Airbnb landlord in France ordered to repay €10k over scaffolding work
A French court ruled that ongoing renovation work and reduced natural light significantly affected the renter’s enjoyment of the property
The court ruled the tenant was not properly informed about renovation work
Boumen Japet/Shutterstock.
An Airbnb tenant took the owner of the apartment she rented during the summer to court for failing to disclose scaffolding work being carried out on the property.
The woman rented the apartment in Normandy from July 15 to August 24 last summer for the second consecutive year for the amount of €10,100.
The tenant, identified in court documents as Mme F, rented the apartment with her late husband, who died in May 2025.
However, the day after the rental period began, her lawyer contacted the owner to demand that the contract be annulled, arguing that she had not been informed about the construction work taking place at the property and had therefore consented to the contract without having all the relevant information.
According to the tenant, the presence of the scaffolding “obstructed light into several rooms of the apartment and posed a source of insecurity”.
For her part, the owner - identified as Mme B - argued that the scaffolding had only been placed on the rear façade of the building and did not interfere with the enjoyment of the apartment or the sea view.
She also claimed that the tenant may already have been aware of the planned renovation work because she had previously been a co-owner in the building. However, the court found there was no evidence that she knew when the works would actually be carried out.
The court in Lisieux ultimately found in favour of the tenant, ruling that the scaffolding did indeed significantly obstruct the natural light. The judges also noted that, because the structure facilitated climbing, it was likely to encourage break-ins. “Such disruptions to enjoyment necessarily have a decisive impact on the tenant's consent, especially in the case of a holiday rental, which should be conducive to peace and quiet,” the court said.
Another factor that contributed to the ruling was that the tenant had rented the same apartment the previous year for 58 nights for €14,000, amounting to €245 per night.
However, during that stay no scaffolding had been present. When she rented the apartment again in 2025 for 40 nights, the price was €10,100, or €253 per night. This meant that the presence of the construction work had not been taken into account by the owner, who had kept prices almost the same.
The court ruled that the contract should be annulled and ordered the owner to reimburse the tenant €10,100, pay her €500 in damages for moral harm (the tenant had initially requested €2,500), and cover €1,200 in legal costs.
The court also noted that two Airbnb reviews posted in August 2025 confirmed that construction work was actively taking place at the time and caused noise disturbances.
Judges ultimately concluded that the owner had committed “fraudulent concealment” by failing to inform the tenant of conditions that were considered decisive to her consent.
