Short-Term Rental Regulations in French Guiana: Change of Use and Quotas

Short-term rental regulations in French Guiana remain among the most relaxed in France: for now, no Guianese municipality requires a change-of-use authorization or a quota on tourist-furnished rentals. But the Le Meur law of November 2024, which applies in the overseas departments, reshuffles the deck: new declaration obligations, tougher taxation, and regulatory tools now within reach of Cayenne, Rémire-Montjoly or Kourou. As furnished-rental managers along the Guianese coast, we break down what really applies here, and what you need to anticipate.

A still-relaxed Guianese regulatory framework: why?

The Guianese market bears no resemblance to mainland high-demand zones. The territory has around 290,000 inhabitants, and the supply of tourist rentals is concentrated in a handful of municipalities: Cayenne, Rémire-Montjoly, Matoury (around Félix-Éboué airport), Kourou and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni. We are talking about a few hundred active listings, where the French Riviera lines up tens of thousands.

The direct consequence: the restriction mechanisms provided by the Construction and Housing Code have never been triggered here.

No mandatory change of use: the procedure applies as of right only to municipalities of more than 200,000 inhabitants. Cayenne, with around 65,000 inhabitants, is far from that, and no local resolution has introduced it to date.
No tourist-rental quota: no Guianese municipality has voted in a cap or zoning reserved for primary residences.
No municipal registration number required to publish a listing, unlike in Paris or Bordeaux.

This flexibility is also due to the demand profile: a largely professional clientele (assignments at the Kourou Space Center, healthcare staff, transferred civil servants), with stays of 5 to 30 nights. Local officials see furnished rentals as a useful complement to a limited hotel stock, not as a competitor to permanent housing. For now.

Maison créole à étage avec toit en tôle rouge et balcon, avenue Héder à Cayenne en Guyane, type de logement concerné par le changement d'usage en location saisonnière — Maison créole à Cayenne, avenue Héder — © Cayambe (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

The obligations that already apply to your furnished rental in French Guiana

Relaxed does not mean nonexistent. Three steps remain mandatory, and we regularly see owners discover them after the fact.

The town hall declaration (Cerfa 14004)

Any property rented furnished to a transient clientele who do not take up residence there must be declared at the town hall via the Cerfa 14004 form. The process is free, takes about fifteen minutes at your municipality’s counter, and you receive a receipt to keep: it will be essential when national registration becomes widespread. For a primary residence rented out for fewer than 120 days per year, this simple declaration is enough.

SIRET registration and the CFE

Renting furnished, even occasionally, is a commercial activity in fiscal terms. You must:

request a SIRET number through the INPI one-stop shop (free, allow 2 to 3 weeks of processing time in French Guiana);
declare your income as BIC (industrial and commercial profits), not as property income;
pay the CFE (business property tax), generally between €150 and €400 per year for a furnished rental in the CACL area, except for an exemption in the first year.

The tourist tax

Within the territory of the Centre Littoral agglomeration community (Cayenne, Rémire-Montjoly, Matoury, Macouria, Roura, etc.), the tourist tax applies to tourist overnight stays: count on roughly €0.70 to €1.50 per night per adult depending on the property’s rating. Platforms in principle collect it automatically; for direct bookings, it is up to you (or your manager) to charge and remit it.

Change of use in Cayenne: where do things really stand?

This is the most frequent question from the owners we support. Clear answer: in 2026, no change-of-use authorization is required in Cayenne, or in any other municipality in French Guiana, to convert a home into a tourist-furnished rental.

But two weak signals are worth monitoring:

Housing pressure is real in the Cayenne agglomeration, with one of the most dynamic demographics in France and a chronic shortfall in construction — exactly the kind of context that pushes inter-municipal authorities to regulate.
The Le Meur law of November 19, 2024 now allows any municipality, regardless of size, to introduce change of use by simple resolution, and even to set tourist-rental quotas or zones reserved for primary residences in its local urban plan (PLU).

