Do you know that you can ask for your furnished property to be rated? This rating is no longer only used by hotels: holiday rentals can also obtain a labeling.
This rating of furnished properties suitable for short term lets will be an important advantage for the rentals but also gives you the opportunity to gain tax benefits.
Holiday rental rating, what is it?
The rating of seasonal rentals, also called furnished properties suitable for short term lets, is calculated in function of the comfort and the benefits provided by the house or flat.
Furnished properties suitable for short term lets are houses or flats that are rented out for a day, a week or a month to people passing by the region. They must be holiday destination and not a place of residence.
These properties must respect the legal comfort minimums. A furnished housing built with a main room made to accommodate 1 to 2 individuals must have a minimum surface area of 9 m2 when the kitchen is separated (or 12m2 if the kitchen is the same room).
The rating goes from 1 up to 5 stars and is valid for 5 years. The cost of the procedure is more or less 150€ but it ultimately depends of the type of properties and its surface area. The number of stars awarded depends of 3 main categories:
- The facilities
- The provided services
- The good and intelligent adjustments made so as to respect the environment but also to make the property accessible for people with reduced mobility.
Please note that it is very rare for a property to not receive a rank.
Obtaining a property rating: tax benefits
Being awarded a rank for your holiday rental property will give you opportunity to promote your property’s comfort and the quality of the services you offer. It is not at all required but as one of our clients pointed out, the main advantage, when rating your property, is the tax benefits. Indeed a rated property will have a tax deduction of 71% instead of 50% for non-rated properties.
It should be noted that the advantages are not only tax related; having your property ratedhas other appreciated advantages:
- It becomes a selling point for your property: this rating has an international notoriety; it bears witness of the quality of your offering for future clients.
- The ratingopens up the possibility to ask for financial aids to subsidise your tourism accommodation or renovation projects.
- The ratingcan protect you against possible legal actions because an inspection of the facilities and service will have been performed.
- Your rental offers will automatically be found on tourist offices’ websites
- A small additional perk is you will be able to accept holiday vouchers payments.
What are the steps needed to receive a rating?
The rating of furnished properties suitable for short term lets is awarded by a certified third party. You can find a list of them on the Atout France website. You simply need to contact one of these agencies close to your house or flat; an inspector will visit your property and deliver the report. As witnessed by our clients, the procedure is very simple and straight forward and the visit is done with great care and by competent and experienced individuals. Our real estate professionals can assist you with this visit, or even better, can represent you if you entrust us with a management agreement.
Once the visit completed, the organization has a maximum of one month to deliver the report and certificate, but generally they handed out a week later. The report is made up of 3 documents:
- The investigation report
- The inspection grid filled in by the organization
- Proposal for a decision for the rating
If you disagree with the rating, you have the ability to contest the offer within 15 days. But be careful without oppositions from you, the rating will be officialised.
Generally, the organization performing the report we take care of officialising the report and the rank with the authorities with the help of the CERFA n°11819*03.
What are the criteria taken into account?
In order to evaluate your property, an inspector takes into consideration 112 criteria regrouped in 3 main categories as stated above: the facilities, the provided services, the accessibility and sustainable development.
Here are some examples of the criteria taken into account:
- Regarding facilities and the planning of the property: the liveable surfaces, electric equipment, access to internet and telephones, hi-fi systems, kitchen appliances, outdoors surroundings, bathroom facilities, state and quality of the property…
- Regarding services provided: local brochures, welcoming, sheets, bathroom and living room linen, childcare services, cleaning assistance…
- The accessibility and sustainable development: size of the doors, information on the properties accessibilities, effective implementation of measures to reduce energy consumption, waste sorting…
You can find a complete list of the criteria taken into account for these ranks on Atout France’s official website by clicking here.
What happens next?
Once your property is rated, you have to display your rank on a sign. On the panel one must find when the property was rated by a certified third party, the number of stars awarded and the 5 year period of validity.
In order to obtain your panel, nothing is simpler: it can be downloaded from the official Atout France website. You only have to print it out.
You are also authorized to put forward this panel on mediums you use to promote your holiday rental.
