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Create my bookAirbnb regulations in Saint-Malo: what the Le Meur Law changes from 2025
A walled corsair city, Saint-Malo is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Brittany. The Intra-muros, with its shipowners' houses rebuilt after 1944, the Sillon facing the sea, and the Môle beaches concentrate intense seasonal rental pressure. The city applies strict regulations to prevent its historic center from becoming a tourist backdrop emptied of permanent residents. The great tides, the Route du Rhum, and the Festival Étonnants Voyageurs draw considerable flows of visitors throughout the year.
90 days
Annual limit
50 000 €
Maximum fine
Mandatory
Compensation
Rental day limit in Saint-Malo
In Saint-Malo, primary residences can only be rented as vacation accommodation for 90 days per year. Saint-Malo caps primary residence vacation rental at 90 days per year. This limitation is particularly justified by the situation in Intra-muros, where more than half of the housing consists of secondary residences or vacation rentals. The count runs over the calendar year and platforms must block bookings beyond the cap. This reduced threshold aims to slow the conversion of the remaining permanent housing in the old city.
Booking platforms (Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo) must block listings in Saint-Malo beyond 90 days. Any excess exposes the owner to a fine of up to 50 000 €.
Usage change and compensation in Saint-Malo
To convert a property into a vacation rental in Saint-Malo, a usage change authorization is required. Compensation: Mandatory.
Compensation is mandatory in Saint-Malo for any conversion of housing to a vacation rental involving a change of use. The owner must create equivalent housing by converting commercial space into residential within the same area. This constraint is extremely difficult to meet within the Intra-muros enclosure, where commercial premises are rare and heritage constraints are omnipresent. The objective is to maintain a resident population within the fortified city.
Quotas and restrictions in Saint-Malo
Strict quota within Intra-muros
Saint-Malo has established a strict quota limiting the number of vacation rentals within the Intra-muros perimeter, a walled 24-hectare enclosure. This area concentrates virtually all tourist pressure and has lost a significant share of its permanent population to short-term rentals. The freeze on new authorizations in Intra-muros forces investors to turn to other neighborhoods like Saint-Servan, Paramé, or Rothéneuf.
Fines and enforcement in Saint-Malo
In Saint-Malo, property owners in violation face fines of up to 50 000 €.
Fines for vacation rental violations can reach €50,000 in Saint-Malo. Inspections are particularly active in Intra-muros and along the Sillon, where undeclared rentals are most frequent. The city has dedicated officers who verify listing compliance and conduct on-site inspections, particularly during the summer season and nautical events like the Route du Rhum.
Specific rules in Saint-Malo
- Registration and compensation are mandatory, with a quota strictly limiting the number of vacation rentals within the Intra-muros perimeter defined by the corsair city's ramparts.
- The 90-day cap for primary residences is monitored with particular attention during the summer season and major events like the Route du Rhum departing from the port of Saint-Malo.
- Intra-muros condominiums, often located in post-1944 reconstructed buildings classified as heritage, frequently have clauses restricting short-term rentals in their rules.
- The tourist tax is collected by owners or platforms and remitted to Saint-Malo Agglomération to fund the maintenance of the ramparts, beaches, and tourist infrastructure.
- Any facade modification within the Intra-muros conservation area is subject to authorization from the Architecte des Bâtiments de France, including the installation of key boxes or tourist welcome signs.
Energy rating (DPE): Energy performance certification is mandatory for Saint-Malo vacation rentals. The Intra-muros buildings, rebuilt after World War II in a style faithful to the original granite architecture, have variable thermal characteristics. Exposure to sea winds and spray imposes specific insulation requirements. Renovation work within the rampart enclosure systematically requires approval from the Architecte des Bâtiments de France.
Le Meur Law: the complete guide for property owners
Discover all measures of the Le Meur Law 2025: taxation, energy ratings, national registration, co-ownership, and mayoral powers.
See also: regulations in nearby cities
Frequently asked questions
With the Intra-muros quota reached, new change-of-use authorizations are extremely difficult to obtain. Primary residence rental remains possible within the 90-day per year limit with mandatory registration. For a vacation rental investment, the neighborhoods of Saint-Servan, Paramé, or Rothéneuf offer opportunities with less restrictive constraints.
The owner must convert commercial space into housing in the same area to compensate for the loss of permanent housing. In Intra-muros, this obligation is virtually impossible to fulfill due to the scarcity of commercial premises and the constraints of the conservation area. This is why most new vacation rentals are now established outside the walls.
The city of Saint-Malo conducts active inspections through monitoring of booking platforms and field verifications. Officers check the existence of the registration number, compliance with the 90-day cap, and the validity of the change-of-use authorization. Inspections are intensified in Intra-muros and along the Sillon during the peak tourist season.
The tourist tax in Saint-Malo varies based on the rental classification. It is collected per night and per adult, then remitted to the metropolitan area. Its proceeds contribute to funding the maintenance of the ramparts classified as historic monuments, the beaches, and the tourism office. Online booking platforms generally collect it automatically.
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