Paris moves away from coliving: new housing market restrictions

Paris City Hall intends to halt the development of coliving—schemes where residents rent private rooms in buildings with shared kitchens, coworking areas, and leisure spaces. Developers will no longer receive approvals for such projects, which, in the city’s view, fuel price increases and allow landlords to circumvent rent controls, reports MySweetImmo citing AFP.

Paris has become the first city in France to openly oppose this housing format. Senator and head of the Communist group on the City Council Ian Brossat announced a “zero coliving” policy and stressed that a clear signal has been sent to developers—the capital no longer approves such projects. He clarified that the decision is not a formal ban but is meant to stop the “anarchic development” of the sector amid a housing shortage.

“This refusal will be heard,” the senator said. “Developers will not want to quarrel with the city, given how limited the number of available plots is.” The move aims to regain control of the rental market, as after tougher rules for Airbnb many investors switched to coliving, where profitability remains high and rent caps can be sidestepped. “I have already introduced a bill in Parliament to clearly define the status of such properties and set understandable boundaries for them,” Brossat added.



Recall that on 1 January 2025, France enacted the Loi Le Meur, aimed at curbing the growth of short-term rentals through platforms such as Airbnb and Booking. The rules strengthen municipal powers and introduce new restrictions for homeowners.

Renting out an apartment for tourist purposes is only possible after registering with the city hall and obtaining a special number, which must be shown in the listing. For a primary residence, the cap has been reduced from 120 to 90 days per year. Owners who violate the rules or fail to declare their property face fines of up to €100,000. Active checks of registered addresses are underway, and illegal Airbnb listings are being removed en masse. The authorities expect these measures to return part of the housing stock to the long-term market and stop further price increases.

City Hall representative Barbara Gomes also noted that coliving has become a way to bypass restrictions: it is enough to add a few fitness machines or a lounge area to charge extra fees for “comfort,” which do not fall under rent control. In some buildings, rooms of about 20 sq m are rented for up to €1,850 per month. The opposition called the initiative ideological. Aurélien Véron of Les Républicains argued that coliving remains a niche phenomenon that meets real demand for affordable housing and that Paris is “trying to ban what works.”



According to the Institut Paris Région, there are about 7,500 coliving beds in Île-de-France, with another 6,800 in the pipeline—mostly in the capital. The authorities fear that further expansion will reduce traditional supply and spur speculation in the rental market. A special municipal task force is being set up to monitor existing facilities, conduct inspections, and assess their impact. The move fits into the city’s broader strategy to limit price growth and prevent real-estate speculation. However, experts warn that the policy could deprive young urbanites of one of the few flexible housing formats that combine affordability and comfort.

Meanwhile, members of the French Parliament have proposed making rent caps permanent and expanding their geographic scope beyond the 72 municipalities where the experiment has been underway since 2018. They note that in most municipalities participating in the program, prices have stabilized and conflicts between tenants and landlords have decreased.

The new bill proposes granting all mayors in high-pressure areas the right to introduce regulation and to codify transparent coefficients for calculating premiums—for terraces, cellars, mezzanines, and panoramic views. These items most often trigger litigation.



Industry associations oppose the initiative, arguing that it reduces rental yields and pushes owners to sell rather than let apartments. The market is becoming less attractive to investors. Economists point to inaccuracies in how base rates are calculated: the methodology relies on averages and does not always reflect local specificities, leading to numerous exceptions and disputes. As a result, tenants and landlords face difficulties applying the new rules in practice. At the same time, constraining rents in some districts prompts price increases in others not covered by regulation, exacerbating imbalances and undermining trust in the system.