In concrete terms, if the CACL were to pass a resolution tomorrow, an owner of a two-bedroom apartment in Rémire-Montjoly could be required to obtain authorization before renting short-term. Already-declared furnished rentals would generally benefit from a transitional regime, which is why it is worth regularizing your situation now: seniority is your best protection.

Mairie de Cayenne (hôtel Franconie) et bâtiments administratifs en Guyane, autorité municipale chargée de la réglementation et des quotas de locations saisonnières — La mairie de Cayenne, hôtel Franconie — © Cayambe (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

The Le Meur law in the overseas departments: what changes for Guianese owners

The so-called “anti-Airbnb” law applies fully in French Guiana. Three measures concern you directly.

The generalized national registration number

By the end of 2026, all tourist-furnished rentals will need a registration number issued through a national online service, including in French Guiana, on pain of being delisted from platforms. If you have already filed your Cerfa at the town hall, the switch will be simple.

A significantly tougher micro-BIC tax regime

Since the 2025 income year, the micro-BIC regime has changed:

Unrated furnished rental: deduction reduced to 30%, with a revenue ceiling of €15,000 per year.
Rated tourist-furnished rental (1 to 5 stars): deduction of 50%, ceiling of €77,700.

For a Guianese furnished rental generating €20,000 to €30,000 in annual revenue — common for a well-managed villa in Rémire-Montjoly or Kourou — being unrated becomes penalizing. Two workarounds: have your rental rated (visit by an approved body, around €150 to €250, valid for 5 years) or switch to the actual-income regime with depreciation, often more advantageous beyond €15,000 in revenue.

The energy performance certificate (DPE): a temporary overseas exemption

The law progressively conditions tourist rental on a minimum level of energy performance in mainland France. Relative good news: the DPE is not yet applicable in French Guiana, as the diagnostic adapted to overseas climates is still being rolled out. You therefore have several years of visibility — even if efficient air conditioning remains a decisive selling point at our latitudes.

Our local manager’s tips to stay one step ahead

After several years managing furnished rentals between Cayenne, Matoury and Kourou, here are our systematic recommendations:

Declare your furnished rental at the town hall right away: seniority will count the day quotas arrive.
Aim for a star rating: a 50% tax deduction and enhanced credibility with the space sector’s professional clientele.
Structure your revenue through direct bookings: the less you depend on platforms, the less future delistings will disrupt your business.
Keep clean accounts from the first year: switching to the actual-income regime takes preparation, it cannot be improvised in December.

This is exactly what Hostel Toucan offers Guianese owners: handling the formalities (declaration, tourist tax, rating), marketing through direct booking with no platform fees, with free cancellation up to 7 days before arrival and 7-day WhatsApp support for your travelers. Discover our management offering on our owners page, browse our rentals in French Guiana to see how we present properties, and rely on our complete guide to French Guiana to enhance your listing.

FAQ

Do you need a change-of-use authorization to rent short-term in Cayenne?

No. In 2026, no municipality in French Guiana has introduced the change-of-use procedure; only the town hall declaration (Cerfa 14004) is mandatory. The Le Meur law does, however, allow municipalities to introduce it at any time by resolution.

Does the Le Meur law apply in French Guiana?

Yes, French Guiana is an overseas department and region (DROM) and the law of November 19, 2024 applies there: the micro-BIC deduction reduced to 30% for unrated rentals, generalized national registration by the end of 2026, and the possibility for municipalities to vote in quotas and zoning. Only the DPE component remains inoperative, as the diagnostic has not yet been deployed overseas.

How much does it cost to bring a tourist-furnished rental into compliance in French Guiana?

The town hall declaration and SIRET registration are free. Plan for around €150 to €250 for a rating visit (valid for 5 years), €150 to €400 in annual CFE depending on the municipality, and the collection of the tourist tax (€0.70 to €1.50 per night per adult), which your manager can handle.

Can I rent out my primary residence on a short-term basis in French Guiana?

Yes, up to 120 days per year, after a simple town hall declaration. The Le Meur law allows municipalities to lower this ceiling to 90 days, but no Guianese municipality has done so. Beyond that, the home must be declared as a standard tourist-furnished rental.