefranche-sur-Mer | €20,000 – 35,000 |
| Peninsulas and corniches (Cap-Ferrat, Èze, Cap-d'Ail) | €25,000 – 50,000 |
| Hinterland and western bay (Biot, Mougins, Valbonne) | €12,000 – 28,000 |
Indicative ranges for a family house (sleeping 6-8, garden/pool) let over the summer season — BMG portfolio data and local observations, 2026.
The gaps are easily explained: a sea view, a pool, a large garden or being a short walk from a beach push a property into a higher price bracket. A house with a pool ten minutes from the water lets for far more than the same size with no outdoor space. To place your own house precisely, the most reliable figure comes from an estimate based on comparable homes actually let near you.
Is it really worth renting out your house in summer?
Yes — and the trade-off is quite different from a year-round let. Here, you give up nothing: you live in your house eleven months out of twelve and free it up only when you'd have been away anyway. The summer income comes on top, with no change to your lifestyle.
For an owner who had never considered it, it's often a revelation: two months away can cover a good share of the home's annual running costs, fund renovation work, or simply pay for the holiday itself. And unlike a long-term tenancy, you keep full control of your property and your calendar. If you are still weighing the two approaches, our long-term versus short-term rental comparison sets out the differences in income and constraints.
How does it work in practice?
This is the whole point of delegating seasonal rental management: in practice, you have almost nothing to do. It unfolds in three stages.
Before you leave, we prepare your house as if it were our own: professional photography included, a listing written and published in several languages across every platform (and on our own direct-booking site, commission-free), pricing adjusted day by day to summer demand, and your regulatory file assembled (registration number, town-hall declaration, tourist tax).
While you are on holiday, we handle everything: guest screening, key handover, 7-day support, cleaning between stays, hotel-quality linen and ongoing care of the property. You receive clear reporting without ever needing to step in.
Before you return, the house is cleaned, set back in order and inspected. You come home to exactly what you left — with the season's income on top. That is precisely our promise: we handle everything, you handle nothing. For the full details, see our owners page and our management in Nice, Cannes and Antibes.
Is it risky to hand over your house?
It's the legitimate worry of any owner letting for the first time. Peace of mind rests on three pillars, all of which we take care of.
First, guest screening: we favour verified profiles (families, couples, travellers rated on the platforms), with a security deposit and clear house rules. A family home naturally attracts considerate guests in the first place.
Next, insurance: your home insurance needs to cover short-term furnished subletting — worth checking with your insurer. The platforms also offer their own protections, and we point you towards the cover suited to occasional letting of a primary residence.
Finally, on-the-ground oversight: a fully local team, inventory checks, professional cleaning between every stay and regular inspection of the property. That is the difference a local management company makes — one that knows the area and looks after your house as its own.
And the tax side — is it complicated?
Good news again: occasional letting of your primary residence falls under the furnished-rental regime. You declare the income as BIC, most often under the micro-BIC scheme with its flat-rate allowance, as long as you stay below the thresholds. The tourist tax is paid by the guest and passed on: it is neutral for you.
Thresholds and allowances changed under the Le Meur law, and the actual-expenses regime can sometimes be more advantageous depending on your situation. For occasional summer use it stays simple — but a word with your accountant always beats an assumption. For a broader view of possible income on the Riviera, see our article on how much an Airbnb earns in Nice and on the French Riviera.
Official sources
- Service-public.fr — letting a furnished tourist property (primary-residence cap, town-hall declaration)
- economie.gouv.fr — furnished tourist letting and primary residence (rules and thresholds)
- Law no. 2024-1039 of 19 November 2024, the "Le Meur law" (national declaration, taxation, penalties)
- Nice Côte d'Azur Metropolis — furnished tourist lets (individuals) (local rules, registration number)
- Nice Côte d'Azur tourist-tax portal (declaration and host area)
Frequently asked questions
How many days can I rent out my primary residence?
Up to 120 days a year in most municipalities, and 90 days where the town hall has lowered the cap, as in Nice since 2025. A July–August summer let comes to only around sixty nights, so you stay well within the limit — with no change-of-use procedure required.
How much does renting out a house earn in summer on the French Riviera?
For a family house sleeping 6 to 8 with outdoor space, expect, as a guide, between €15,000 and €35,000 over the summer season alone, and up to €50,000 on the most sought-after peninsulas (Cap-Ferrat, Èze, Cap-d'Ail). A pool, a garden and proximity to the sea are the main price drivers.
Do I have to declare letting my house?
Yes. Since 20 May 2026, a prior declaration to the town hall is required via the national online service, and your registration number must appear on every listing. Income is declared as BIC (most often under micro-BIC). Be My Guest assembles and manages this file for the properties it looks after.
Is it risky to rent out your house while on holiday?
The risk is managed through guest screening, a security deposit, insurance suited to short-term furnished letting, and oversight on the ground. A family home attracts considerate guests, and a local management company handles cleaning, inventory checks and inspection between every stay.
Do you need a change-of-use permit to let your primary residence?
No. A change-of-use permit applies only to second homes. For your primary residence, all that is needed is the town-hall declaration and respect for the annual cap (90 or 120 days) — which is what makes summer letting so straightforward.
