Holiday lets in Nice in 2026: the new quotas, the deadline and what buyers should check

"Can I rent it out on Airbnb?" is one of the first questions buyers ask me about an apartment in Nice. Since 1 September 2026 the answer has changed. Nice has adopted new rules for short-term holiday lets (meublés de tourisme), including annual quotas in four of its most popular zones. This guide summarises the official rules and explains what they mean if you own, or are about to buy, in Nice.

This is general information based on the official texts, not legal advice. Always check your own case with the city's housing protection service, the Mission Protection des Logements, or with a notary.

What changed on 1 September 2026

On 22 June 2026, the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur adopted a new regulation on changes of use (changement d'usage) for the city of Nice. It applies from 1 September 2026 and builds on the national Le Meur law of 19 November 2024, which gave towns more tools to regulate holiday lets. The key points for private owners are:

• One temporary permit per owner (and per tax household), valid for up to 5 years. It cannot be renewed, split into periods, sold, or transferred to another property.
• After that permit, or for any second property, you must either compensate, meaning you convert an equivalent non-residential space in Nice into permanent housing or buy "commercialité" rights from someone who does, or join the mixed-letting scheme (see below).
• Companies that let property commercially must compensate from their very first unit.
• Your apartment must have a valid energy certificate (DPE) rated A to E. From 1 January 2034 the requirement becomes A to D.

These rules apply to the city of Nice only. Villefranche-sur-Mer has had its own regulation since 1 July 2024.

The four quota zones and the 2026 deadline

According to the regulation, the quotas cover four large zones made up of 39 small statistical districts (IRIS), with 691 permits at most for 2026, or 0.9% of the homes concerned. The public notice of 15 August 2026 splits them as follows:

The area known locally as the Carré d'Or is not an official district, but it falls within zone 3: the regulation's list of streets for that zone includes rue Masséna, rue Dalpozzo and boulevard Victor Hugo, for example. Always check the exact address, because some streets are only partly included.

In these zones, first applications must be filed online only, at changementdusage.fr/nice, where you can also check your address. They are dealt with in order of arrival (time-stamped), and only complete applications count. Each owner may file one application for one property in a given period, across all quota zones. Incomplete files are rejected, and there is no waiting list. The city has four months to decide, and no answer means a refusal.

Renewals, mixed-letting applications, compensated (permanent) permits and homes in serviced residences do not count against the quotas. Outside the four zones, you can apply at any time of year.

The deadline: the Métropole's website and the regulation give 1 September to 31 December 2026. The public notice of 15 August 2026, however, says 21 December 2026. If you are concerned, submit a complete application well before 21 December. The regulation also says the quotas will be recalculated by the end of 2026, for new rules from January 2027.

Your main home, and the mixed-letting option

• Your main residence: you can let it for up to 120 days a year without a change-of-use permit. Beyond that it is no longer treated as your main home, and a permit is required.
• Mixed letting (location mixte): if you let the property to a student during the academic year and to tourists for three summer months only (June–August or July–September), you can obtain extra permits without compensation. There is no limit on how many you can have. Conditions include a capped student rent (€525 for a studio/T1, €680 for a T2, €890 for a T3, €1,260 for a T4 or larger), a student who receives CAF housing benefit, a four-party agreement with the CROUS (the student services body), signed before 31 December, and an application filed before 31 January for the following summer. The permit is renewed every year.

On top of the change-of-use permit, every holiday let needs a registration number, which must appear on every online listing, and a tourist-tax declaration. Since 20 May 2026, the national rental declaration has been compulsory in every French municipality. The city lists penalties of up to €100,000 for letting without a change-of-use permit and up to €80,000 for a false declaration.

If you are buying: five checks before you sign

1. Don't pay extra for "Airbnb potential". A seller's temporary permit is personal to them and does not transfer to you. Only a permit obtained through compensation is attached to the property and passes to the buyer.
2. Check the zone and the timing. Is the address in a quota zone? If it is, will you be able to apply before the window closes, or will you have to wait for the 2027 rules?
3. Read the co-ownership rules (règlement de copropriété). A permit does not override them. The city notes that neighbours can still go to court, and applicants must now declare on their honour that they respect these rules.
4. Check the DPE. A rating of F or G rules out a holiday-let permit. Budget for any renovation before you make an offer.
5. Run a plan B. Compare the figures for a classic furnished lease, a bail mobilité (a furnished lease of 1 to 10 months, which cannot be renewed, for tenants who are training, studying or on a work assignment, according to Service-Public.fr) and mixed letting. The 2027 budget bill also proposes to tighten the tax treatment of furnished lets (see my October market update).

How I can help

I have managed both short-term and long-term rentals of my own properties, so I look at these questions the way an investor does: what is allowed, what it really costs, and what the property can earn if plan A falls through. If you are thinking about a buy-to-let in Nice or anywhere between Nice and Menton (my Roquebrune-Cap-Martin property guide covers prices and neighbourhoods between Menton and Monaco), see my current properties or tell me about your project. I'll also introduce you to trusted local professionals: notaries, accountants and property managers.