Short-Term Rental Regulations in Chamonix: The Complete Guide for Owners
- Care Concierge
Chamonix Short-Term Rental Regulations
Since 2025 the Communauté de Communes de la Vallée de Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Les Houches, Servoz and Vallorcine) has applied one of the strictest sets of short-term rental rules in France. Compulsory registration, change-of-use authorisation, per-owner quotas, tourist tax on actual nights: the rules have tightened to protect housing for residents and seasonal workers against tourist pressure. This guide sets out, commune by commune, what every owner needs to know to let legally — and what changes again when the national register arrives in 2026. It complements the figures on our Chamonix short-term rental market page.
1. Registration with the mairie: a number required on every listing
An online declaration — paper forms are no longer accepted. Since 1 January 2025, every furnished tourist rental in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Les Houches, Servoz or Vallorcine must be declared on the dedicated platform valleedechamonix.declaloc.fr. The paper Cerfa form is no longer accepted.
A number issued within minutes. The declaration automatically generates a 13-character registration number, which must appear on every listing — Airbnb, Booking, Abritel and the rest — and on any advertising material.
A deadline that has already passed. Individual owners were required to comply before 1 May 2025. Letting without a registration number carries a fine of up to €5,000.
2. Change-of-use authorisation: the quotas, commune by commune
Prior authorisation, with no grandfathering. Before a property can even be declared, any second home — or any primary residence let for more than 120 days a year — must obtain a change-of-use authorisation. This applies even to properties already let short-term before May 2025: no acquired rights were provided for.
The quota differs by commune. Chamonix-Mont-Blanc and Les Houches limit each owner to 1 property (1 per individual or company from 1 May 2026); Servoz allows 2; Vallorcine sets no limit for private individuals until 1 May 2026, after which it moves to 2 authorisations per individual or company. An experimental exception allows the quota to be exceeded if the additional property is let for at least 4 consecutive months to seasonal workers.
Validity and energy rating. The authorisation is valid for 3 years, renewable, in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Les Houches and Servoz, against 1 year in Vallorcine. An energy performance certificate (DPE) has been required for every new application since 20 November 2024.
3. Tourist tax: the valley charges on actual nights
Calculated on nights actually let. The Communauté de Communes applies the régime réel: the tax is calculated on the nights actually declared, not on an annual flat rate.
For an unclassified rental, the rate is 5 % of the nightly price excluding tax, capped at €4.90 per night per person.
For a classified rental, the rate is fixed and depends on the star category, within the national maximum scale set each year — up to €3.60 per night per person for 5 stars, €2.60 for 4 stars, €1.70 for 3 stars, €1.00 for 2 stars and €0.80 for 1 star in 2026. The exact rate applied by the Vallée de Chamonix for each category should be confirmed directly with the tourist tax office (04 50 53 75 06 — valleedechamonix@taxesejour.fr), as the amounts may be revised annually.
4. Star classification: useful, but not compulsory in Chamonix
A voluntary step. Unlike registration or change of use, classification as a furnished tourist rental — 1 to 5 stars, through an Atout France accredited body, valid for 5 years — remains optional: no local rule in Chamonix makes it a condition of letting.
A real tax benefit since the Le Meur law. The micro-BIC ceiling is €15,000 of annual receipts for an unclassified rental, against €77,700 (2025 income) then €83,600 (2026 income) for a classified one, with a reduced allowance for unclassified properties.
A direct effect on tourist tax. Classification also determines how the tax is calculated: a fixed rate per star rather than 5 % of the nightly price — see the previous section.
5. 2026: the national register arrives (the Le Meur law)
A law extending the system across France. Law no. 2024-1039 of 19 November 2024, known as the loi Le Meur, creates a national online registration service for furnished tourist rentals. Decree no. 2026-196 of 19 March 2026 set out its technical architecture, for entry into force scheduled on 20 May 2026.
What it changes for Chamonix. The local number issued by valleedechamonix.declaloc.fr will in time have to be transferred or renewed on the national platform. Booking platforms — Airbnb, Booking and others — will be obliged to block or remove any listing without a valid national number.
Heavier penalties. Up to €10,000 for failing to register nationally, and up to €20,000 for a false declaration or use of a false number.
6. Frequently asked questions
Do I have to classify my property to let it in Chamonix? No, it is not a local requirement, but it can reduce your tax and change how your tourist tax is calculated.
Can I keep letting a property that was already active before 2025 without a change-of-use authorisation? No: the rules apply to existing rentals too, with no grandfathering.
What happens if my registration number does not appear on my listing? You risk a fine of up to €5,000, and in time the platforms will be required to remove the listing.
Will the local registration number disappear? It will be progressively replaced by the national register from 20 May 2026; owners will need to transfer or renew their number on the new platform.
Who can help me with all this? Care Concierge handles these formalities for its owners in Chamonix and across Haute-Savoie.
Sources and further reading
Also worth reading: torn between classic furnished letting and para-hôtellerie? Our comparison guide sets out the differences in VAT, taxation and operating obligations between the two regimes.
This article was written from official sources consulted in August 2026. Regulatory rates and thresholds are revised each year, so we recommend checking the exact figures with the bodies cited before making any decision.
Vallée de Chamonix-Mont-Blanc — Déclaloc, the official declaration platform
Chamonix.fr — Short-term rental rules and the local plan (PLU)
Chamonix.fr — Bringing furnished rentals into compliance
Chamonix.fr — New rules from 1 May 2025
Mairie des Houches — Furnished tourist rentals
Vallée de Chamonix — Official tourist tax portal
Direction Générale des Collectivités Locales — National maximum tourist tax scale 2026
Service-public.gouv.fr — Tourist tax rates by commune
AGN Avocats — The Le Meur law: registration of furnished rentals, May 2026
To go further on taxation: our complete para-hôtellerie guide (VAT, worked examples).
A second property, or no tourist-rental authorisation? Long-term rental management falls outside the authorisation regime: a year-round lease, 7 % commission incl. VAT.
