Suggestions will show after typing in the search input. Use the up and down arrows to review. Use enter to select. If the selection is a phrase, that phrase will be submitted to search. If the suggestion is a link, the browser will navigate to that page.
Rules
Experience Host

Experiences involving food in France

These information pages can help you get started in learning about some of the laws and registration requirements that may apply to your experiences on Airbnb. These pages include summaries of some of the rules that may apply to different sorts of activities, and contain links to government resources that you may find helpful.

Please understand that these information pages are not comprehensive, and are not legal advice. If you are unsure about how local laws or this information may apply to you or your Experience, we encourage you to check with official sources or seek legal advice.

Please note that we don’t update this information in real time, so you should confirm that the laws or procedures have not changed recently.*

What are the most important principles to think about?

Your guests’ health and safety should always come first. For example, here is what Marc recommends: “I always make sure that my kitchen is spic and span, that I only use fresh ingredients, that I tell my guests about the ingredients I use (and that I share my secret recipes ;-). I also ask my guests in advance about any food allergies they may have and religious or philosophical codes that I need to keep in mind when I prepare a meal to share with them.”

For best practices related to food hygiene, have a look at the 10 recommandations pour éviter les intoxications alimentaires edited by ANSES, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety.

My experience will involve serving food to guests outside of a traditional restaurant, cafe, or food business. Are there any specific rules I need to follow?

Normally, if you are serving food to the general public, you need to obtain a “licence de restaurant”. More information here.

Serving food to guests at home is considered to be a grey area by some - you can check this with your local mairie or préfecture. If you are running a food business at home, you should bear in mind that the authorities may carry out an inspection of your property.

In all cases, you should make sure that you do not mislead your customers when labelling, advertising and presenting your food. Special rules apply to the following:

  • Food allergens: You should let your guests know about any food allergens that may be present in the food you serve.
  • Beef: You should indicate the country of origin from which any beef is sourced.

What if I serve guests dinner and provide accommodation?

If you serve guests dinner and also provide them with accommodation, you are likely to be qualified as “chambre d’hôte”, in which case your meal would be qualified as “table d’hôte”. In that case, you would need to be registered at your mairie and would have to comply with specific rules which apply to chambres d’hôtes and tables d’hôtes.

Is there anything else I should think about?

If your experience will also involve serving or providing alcohol, we recommend that you take a look at our information about experiences involving alcohol. If your experience will involve combining food with another activity (for example, a guided tour of the city), please take a look at our other information sections to work out if any other rules might apply to your activity.

We recommend you also read our other information pages on the requirements that apply to businesses. If you’re in any doubt, we recommend you get in touch with your accountant or legal advisor to find out whether you’re operating as a business.

*Airbnb is not responsible for the reliability or correctness of the information contained in any links to third party sites (including any links to legislation and regulations).

Did this article help?
Get help with your reservations, account, and more.
Log in or sign up