Bed & Breakfast (and table d'hôtes)
Verified 01 January 2023 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Offering a bed and breakfast involves welcoming the client, renting him a furnished room with access to a bathroom and a toilet, and providing him with breakfast. It is a professional activity of a commercial or agricultural nature. It can be practiced all year round or in season. It must be limited to 5 rooms and 15 guests at the same time. The landlord must first register in the city hall, register and join the Social Security.
Capacity
The capacity is limited to 5 bedrooms and to 15 customers at the same time.
Please note
if you wish to rent more than 5 rooms or to accommodate more than 15 guests at the same time, this activity corresponds either to the running of a hotel or to the rental of guest rooms. In such cases, the regulations of the institutions receiving from the public (ERP) and accessibility rules for people with disabilities.
Mandatory benefits
The rental of a bed and breakfast must include the provision of an overnight package (including the supply of linens) and breakfast.
Reception must be provided by the renter, who lives on the premises.
The cleaning of the rooms and the toilets must be ensured daily, at no extra cost.
Optional Service: Host Table
The name host table indicates that the bed and breakfast renter offers a meal offer. The table d'hôtes is not a restaurant. This service complements the accommodation, reserved for the guests of the guest rooms. The meal should be taken at the family table. It must consist of a single menu.
The host table is subject to a number of regulations. Among them:
- Obligation to inform the consumer about the prices charged (including or not including beverages, for example)
- Compliance with hygiene and food safety rules (supply of drinking water, hygiene of surfaces and utensils, sanitary facilities for staff, ...)
If the renter offers alcoholic beverages as part of the meals, he must have a restaurant or beverage outlet license. The sale of non-alcoholic beverages is free.
Room
The minimum surface area of each room must be 9 m² (excluding sanitary facilities), with a ceiling height of 2.20 m minimum. Generally, for commercial reasons, it is accepted that a room cannot be less than 12 m².
Each room must provide access (directly or indirectly) to a washroom and toilet and must comply with hygiene, safety and health regulations.
FYI
the price of the tourist tax and the price of the services provided incidental to the nights or stays must be displayed in the guest room.
Price
The price is free, but must take into account the comfort of the room, the services offered and the tourist attraction of the region.
The bed and breakfast renter is subject to the same transparency obligations as a hotelier vis-à-vis the client regarding information on prices.
Outside the property and close to the main public entrance
The following information shall be provided:
- Price of the next night in a double room, or maximum price charged for an overnight stay in a double room during a period including the next night (if these services are not marketed, price of the most popular accommodation service with its duration)
- Whether or not breakfast is served (and whether or not the price of this service is included in the price of the night)
- Whether or not there is an Internet connection in the rooms (and whether or not the price of this service is included in the price of the night)
- How to access price information for all other commercialized services
Location of customer reception
The following information shall be provided:
- Arrival and departure times (and surcharges for late departures)
- Price of the next night in a double room, or maximum price charged for an overnight stay in a double room during a period including the next night (if these services are not marketed, price of the most popular accommodation service with its duration)
- Whether or not breakfast is served (and whether or not the price of this service is included in the price of the night)
- Whether or not there is an Internet connection in the rooms (and whether or not the price of this service is included in the price of the night)
- Information on the prices of all other marketed services
In each room
The following information shall be provided:
- All prices of services provided incidental to overnight stays
- How to access this information
FYI
prices include taxes and services (including VAT). Their display shall bear this indication.
Individual font card
The bed and breakfast renter must have a individual policy sheet to any foreigner customer.
Delivery of a detailed invoice to the customer
One itemized invoice indicating the total of the sums due will be given to the customer as soon as the price of the service reaches €25, or at his request.
In particular, the invoice must include the detailed statement in quantity and price of each service provided and the total amount due. The note must be made out in duplicate and the original given to the customer at the time of payment.
In case of dispute
The landlord who misleads the customer by misusing the bed and breakfast label or who provides him with incorrect or misleading information about the accommodation, risks criminal sanctions.
In this situation, the client can contact the Departmental Directorate for the Protection of Populations (DDPP or DDCSPP) which can investigate and, if necessary, fine the renter:
Who shall I contact
The customer can also deposit a complaint to the public prosecutor of the court of the place of hire.
Statement in town hall
Any resident who wishes to offer to rent one or more bed and breakfast must make a prior declaration to the town hall of his place of residence. If he does not do so, he risks a €450.
The following online service shall be used:
Declare in the town hall of bed and breakfast
FYI
any changes to the information provided shall be rereported using the same online service.
Registration of the activity
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Activity carried out on a regular basis
Where the activity of bed and breakfast is habitually carried out, it shall constitute a commercial activity.
The bed and breakfast renter must declare his activity and register at the SCR: titleContent.
It must be registered, including where the activity is carried out under the simplified micro-social scheme (or micro-entrepreneur scheme).
The application for registration must be made on the website of the company formalities office:
Warning
Since 1er january 2023, it is no longer possible to carry out your procedures in a company Formalities Center (CFE). You must make them on the website of the company formalities office.
Activity pursued in addition to self-employment
If the activity is carried out in addition to a usual professional activity already declared in the SCN, the opening of a new establishment must be declared using a form P2:
- to the Chamber of Agriculture where the activity of renting guest rooms is carried out by a farmer on the agricultural holding,
- in other cases, contact the local chamber of commerce and industry of the bed and breakfast.
Declaration of modification of a company - natural person (P2 CM)
These steps are mandatory, regardless of the income generated by the bed and breakfast.
If the renter does not make them, renting a bed and breakfast is an offense for concealed work.
If the landlord voluntarily gives inaccurate information, he or she may incur up to €4,500 fine and 6 months imprisonment.
