Insurance for French Meuble de Tourisme 2026: What Cover Is Mandatory Under Loi Le Meur

Insurance for French Meuble de Tourisme 2026: What Cover Is Mandatory Under Loi Le Meur

Loi Le Meur n 2024-1039 of 19 November 2024 introduced a compulsory liability insurance requirement for every meuble de tourisme declaration in France. From 1 January 2025, a mairie can refuse the numero d enregistrement if the dossier lacks an RC (responsabilite civile) certificate covering short-term rental activity. For UK, Irish and US owners of French property, obtaining compliant insurance requires navigating French-language paperwork and understanding what standard British or American policies do not cover.

France has approximately 800,000 active short-term rental listings, of which an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 are owned by non-residents, including a large contingent of British owners in Provence, the Dordogne, the Alps and Brittany. The Loi Le Meur brought French STR hosts in line with the broader EU trend toward formalised host protection: every person who offers a meuble de tourisme must declare the property with the mairie and, since 2025, attach proof of adequate liability insurance to that declaration (Code du Tourisme art. L324-1-1 as amended).

What the Law Requires: RC Cover for Guests and Third Parties

The amended art. L324-1-1 Code du Tourisme requires the declaration dossier to include an attestation d assurance covering the host's liability toward:

• Bodily injury (dommages corporels) to guests: a guest who falls on a defective staircase, suffers carbon monoxide poisoning from a faulty boiler, or is injured by malfunctioning equipment. French courts apply strict liability standards to hosts in some of these cases.
• Material damage (dommages materiels) caused to guests or third parties: a fire that spreads to the neighboring apartment, water damage flowing into the floor below, damage to common areas of a co-ownership building caused by guests.
• Defence and legal costs (defense recours): lawyers' fees and court costs in disputes with guests or third parties arising from the rental activity.

Practical minimum coverage levels accepted by most mairies: EUR 1 million for bodily injury per incident, EUR 300,000 for property damage per incident. The law does not set statutory minimums but administrative guidance (DGALN circular of 12 February 2025) references these figures.

Why Your UK or US Home Insurance Does Not Work

This is the most common and costly mistake made by non-resident French STR owners. A standard UK home and contents policy (buildings and contents insurance) or a US homeowner policy almost universally contains an exclusion for commercial or letting activity. The wording varies, but typical exclusions include phrases such as "property let for gain", "commercial activity", or "short-term occupancies exceeding X days with no resident".

Even French MRH (multirisque habitation) policies, which are the standard home insurance product in France, exclude STR activity unless an explicit avenant (endorsement) or a dedicated STR rider has been added. A French MRH without this rider is as useless as your UK policy for the purpose of the mairie declaration.

AirCover, Airbnb's proprietary protection programme, is also not insurance in the French legal sense. AirCover Host Damage Protection covers physical damage to your property caused by guests (up to USD 3 million), but it does not constitute a contrat d assurance under art. L111-1 of the French Code des assurances, it does not generate an attestation acceptable to the mairie, and it does not cover your liability toward third parties (neighbours, co-owners, members of the public).

French STR Insurance Products Open to Non-Residents

The good news is that several French insurers offer online subscription and can issue policies to non-residents who hold a French property. Here is what is currently available in 2026:

Insurer	Product	Annual premium	RC limit	Non-resident eligible	English documentation
Hiscox France	Meuble de Tourisme Pro	120-280 EUR	2 million EUR	Yes	Partial
April Particuliers	Assurance Location Saisonniere	100-220 EUR	2 million EUR	Yes	On request
Luko (Allianz)	Option Location Courte Duree	80-160 EUR	1 million EUR	Restricted (French address needed)	No
SwissLife France	Villegiature Proprietaire	150-300 EUR	5 million EUR	Yes (via French broker)	No
Axa France	Habitation Meublee Tourisme	130-250 EUR	1,5 million EUR	Yes	No

How to Subscribe as a Non-Resident: Practical Steps

The subscription process for most French STR insurers is online but in French. For a UK, Irish or US owner without French language skills, the following approach works:

