Despite stricter legislation in France, squatters have now found a new way to circumvent the rules. They rent Airbnb flats for a day or two, then change the locks and move in. Illegal occupations have been a serious issue in France for years, and property owners in Italy have also struggled with squatters, many of whom are migrants.

“In the past two years, I’ve had five or six cases where property owners found themselves in a Kafkaesque situation,” property lawyer Xavier Demeuzoy told Le Figaro. He revealed that a practice that is becoming increasingly widespread: squatters who pretend to be tenants reserve accommodation for one or two days and once there, they behave like illegal occupants.

These fake tenants move in, unpack their belongings, and—most importantly—change the lock on the door.

And they refuse to leave.

The owner is powerless, and law enforcement authorities are often just as helpless, because despite appearances, these individuals cannot be classified as squatters, even though they remain in the property unlawfully.

To be considered squatters under the law, they would have had to enter the property illegally. However, that is not the case here, as they booked the accommodation through a rental platform. As a result, the swift eviction procedures provided by the “anti-squatting” law do not apply. Just like with non-paying tenants, owners must initiate legal proceedings, which is a process that is lengthy (at least six months, but possibly several years) and costly (running into thousands of euros),

the property lawyer explained.

Illegal Occupants Have Made Life Miserable for Owners for Years

V4NA has previously reported on shocking cases where squatters illegally occupied properties for years. In one instance, an 86-year-old man only managed to reclaim his property after four years. Upon entering, his son found the flat—in the town of Saint-Ouen in Seine-Saint-Denis, near Paris—in an utterly wrecked state after years of occupation.

Après un squat dans un immeuble de Saint-Ouen, le propriétaire doit régler une facture d’eau de 100.000 euros pic.twitter.com/j0ZAdoG3O0

— BFM Paris Île-de-France (@BFMParis) September 26, 2022

But that wasn’t all.

The utility provider issued the owner a staggering water bill of €97,852.22 for the years of unpaid usage by the squatters.

Earlier, the owner’s son had informed the provider that squatters were occupying the property and had requested the water be shut off, but Veolia stated this was not possible. Water cannot legally be shut off in a property that is occupied, even if the occupants are illegal squatters.

A 2023 case in Annemasse received national attention when a family lived in a flat for six years without paying rent even though the father earned €6,000 a month.

For a long time, French law seemingly favoured squatters over property owners, as evicting unauthorised occupants was a long and complicated process.

This created a clash between the human right to housing and the right to property.

The Kasbarian-Berge Law

However, the public outrage caused by such incidents led to a legal reform. In mid-2023, France passed the Kasbarian-Berge law, which increased penalties for illegal occupation to up to three years in prison and a €45,000 fine. The law simplified eviction procedures for all types of property, including so-called “second homes” (e.g. holiday homes) and vacant buildings, for which the process had previously been even more complex.

If illegal entry is proven, authorities can now initiate eviction within 48 hours of a complaint being filed without the need for lengthy court proceedings. The law also criminalises inciting squatting, including publishing online guides or encouraging the occupation of private property.

While many property owners welcomed the reform,

critics argued that it essentially criminalises poverty. Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur, warned that the law might breach France’s international obligations on housing rights. More than 40 French organisations called for its repeal, citing human rights concerns.

As a result of the law, evictions in France reached a record high in 2024. More than 108,000 people were removed from squats, slums, and camps. In the Ile-de-France region alone, over 20,000 people were relocated ahead of the Paris Olympics, reported the International Investment news portal.

Airbnb Is the New Trick

Despite the new law, squatters have begun using new tactics, namely seizing Airbnb rentals. So what’s the solution? Xavier Demeuzoy suggests creating a formal contract between the property owner and the renter even when connected through a platform like Airbnb. „The advantage of a contract is that it allows for a quick summary judgment,” he explained. The lawyer estimates that these fraudulent cases currently represent “1 in 100,000 rentals” and advises owners to check renter profiles carefully, especially the reason for the stay. Reading reviews left by other owners can also be helpful.

However, he warns owners against taking justice into their own hands,

as doing so could lead to up to three years in prison and a €30,000 fine if the „occupant” files a complaint for trespassing.

Migrants Among the Squatters

In France, a significant proportion of illegal occupations (about 40 per cent in Paris) are committed by migrants. As previously reported by V4NA, the percentage may be even higher in Italy. In 2022, in the Italian city of Milan, 3,114 publicly owned flats were occupied without any legal authorisation.

Of the squatters, 67 per cent were foreign nationals or of migrant background.

Thousands of illegal occupations have been uncovered in Milan. As reported, some individuals break locks to take over properties whose legal tenants are away for extended periods, while others seek out vacant properties. In many cases, these are not temporary stays—people live undisturbed in the squats for years, furnishing them and treating them as if they were their own.