In short: in Nice, letting a second home on Airbnb all year round needs a change-of-use authorisation, and four areas are subject to quotas. A bail mobilité (French furnished mobility lease, 1 to 10 months, for a tenant on an internship, studying, on assignment or transferred for work) is not a tourist let, so it needs no authorisation and falls outside the quotas. The most profitable route is often mixed letting: a mobility lease from September to May, then Airbnb in summer.
Two different legal frameworks
| Criterion | Airbnb (meublé de tourisme) | Mobility lease |
|---|---|---|
| Length | By the night | 1 to 10 months, non-renewable |
| Occupant | Any guest | Someone in training, studying, on an internship, apprenticeship, civic service, job transfer or temporary assignment |
| Authorisation in Nice | Change-of-use authorisation for a second home, quotas in 4 areas | None: it is a residential let |
| Owner's main residence | Up to 120 days a year | Not applicable |
| Security deposit | Handled by the platform | Not allowed; Visale guarantee available |
| Management | Demanding: check-ins, cleaning, messages, pricing | Light: one tenant, one inventory, one monthly rent |
| Our commission | 20% of rent collected, excl. VAT (24% incl. VAT) | From 8% of rent collected, excl. VAT |
What Airbnb earns in Nice
Holiday letting earns the most per square metre, especially in summer. From June to August 2026, the Nice apartments we managed for the whole season were booked on 85% of available nights, at an average of €177 a night. For a one-bedroom apartment, median gross income came to around €3,650 per summer month (internal figures, before commission and costs).
That performance comes at a price: day-to-day management, strong seasonality (winter earns far less) and, for a second home, an authorisation that is not guaranteed in a quota area. We cover the rules in detail in our article on Airbnb regulations in Nice in 2026.
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What a mobility lease earns
A mobility lease brings in a steady monthly rent, set at the going furnished rate for your neighbourhood, with no quiet spell between September and June: that is when students, interns and young professionals on assignment come to Nice. Management is light, and the Visale guarantee covers the risk of unpaid rent.
Its income ceiling is lower than holiday letting, but the regularity makes up for it: no empty nights in November, no cleaning between stays, no platform fees.
Mixed letting: the best of both
The option we recommend most often in Nice combines the two: a mobility lease from September to May, then holiday letting for the 3 summer months (90 nights), when tourist demand and prices peak. In Nice, mixed letting needs a temporary change-of-use authorisation, but it does not count towards the quotas.
An illustrative example for a one-bedroom apartment in Nice, based on assumptions you should adjust to your own property:
- 10 months on a mobility lease at €1,000 a month including charges (market assumption): €10,000 gross;
- 2 summer months on Airbnb at the median income we recorded (around €3,650 a month): €7,300 gross;
- a total of around €17,300 gross for the year, before commission (8% excl. VAT on the lease, 20% excl. VAT on holiday letting) and costs.
What the sums really show is the value of combining the two: a steady base for ten months of the year, and the summer peak captured at the best rates.
Which option suits you
- You let your main home while you are away: Airbnb, up to 120 days a year.
- Second home outside a quota area: Airbnb all year round if you get the authorisation, or mixed letting to even out your income.
- Second home in Vieux-Nice, Centre-Ville, Port or Ouest: mixed letting or a mobility lease on its own, so you are not reliant on the quotas.
- You want regular income without day-to-day involvement: a mobility lease or a student lease.
We will compare the options for your apartment free of charge. Find out about our student lets on mobility leases and our Airbnb management in Nice, or read the mobility lease explained.
Illustrative example only, not a guarantee. Income depends on the property, its location and the market. Information correct at 24 September 2026.
To find out more, see our mobility leases in Nice and how we manage apartments in Nice.
