The mayor of Marseille has announced that all safes and key safes must be removed from properties within days as part of new measures against Airbnb rentals amid soaring house prices.
Earlier this month, city officials began placing large warning stickers on properties that have lockboxes, which are seen as a convenient way for short-term rental owners to give customers access to their accommodation.
The sticker gives the owner a ten-day grace period to remove the box, underscoring that items left hanging in public spaces are considered unauthorized.
Failure to act within the stipulated time frame allows the city to cut boxes from buildings before disposing of them.
Homeowners will have to visit the city’s lost and found department to retrieve their keys, and shocking images are already emerging of workers sawing through some safe deposit boxes.
Mayor Benoît Payan said the boxes are “littering the streets” of Marseille and added that the new initiative aims to recover the city’s public spaces while avoiding the rapid expansion of the short-term vacation rental market.
Rapidly rising prices and low housing stock have left many Marseille residents struggling to find suitable housing.
Mayor Benoît Payan stated that the boxes “dirty the streets” of Marseille and added that the new initiative aims to “recover” the city’s public spaces.
The city of Marseille has decided to fight against Airbnb homes, cutting off the key boxes found on the streets of the city
Earlier this month, city officials began placing large warning stickers on properties that have lockboxes, which are seen as a convenient way for short-term rental owners to give customers access to their accommodation.
Mayor Benoît Payan stated that the boxes “litter the streets” of Marseille and added that the new initiative aims to recover the city’s public spaces.
Announcing the measure earlier this month, Payán said: ‘I am going to use everything the law gives me as a weapon (to prevent this phenomenon).
“We are going to stop (Airbnb hosts) from wanting to make money off the people of Marseille.”
In 2023, almost 13,000 properties in Marseille were rented seasonally, an increase of 45% from 2022, according to figures cited by France Connection.
Payán previously stated that he would push to introduce laws similar to those in force in other parts of France, notably Paris and Bordeaux, some of which force landlords looking to rent out second homes to purchase properties of equal or larger size and offer traditional rental deals. long lasting. term listings for your accommodation along with Airbnb rentals.
“Starting with the first second home (rented on Airbnb), I will force the owner to buy an apartment and rent it long-term,” he told FranceInfo earlier this month.
He added: “75% of investors (in Marseille) are from outside the city and use Airbnb,” something he said was “emptying the city” and making it too difficult for locals to find suitable accommodation.
The so-called “slum owners” are also on Payán’s agenda.
“I’m going to send these people to the Public Ministry, one after another,” he said, referring to landlords who do not respect housing standards and rent properties in miserable conditions.
‘I am going to make war on them, I will make war on them and I will continue to do so.
“There is no reason why people should take advantage of poverty in this city,” he said.
The new initiative being implemented in Marseille comes as a movement of Italian protesters began sabotaging safe deposit boxes in Rome.
Activists calling themselves “Robin Hood” have removed several safes from properties in the Italian capital, denying travelers access to their vacation rentals.
Letters were posted under felt Robin Hood hats on the city’s lampposts, describing the vandalism as “the first” attack on “the rich.”
‘If you are looking for key safes and can’t find them, read this. We are rebelling,’ said a note shared by local media.
“We have removed these key storage boxes to denounce the sale of the city to short-term holidays that alienate locals and leave residents high and dry.”
Panoramic view of Marseille
A worker in Marseille is seen cutting a safe from a railing on October 28.
The new initiative being implemented in Marseille comes as a movement of Italian protesters began sabotaging safe deposit boxes in Rome.
People clash with police as they protest against the introduction of the tourist and registration fee in Venice, Italy, on April 25, 2024.
Campaigners said rents had risen “exponentially” in recent years.
“This is only our first action against the Holy Year of the rich,” his letters said.
More than 35 million tourists visited Rome last year, making it a record year and an all-time high in attendance.
The previous year, as Rome recovered from the pandemic, some 15 million arrived, and 30 million overnight stays increased by 176 percent compared to 2021.
Next year, Rome and Vatican City will also host their ‘Holy Year’ jubilee, which is expected to attract some 30 million visitors from around the world, increasing pressure on locals.
But some residents worry that keeping tourists away will affect their livelihoods or tarnish their city’s reputation.
Protesters clashed with police in Venice in April over a new imposition of a “tourist tax,” which requires short-stay visitors to pay a 5-euro “entry fee.”
Protesters armed with signs and banners lined the historic canals of the Italian city to show their contempt, and were met by baton-wielding riot police.
Critics argue that the 5 euro (£4.30) fee, initially in place during the summer, is unlikely to significantly affect the around 30 million trips made to Venice each year.