A seaside town on the French Riviera has announced it will be fighting against overtourism. Like many cities in Europe including its neighbour Nice, or even Marseille a bit further along the south coast of France, Villeneuve-Loubet is implementing stricter regulations on short-term rentals like Airbnb. The local council voted last Thursday, March 20, to reduce the maximum number of days a primary residence can be rented out as a tourist accommodation from 120 to 90 days per year, local newspaper Nice Matin reports.

Between Antibes and Nice, Villeneuve-Loubet can be seen as soon as you land at Nice Airport with the Marina Baie des Anges buildings - one of the Côte d'Azur's most iconic landmarks. While some call them pyramids, others say they are like the waves of the Mediterranean, and some believe them to be ugly concrete eyesores, there is no doubt this is an architectural staple of the French Riviera, with plants cascading from every corner.

The town's new 90-day limit, effective immediately, currently only applies to owners of primary residences.

The mayor said that people are free to rent out their properties as long as this is declared and they make sure this does not cause disturbances. 

The municipality, which requires owners to declare their short-term rental properties currently lists 912 rental units.

According to the 2022 census, Villeneuve-Loubet has a population of about 16,729, meaning that short-term rental units may account for roughly 5.4% of the population. 

The law also introduces tougher fines for non-declaration, with penalties of up to £8,333 for failing to declare a property and £16,665 for submitting false declarations. 

The municipality plans to go a step further by exploring other provisions of the Le Meur law, which allows for setting quotas for rental properties by zone.

This measure has already been adopted by Nice, which identified 30 neighbourhoods in November 2024 that account for 70% of seasonal rentals.

The aim is to free up homes for locals by limiting the number of properties that can be rented out for short-term stays.