Following Nice and Villeneuve-Loubet, this beautiful small town of Antibes in the French Riviera is ramping up its battle against the uncontrolled spread of short-term rentals like Airbnb. With over 4,500 properties listed, many of these rental properties are located in the historic Old Town, according to the property website, SeLoger. The local Government is invoking new powers under France’s Le Meur law to regain control of its housing market and preserve quality of life for local residents, Nice Matin reported.
The Le Meur law, passed in November 2024, gives municipalities greater power to limit and control short-term rentals like Airbnb to protect local housing and reduce nuisances. Effective July 1, Antibes will slash the maximum number of rental days allowed for primary residences from 120 to 90 days per year.
This new cap, enabled by the national Le Meur legislation, is intended to reduce the impact of short-term rentals on the town’s housing market.
However, local Mayor Jean Leonetti remains cautious about its actual impact as only a small portion of Airbnb listings are primary residences.
The real concern lies with investor-owned secondary homes rented out year-round and often managed remotely, the mayor said. These properties, concentrated in tourist-heavy areas like the Old Antibes and nearby Juan-les-Pins, are seen as a major factor in rising property prices and issues such as noise, parking problems, and waste management.
The town reportedly plans to introduce zoning regulations that will require secondary homeowners to obtain permits before converting their properties into tourist rentals.
Once implemented, these permits will be capped in number, but a national decree is required to enforce these rules, meaning that they won’t be in place before May 2026, leaving Antibes with limited tools for the coming summer.
Located between Nice and Cannes, the small seaside town of Antibes attracts over one million tourists each year, according to the local council.
In summer, its population swells from around 80,000 to over 200,000 people, putting significant pressure on housing and public services.
Last year, Antibes raised the tourist tax on Airbnb-style rentals from 3% to the legal maximum of 5%, to prevent what Mayor Jean Leonetti called “unfair competition” with traditional hotels.