• Obtain your SIREN number first: French insurers require the SIREN (Systeme d Identification du Repertoire des Entreprises, your French business identification number) if you are operating as a sole trader (auto-entrepreneur) or via a company. If you are a private individual with no French business registration, some insurers (Hiscox, April) will accept your French property address and a passport copy. Your French property address serves as your French "domicile" for the policy.
• Prepare the property details: surface area in square meters, number of rooms, construction year, presence of a garden or pool (increases premium), estimated annual number of rental nights, platforms used (Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo).
• Use DeepL or Google Translate on the insurer website: for the online subscription form, browser translation is adequate. For the policy document (conditions generales), it is worth having a bilingual contact review the key exclusions before signing.
• Download the attestation immediately: once subscribed, download the PDF attestation d assurance. It must show: your name (or company name), the property address, the policy period (start and end dates), the RC limit and a statement that the cover includes "location meublee touristique de courte duree". Some mairies are prescriptive about the exact wording.
• Renew before the anniversary date: the mairie checks the attestation at each annual renewal of the numero d enregistrement. A lapsed policy triggers suspension of the numero.

What the Loi Le Meur Changed About Insurance Enforcement

Before Loi Le Meur, the declaration form (Cerfa 14004) was essentially a self-declaration with no supporting documents required in most communes. Since 1 January 2025:

• Mairies can, and an increasing number do, require the RC attestation as part of the initial declaration dossier.
• The national digital platform (teleservice national, operational from 20 May 2026) includes a mandatory field for uploading the insurance attestation PDF.
• Failure to provide valid insurance proof: refusal of the numero d enregistrement or, for existing numbers, suspension pending regularisation within 30 days.
• Administrative fine up to EUR 5,000 for operating an unregistered STR or one with an invalid numero, which can arise from an insurance lapse.
• Platform delisting: the mairie can notify Airbnb, Booking and Vrbo to delist the property if the numero is suspended and the host does not regularise within 15 days.

Insurance and the Copropriete: Two Layers of Cover

If your French STR is in a co-ownership building (copropriete), be aware that two separate insurance layers apply:

• The copropriete's collective policy (assurance immeuble): covers common areas and the building structure. It does not cover your personal liability as a landlord-host.
• Your STR policy: covers your liability as a host toward guests and third parties, and your liability toward the copropriete if a guest causes damage to common areas or other units.

Loi Le Meur art. 9 ter (Code Civil, as introduced by the reform) strengthens the copropriete's right to seek compensation from an individual co-owner if that owner's guests cause damage. A policy with a "recours syndic" (copropriete association recovery) clause ensures you are covered for these claims. Hiscox and SwissLife include this clause as standard. Luko's basic rider does not: check the conditions particulieres.

Cost in Context: Is STR Insurance Worth It

For a UK owner generating EUR 12,000 gross per year from a Provence farmhouse:

• Annual STR insurance premium: approximately EUR 180 (Hiscox, 120 m2 property).
• As a share of gross revenue: 1.5%.
• Equivalent in rental nights: 1 to 2 additional nights per year would cover the premium.
• Downside risk without insurance: EUR 5,000 fine plus potential civil liability unlimited for bodily injury to guests or neighbours.

Under the regime reel BIC (full accounting), the insurance premium is fully deductible as a business expense. Under the micro-BIC, it is covered within the forfait abattement (30% non-classe or 50% classe) and does not generate a separate deduction.

Key Takeaways for Non-Resident Owners

• Loi Le Meur makes RC attestation compulsory in the registration dossier from 1 January 2025.
• Your UK or US home insurance does not cover French STR activity: do not assume it does.
• AirCover is not insurance in the French legal sense and does not substitute for the required attestation.
• Hiscox France and April Particuliers are the most accessible online options for non-residents.
• Budget EUR 80 to 300 per year depending on property size and location.
• Penalties for non-compliance: refused or suspended numero, platform delisting, fine up to EUR 5,000.