You would like a Riviera apartment for your own visits, with lettings at other times. Check that plan before committing to a purchase: your travel calendar, permitted use and practical arrangements need to work together.
Should I start with rental returns or my own travel calendar?
Start with the calendar and the type of occupation. Mark the periods you need the property, then decide whether to host short-stay visitors or a tenant whose main home it will be. The latter involves residential tenancy rules; do not assume you can recover possession for your next holiday without checking the agreement.
Owning a holiday apartment does not make it your main residence. Exceptions and limits for a résidence principale — your actual main home — should not be applied to a second home. Confirm the classification against your living arrangements. How second-home holiday letting is defined — Service Public.
Once the intended use is clear, establish what is permitted at the address.
Are the rules the same in Nice and Cannes?
No: check each municipality's procedures separately. Registration of a holiday let and permission to change the use of residential accommodation are different procedures. A registration number alone does not establish full compliance.
| Location | What to check before buying |
|---|---|
| Nice | Applicable changement d’usage regime, area, owner category, eligibility to apply, permission term and conditions, compensation and transitional rules |
| Cannes | Current meublé de tourisme registration, any additional procedures applying to the address and building rules; do not import Nice's regime automatically |
| Another municipality | A written response from the relevant service for the address and intended use |
Nice. The rules adopted on 22 June 2026, effective from 1 September, provide different regimes. Temporary permission under Article 7 attaches to the owner and cannot transfer to a buyer. Check the type and conditions of any seller's permission; it does not guarantee that a new one will be granted. See the news article on Nice's current regime. The primary source is the Métropole decisions register, meeting of 22 June 2026, decision 02.01, annex “Règlement des changements d’usage NICE”.
Cannes. The municipal page requires holiday-let registration for both main and second homes and the number in adverts. It does not establish automatic permission for every second-home scenario: confirm the full procedure for the address. Official Cannes procedure.
Then check whether the building can restrict the use.
If the town allows letting, can the building prohibit it?
Yes: municipal approval is not enough. The copropriété, or co-owned building, has a règlement de copropriété. Obtain the complete rules with amendments, meeting resolutions and details of current disputes. The building's designated purpose and restrictions on activity in individual apartments matter.
Ask the notaire or a lawyer to interpret the relevant provisions; the managing agent should confirm the current documents and known resolutions. “The neighbours already do it” or the seller's verbal consent is not a substitute. If the municipal and building answers conflict, resolve that before including rental receipts in the budget. Holiday letting in a co-owned building.
The next check is energy performance and the home's condition.
Which DPE rating is needed for my type of letting?
Requirements depend on the tenancy and permission involved. DPE is the home's energy assessment. In mainland France, residential tenancies covered by décence standards follow these energy classes when signed, renewed or tacitly renewed:
| Contract period | Permitted energy class |
|---|---|
| 2025–2027 | A–F |
| 2028–2033 | A–E |
| From 2034 | A–D |
This is the energy criterion: safety, condition and the other minimum housing standards still apply. Service Public — decent housing.
A new change-of-use permission for holiday letting in mainland France requires DPE A–E; from 2034, A–D. This does not replace checking the status of an existing permission. Service Public — second-home letting; for Nice, Article 6 of the cited regulation.
If works are needed, establish their feasibility, expected result and timetable before budgeting for the first letting. Use the apartment and DPE checks guide, then assess management and expenses.
Who will manage the property and what remains after costs?
First identify the provider and the service included. Who receives guests, holds keys, cleans, handles emergencies, communicates with the building, manages dates and approves expenditure? Request written terms, insurance, a spending limit without approval and reporting arrangements. Any IMMO BTC assistance or partner coordination is discussed separately.
Count revenue only for dates available to guests; your own visits may occupy sought-after periods. Show management, platforms, cleaning and linen, utilities, repairs, vacancy, insurance, taxes and taxe de séjour — visitor-tax responsibilities — separately. Do not deduct the same service twice. Business registration and tax treatment require their own checks; a platform statement does not fulfil every owner's obligation. Official holiday-let steps.
Check whether the purchase still suits you with lower occupancy or a period without letting. Use the purchase and ownership budget for the whole picture. A city's event calendar does not prove an apartment's occupancy; the Nice and Cannes everyday-life comparison helps identify what to assess locally.
What should I establish about a chosen apartment before buying?
Keep confirmed facts and open questions in one list.
| Question | Evidence |
|---|---|
| How will you stay and let? | Your calendar and intended agreement |
| Does the municipality permit it? | Current response/permission, holder, term and conditions |
| Does the building permit it? | Rules, amendments and meeting resolutions |
| Is the home ready? | Valid DPE, diagnostics, quotes and works schedule |
| Who will run it and at what cost? | Service proposals, insurance and a budget over a consistent period |
If the calculation relies on permission not yet obtained or uncertain works, say so explicitly. Discuss possible contractual arrangements with the notaire before committing; necessary consent is not the same as consent already granted.
Does the property fit your mix of personal stays and letting? Send a listing link and describe your planned visits. We will start with a conversation, identify questions for the municipality, building and specialists, and agree the next steps. You do not need to assemble a complete file yourself first.
Contact us on WhatsApp, by info@immobtc.com or call +33663567065.
Sources and review date
Checked on 22 September 2026. Primary sources appear beside the relevant answers; municipal rules must be checked for the exact address and decision date. No permission, renewal, occupancy or return is promised. Recheck when local regulations, DPE rules or the planned use change.