Short-term rental regulations in Guadeloupe have shifted a great deal in two years, and the confusion is real on both sides of the counter: travellers no longer sure whether their Airbnb is above board, owners wondering how many nights they are still allowed to rent. We are in a French overseas department (DROM): national law applies, the Le Meur law included, but its application varies from one town to another across this butterfly-shaped archipelago. At Hostel Toucan, your local concierge service, here is the state of the law in 2026 translated into plain language.
The national framework that applies in the overseas departments
Guadeloupe applies the Tourism Code just like mainland France. Three pillars structure all short-term rentals, whether the property is in Deshaies, Le Gosier or Marie-Galante:
- Declaration at the town hall: any furnished tourist rental — let to a passing clientele who do not take up residence there — must be declared with the municipality. It is free and mandatory.
- The 13-character registration number: in towns that have activated the procedure, the declaration leads to a number that must appear on every listing (Airbnb, Booking, Abritel). It begins with the INSEE code: 97128 for Sainte-Anne, 97125 for Saint-François, 97113 for Le Gosier.
- The tourist tax: collected by the host or the platform and paid to the municipality. Expect between €0.80 and €2.30 per night and per adult depending on the rating.
So far, nothing specifically Caribbean. What has changed since 2024 is the national tightening brought by the Le Meur law, which reshuffles the night cap and change of use — and hits Guadeloupe head-on.
Le Meur law in the overseas departments: what changed for short-term rentals
The law of 19 November 2024, known as the Le Meur law, strengthens the tools for regulating furnished rentals and applies overseas just as it does in mainland France. Three concrete developments deserve your attention.
The Airbnb night cap in Guadeloupe for a primary residence
This is the best-known rule, and the most misunderstood. It concerns only the primary residence, the home where you live at least eight months a year:
- The national ceiling remains 120 nights per year by default.
- But municipalities can now lower this ceiling to 90 nights by deliberation.
- Beyond the cap, renting short-term becomes an offence punishable by a fine.
Conversely, a second home — an extremely common case in Guadeloupe, where many seaside properties belong to owners on the mainland — is subject to no night cap and can be rented all year round, provided it is declared and, depending on the municipality, has obtained its change of use. A crucial nuance: if you rent a villa in Saint-François from an owner who does not live there, the 120-night limit does not apply to your stay.
The extended change-of-use authorisation
Previously, change of use — converting a residential home into a year-round tourist rental — was only required in large urban areas. The Le Meur law extends to all municipalities the option to introduce this procedure. In Guadeloupe, this targets dense areas such as Pointe-à-Pitre and Le Gosier, where the residential rental market is under pressure. In a municipality that has deliberated:
- The owner of a second home must obtain a change-of-use authorisation before renting short-term on a year-round basis.
- It may come with a compensation requirement (putting an equivalent surface back on the conventional housing market) in the most strained municipalities.
- The co-ownership rules may, in parallel, purely and simply ban short-term rentals.
The energy rating becomes a condition
Another gradual change: furnished rentals subject to authorisation must now meet a minimum energy performance rating, with rising requirements through 2034. In Guadeloupe, an energy rating costs €200 to €350 here — surveyors are scarce, so plan for delays.
How this plays out town by town
The archipelago does not apply the rule uniformly. On the seaside Grande-Terre side, the heart of the offer:
- Le Gosier: a dense town 10 minutes from Pointe-à-Pitre, the most likely to require a change of use and where co-ownership rules genuinely come into play.
- Sainte-Anne: the most touristy (Caravelle and Bois Jolan beaches), with a well-structured furnished-rental registry and tourist tax; abundant supply, mostly compliant.
- Saint-François: marina, golf course, departures for La Désirade and Petite-Terre; the town hall keeps a close eye on furnished rentals.
On the Basse-Terre side, near the Cousteau Reserve, the offer is made up of bungalows and Creole villas often run by locals: declaration remains mandatory, but numbered registration and change of use are far less systematic there. To plan your stay area by area, our complete guide to Guadeloupe details every town, from Deshaies to the Pointe des Châteaux.
For travellers: checking legality in thirty seconds
Regulation is not just an owner’s concern. Booking a compliant property spares you the worst surprise of any holiday: the fake listing. Every dry season, non-existent villas paid for by bank transfer claim victims who discover the scam as they leave Pôle Caraïbes airport. The reflex to adopt:
- Look for the registration number (“Registration” section on Airbnb, legal information on Booking). Format: 13 characters starting with 971XX.
- Check geographical consistency: a 97128 number for a villa advertised in Saint-François (97125) should raise a flag.
- Demand an invoice with the tourist tax itemised. Vague wording like “we’ll sort it out on site, in cash” is a sign of undeclared activity.
- Favour a reachable contact on +590, with a precise address and longstanding reviews.
The number does not guarantee the quality of the bedding, but it does guarantee that the property exists and that someone is accountable for it. That is the logic behind our catalogue: all properties managed by Hostel Toucan are declared, registered when the municipality requires it, with the tourist tax stated in black and white. Browse our verified properties on our Guadeloupe rentals page.
For owners: getting compliant without stress
If you own a property on the archipelago, the Le Meur law has raised the stakes: failure to register can cost up to €10,000 in civil fines, a false declaration up to €20,000. The realistic timeline, as seen on the ground:
- Declaration or online service: a 15-minute form, receipt within a few days to two weeks.
- Change of use (if the municipality requires it): a longer review process, to anticipate before high season.
- Bringing listings into compliance: adding the number on each platform, 10 minutes per listing.
- Tourist tax: automatic collection on the OTAs and periodic reporting.
Hostel Toucan supports owners across the archipelago throughout this entire chain — declaration, change-of-use follow-up, tax collection, marketing and 7-days-a-week WhatsApp traveller assistance. Is the paperwork holding you back? Head to our owners page.
Booking by the book means booking with peace of mind
In the dry season (December to April), the best properties go months in advance — and it is the period when fraudulent listings proliferate. By booking a declared property, ideally directly with no platform fees, with free cancellation up to 7 days before arrival as we offer, you save 12 to 17% in commissions and gain a local contact on WhatsApp 7 days a week, time difference included (-5h or -6h with Paris). Regulation is not an obstacle to your holiday: it is your safety net. After that, it’s up to you to choose between the Caravelle lagoon and the warm waters of Bouillante.
FAQ
What is the night cap for short-term renting in Guadeloupe?
The cap concerns only the primary residence: 120 nights per year by default, which the municipality can lower to 90 nights since the Le Meur law of November 2024. A second home — a very common case here — is subject to no cap and can be rented all year round, provided it is declared and, depending on the municipality, has its change of use.
Does the Le Meur law really apply in Guadeloupe?
Yes. Guadeloupe is a French overseas department and region (DROM): national law, including the law of 19 November 2024, applies there in full. It is the municipalities that decide whether or not to activate the tools it opens up (registration, change of use, lowering the cap), hence genuine differences from one town to another.
Do I need a change-of-use authorisation for my furnished rental?
It depends on the municipality and the property’s status. For a second home rented year-round in a municipality that has deliberated (strained areas such as Pointe-à-Pitre or Le Gosier), yes, sometimes with compensation. In rural Basse-Terre or on the islands, the procedure is often non-existent. Always check with the planning department of the municipality concerned.
How can a traveller verify that a rental is legal in Guadeloupe?
Spot the 13-character registration number in the legal section of the listing and check its consistency with the municipality’s INSEE code (971XX at the start). Demand the itemised tourist tax on the invoice and refuse any off-platform transfer to a stranger. If in doubt, the tourist office can confirm that a furnished rental is known to its services, or go through a local concierge service like Hostel Toucan.
