The seaside town of the French Riviera has announced that it will fight overtourism. Villeneuve-Loubet has implemented stricter regulations on short-term rentals such as Airbnb, so that many European cities include neighboring Nice, or a little more Marseille along the southern coast of France. Local council voted last Thursday on Thursday, March 20th to reduce the maximum number of days a major residence can rent from 120 to 90 days a year, according to local newspaper Nice Matin.
Between Antibes and Nice, Villeneuve -Loubet is immediately visible upon landing at Nice Airport along with the building of Marina Bear Angels, one of the most iconic landmarks of the Cote Jours. Some call them pyramids, others say they are like waves of the Mediterranean, others believe they are ugly concrete ires, but this is an architectural staple of the French Riviera, and there is no doubt that plants cascade from every corner.
The town's new 90-day restrictions are in effect immediately and are currently only applicable to major residence owners.
The mayor said that as long as this is declared, people are free to borrow their property and that this does not cause obstacles.
Municipalities that require owners to declare short-term rental properties currently list 912 rental units.
According to the 2022 census, Villeneuve-Loubet's population is approximately 16,729. This means that short-term rental units could make up about 5.4% of the population.
The law also introduces stricter fines for non-declaration, with a penalty of up to £8,333 if the property fails to declare, and a penalty of £16,665 for filing a false declaration.
Municipalities will take it a step further by examining other Le Meur Law regulations that allow you to set quotas for rental properties by zone.
The measure has already been adopted by Nice, who identified 30 neighborhoods in November 2024, accounting for 70% of seasonal rentals.
The aim is to free the home for locals by limiting the number of properties that can be rented for short stays.