Affiliation to social security
The self-employed bed and breakfast operator must be insured under the social scheme for self-employed persons (TNS) in respect of sickness, maternity, old age, invalidity and death insurance:
- Either with the Social Security of the self-employed. Membership is compulsory when the taxable income from the activity of bed and breakfast (including table d'hôtes activity) exceeds €5,719. In the case of a lower income, there is no obligation of membership. The income generated by the rental is then subject to the social contributions on income from assets at the overall rate of 17.20%.
- Or, for farmers, with the Mutualité sociale agricole (MSA)
Labeling
There is no official star rating for hotels, campsites and furnished tourist goods.
However, there are private labeling schemes (brands, charters, labels).
If the accommodation is in a condominium
If you wish to offer to rent one or more guest rooms and your accommodation is located in a condominium, you must beforehand verify that the co-ownership rules do not prohibit it.
Income tax
If it is customary, then declared in the SCR: titleContent, the activity of a bed and breakfast falls under the tax regime of the para-hotelerie, and not that of the furnished rental.
Income must be reported for income tax purposes under one of the following plans:
- Industrial and Commercial Profits (BIC), profits made by natural persons engaged in a commercial profession
- Arrangements for non-professional furnished rentals (actual profit scheme) for non-professional operators
- Micro-company (for self-employed persons), if the turnover excluding tax does not exceed €176,200 (profit is calculated after a flat-rate reduction of 71%, the taxable income corresponding to 29% of turnover)
- Agricultural benefits, for a farmer.
If the income does not exceed €760 every year, the bed and breakfast renter is exempt from income tax (except for micro-companies).
Value added tax (VAT)
If he does not meet the conditions for exemption from VAT, the bed and breakfast rental is subject to VAT at the rate of 10% for the provision of accommodation and table d'hôtes (except for alcoholic beverages taxed at 20%).
This tax is directly charged to the customer. It is at the bed and breakfast rental of the to collect on taxable transactions and to declare it.
Territorial Economic Contribution (CET)
The activity of bed and breakfast is due to the CET, which consists of the company property tax (CFE) and the value added contribution of companies (VAAE).
The company property levy (CFE) is based only on property subject to property tax. This tax is payable in each municipality where the operator has premises and land linked to his activity.
Some B&B rentals can benefit from exemption or discount from the CET.
Tourist tax
The municipality can ask the guest of a bed and breakfast located in its territory to pay a tourist tax.
This tax is payable by the customer to the bed and breakfast rental company, which then pays it to the municipality.
An online service allows you to know the amount of the city tax:
Tourist tax rates per municipality
FYI
the rate of the tourist tax must be displayed in the guest room.
Residential and property taxes
The housing tax applies to leased premises, even if they are subject to the FTC, because they are part of the personal dwelling of the renter.
Use as the destination of the premises remaining the dwelling, there is no change of use or destination to be made.
The housing tax is calculated on the net rental value, i.e. the cadastral rental value of the premises less, in the case of the principal residence, compulsory allowances for dependants or low and optional income for disabled persons.
Its applicable rate varies according to the municipality.
However, an exemption from housing tax and property tax may be granted on the deliberation of the municipality to the guest rooms located in Rural Revitalization Area (RRZ).
FYI
renters of bed and breakfasts located in their dwelling are exempt from the companies' property tax (CFE). Where the rented room is outside the personal dwelling, this tax is payable, unless otherwise decided by the municipality.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
- Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI)
- Chamber of Agriculture
For non-agricultural farmers' social security membership
Social security (self-employed)For the prior declaration
Town HallFor membership of the Social Security scheme for farmers
Mutual Social Agricultural Organization (MSA)
- Code of Tourism: Articles L324-3 to L324-5Rental conditions and mandatory declaration in town hall
- Code du tourisme: article L327-1Penalties for misuse of regulated designations for tourist accommodation
- Code of Tourism: Articles D324-13 to D324-16Bed & breakfast rental activity and comfort and compliance of rooms
- Commercial Code: Articles L123-1 to L123-11-8Obligation to register with the SCN
- General Tax Code: Articles 35a and 35bExemption for furnished rentals
- General Tax Code: Articles 278-0a to 279aVAT liability (Article 279)
- General Tax Code: Articles 1407 to 1407bTaxation of housing tax
- General Tax Code: Articles 1449 to 1466Exemption from the CFE: Article 1459
- Consumer Code: Article L131-5Penalty for non-compliance with price reporting requirements
- Decree No. 87-149 of 6 March 1987 laying down the minimum conditions of comfort and habitability of premises rented out
- Order of 18 December 2015 concerning the advertising of prices of commercial tourist accommodation (except furnished tourist accommodation or outdoor hotel)Price display (Articles 6 and 7)
- Circular of 23 December 2013 on the main regulations applicable to bed and breakfast rentals (PDF - 2.2 MB)Remittance of an invoice
- Circular DSS/SD5B/2013/100 of 14 March 2013 on the social security affiliation of bed and breakfast renters (PDF - 50.8 KB)Obligation to be a member of social security
- Company Formalities Window
Online service
- Tourist tax rates per municipality
Search tools
- Declare in the town hall of bed and breakfast
Online service
- Request the exemption from the housing tax for bed and breakfasts and tourist furniture located in rural revitalization areas (RRZs)
Form
- Declaration of modification of a company - natural person (P2 CM)
Form
- Tourist accommodation tax
- Restaurant license and beverage outlet
- Information on pricesService-Public.fr
- Company Property Tax (CFE)
- The big picture on BICsMinistry of Finance
- Perimeter of Rural Revitalization Areas (RRZs)National Agency for Territorial Cohesion (ANCT)
- Information on prices of specific products or servicesNational Institute of Consumer Affairs (INC)