Mixed student and tourist letting in Nice: the guide

In Nice, mixed letting lets you rent a flat to a student receiving CAF housing benefit for five to six months a year, at a capped rent, then as a tourist rental for three summer months: June-July-August or July-August-September. Set out in annex 2 of the Métropole's regulation of 22 June 2026, it opens a change-of-use authorisation outside the quotas, including on a first application, for several properties or beyond the five years of the standard authorisation. Maximum rents: from €525 (studio) to €1,260 (four rooms and more).

It is the least-known part of Nice's rules, and often the best fit for owners of a well-located studio or one-bedroom flat. Here are its conditions, as they appear in the text.

Updated 13 October 2026.

Why the scheme exists

Since 1 September 2026, letting a second home as a tourist rental in Nice requires a change-of-use authorisation: a five-year temporary authorisation, non-renewable and limited to one per owner, or compensation. In four districts those authorisations are also capped. The general framework is set out in our guide to short-term rental rules in Nice.

The regulation says so itself: these rules led some owners to stop letting to students, because they could no longer make the summer pay. Mixed letting is the counterpart: it allows tourist letting in the summer season, provided the flat is let to a student the rest of the year, at an affordable rent.

What annex 2 of the regulation allows

By way of exception to the general regulation, any private owner can obtain a derogatory change-of-use authorisation:

• on their first application;
• for more than one property, for owners of several;
• beyond the validity of their first authorisation, to keep letting to tourists in summer.

Companies — SCI, SARL, EURL — can also benefit, from the first property, whereas they are normally subject to compensation. Above all, mixed-letting applications are not counted against the quotas: an owner in Vieux-Nice, the Port or Jean-Médecin does not join the queue for the 691 authorisations of 2026. The quotas are covered in our article on quota districts and filing dates.

The annex's guidance also notes that, under the ordinary rules, mixed letting by an individual falls under an authorisation valid for six years, limited to one per owner. The derogatory scheme takes the form of a temporary order issued each year for the three summer months, to be renewed annually as long as the scheme continues. Before committing, have the change-of-use department confirm which regime applies to your situation.

Conditions on the student side

• A student receiving CAF housing benefit, named on the lease.
• A minimum occupancy of six months for a lease signed in September, five months for a lease signed in October, assessed on 31 March of the following year.
• No subletting by the student during periods when they are not living there.
• In a flatshare, only one flatmate qualifies for the scheme; each must have a bedroom, unless they are a couple, and all leases must be provided.

The student also accepts possible inspection visits by sworn officers and the sharing of CAF data showing occupancy.

Rent caps

The owner undertakes to charge no more than the following monthly rent, furnished, excluding charges:

• Studio / one room (T1): €525;
• Two rooms (T2): €680;
• Three rooms (T3): €890;
• Four rooms and more: €1,260.

These caps are a firm commitment, checked against the lease filed with the application. They define the scheme: the student period secures a modest, steady income; the tourist season provides most of the return.

Conditions on the property and owner side

• An energy rating (DPE) between A and E.
• A decent home, with a floor area that meets the departmental health rules.
• Compliance with the co-ownership rules, under a sworn statement: the owner must show that mixed letting is possible in the building.
• No tourist letting outside the three authorised summer months.

Excluded from the scheme are residences offering hotel services, which fall outside change-of-use rules, and rooms let within the owner's main home, which do not need it. The authorisation is personal and non-transferable.

The timetable, step by step

The timetable is tight and does not forgive delays. For a given summer, called "year N+1" here:

1. At the start of the academic year N: sign the lease with the student, in September or October.
2. Before 31 December of year N: the four-party agreement between the student, the owner, the city and CROUS Nice-Toulon must be signed by CROUS. It is available from CROUS or on the Métropole's website.
3. Before 31 January of year N+1: file the change-of-use application, in the same name as the agreement, online at changementdusage.fr/nice, by post or by appointment. Any application filed after 31 March is refused.
4. Between 1 April and 31 May of year N+1: the municipal order is issued, valid for June-July-August or July-August-September.
5. In parallel: register the tourist rental and complete the tourist-tax formalities.

In practice, to let to tourists in summer 2027 you need a student in place from the start of the 2026 academic year and an agreement signed by CROUS before 31 December 2026.

The documents to file

• the change-of-use application form;
• a copy of the lease, or of all leases in a flatshare;
• the signed four-party agreement;
• proof of ownership and a copy of the latest property-tax notice;
• the sworn statement on compliance with the co-ownership rules;
• the energy rating, between A and E;
• copies of any change-of-use orders still valid.

Who this set-up suits

Mixed letting suits small flats near campuses, the tram or the centre, where student demand is strong, and owners who cannot or can no longer obtain a standard authorisation: a second property, a five-year authorisation that has run out, a company owner, an address in a quota district.

It concentrates tourist letting on the months that matter most. On the Côte d'Azur, according to the Tourism Observatory, revenue per available private rental reached €135 to €177 excluding tax per night from June to August 2025, against €43 to €78 from November to January; the month-by-month detail is in our article on Airbnb occupancy in Nice, month by month. On the other hand, it means doing two jobs in the year — student landlord and tourist host — and furnishing that works for both.

The risks to know

• A scheme tied to an agreement: no owner can rely on it continuing beyond the validity of the framework agreement between the city, the Métropole and their partners.
• Heavy sanctions: any false declaration or breach leads to the order being revoked and no new authorisation the following year — on top of the ordinary change-of-use fines.
• No catching up: an agreement signed in January costs you the next summer.
• A changeover to organise: the student leaves, the flat is refreshed, the listing goes live, then a new student arrives in the autumn.

Frequently asked questions

What is mixed letting in Nice?

A scheme in the Métropole's change-of-use regulation that lets you rent a flat to a student receiving CAF benefit for five to six months a year, at a capped rent, and as a tourist rental for three summer months.

Is mixed letting subject to the quotas?

No, mixed-letting change-of-use applications are not counted against the quotas in the four capped districts.

What is the maximum rent for the student?

Furnished, excluding charges: €525 for a studio, €680 for two rooms, €890 for three rooms and €1,260 for four rooms or more.

Which months can you let to tourists?

June, July and August, or July, August and September, under the order issued between 1 April and 31 May.

Can a company use mixed letting?

Yes, companies qualify from the first property, whereas they are normally subject to compensation.

Setting it up with us

Mixed letting demands discipline on the timetable and management that can switch from a student to guests and back. To find out whether your property suits it, and what the summer season could bring in, start by estimating your Airbnb income in Nice, then get in touch to talk it through.

Sources: regulation on the conditions for granting change-of-use authorisations, adopted by Métropole council decision no. 2.1 of 22 June 2026, in particular article 3-2 and annex 2 on mixed letting (nicecotedazur.org); consulted on 13 October 2026. This article is informational and does not replace guidance from the City of Nice's change-of-use department.