You rent out your apartment or house on Airbnb, and your calendar empties as soon as the days get shorter? You are not alone, but winter is not a lost season: French tourist attendance actually grew last winter. What changes is who travels, when they book and what they expect from a place when it is dark at 5 pm.
This article relies on official pages read for the occasion: the Insee Focus no. 382 note on the 2026 winter tourist season, four pages of the Airbnb Help Center (weekly and monthly discounts, discounts and promotions, Smart Pricing and listing price) and the service-public.gouv.fr page on the mobility lease. No figure comes from anywhere else.
Last source check: 20 October 2026. Platform rules change and taxation depends on your situation: to be checked for your situation, with your accountant for anything related to tax.
What does real demand say about winter?
In winter, demand does not disappear: it changes shape. According to Insee (note of 29 April 2026), hotels and other collective tourist accommodation recorded 87.6 million overnight stays between December 2025 and March 2026, which is 1.8% more than the previous winter.
The details of this note help you decide where to focus your efforts:
- Non-resident visitors drive the increase. Their overnight stays rise by 1.6 million (+6.1%) over the season, according to Insee. In hotels, they account for more than one overnight stay in three.
- British visitors are back. They remain the largest foreign clientele in French hotels, with 3.1 million hotel overnight stays (+8.2%).
- Cities do better than the mountains. The increase is marked in Paris and in intermediate urban areas; attendance in the mountain ranges is described as flat.
- Business travel is shrinking. The decline in business attendance continues, especially in hotels and in cities, again according to Insee.
A word on method: this survey measures hotels and other collective accommodation (tourist residences, holiday villages, youth hostels). It does not measure furnished rentals listed on Airbnb or Booking. It shows which way the wind blows, not your occupancy rate: for that, look at your own listing's calendar over previous winters.
Which guests book in winter, and how do you welcome them?
Winter guests are often foreign, often in cities, and they arrive at night. If you rent in a city or a well-connected destination, the audience Insee describes is the one you meet: guests from Great Britain or other countries, since European clientele remains the majority among non-residents.
This has three very concrete consequences:
- Their language is not yours. A translated booklet avoids misunderstandings about the heating or the bins. Our article on the welcome booklet for foreign guests details the approach.
- They arrive at night. In December it is already dark by late afternoon: a clear self check-in is worth far more than a key handover in the cold. See our self check-in guide.
- The place must be warm when they walk in. More on that below.
How do you adjust your prices without cheapening your listing?
To fill winter, it is better to set Airbnb's official discounts than to lower the base price across the whole calendar. The Airbnb Help Center describes several levers, and they do not all stack.
Length-of-stay discounts. According to Airbnb's help pages, you can offer a weekly discount (7 nights or more) or a monthly discount (28 nights or more). Discounts of 10% or more appear in search results, and all discounts are shown next to the original price on the listing. After the discount, the minimum price per day must stay at least 10 dollars. Airbnb also states that, in some cases, "monthly stay savings" are added automatically to stays of 28 nights or more and are funded by Airbnb, without being deducted from your payout.
Other promotions. The "How discounts apply" page lists what you can turn on for a listing: a new listing promotion (20% off the first 3 bookings), a custom promotion (from 3 bookings, you choose the dates and the percentage), a length-of-stay discount, an early-bird discount and a last-minute discount (the price drops as arrival approaches). According to the same page, only one of these offers applies per booking. The discount for highly rated guests (rating of 4.8 or more, with at least 3 host reviews) can, however, be combined with one of them.
The Smart Pricing trap. If you use Airbnb's smart pricing, the help page explains that weekly, monthly and length-of-stay discounts override it, and that a discount can bring the price paid below the minimum you had set. So set your floor knowingly. For a complete method when you manage a single property, read our dynamic pricing guide for a small portfolio.
No official source gives the "right" discount percentage: it is up to you to set it based on your costs (heating, cleaning) and your history. A simple test: compare the income from one discounted night with the real cost of an empty place, frost-protection heating included.
Which stays should you aim for: short, long, or both?
According to Airbnb, long stays often mean better occupancy, fewer turnovers and less work for you; short stays require more cleanings but reach a wider audience. The two strategies complement each other on a winter calendar.
| Strategy | Who it suits | Point of attention |
|---|---|---|
| Short minimum stay (2 nights) and last-minute discount | City rental, weekend audience | More cleanings and linen to change |
| Weekly or monthly discount | Property well equipped for everyday living | Discount to be set based on your real costs |
| Stays of one to ten months (mobility lease) | Students, employees on assignment, interns | Different legal framework and different taxation (see below) |
For long stays, think about what an employee on assignment is looking for: a desk, reliable Wi-Fi, a washing machine. Our article on remote work and business stays lists these expectations, and the one on Wi-Fi in holiday rentals explains how to secure it.
The mobility lease: an option for the quiet months?
The mobility lease lets you rent a furnished property for one to ten months to a tenant in a mobility situation, without going through tourist rental. According to service-public.gouv.fr (page checked on 6 June 2025), it is a lease signed between the owner of a furnished property and a temporary occupant: student, employee on a temporary assignment or in vocational training, apprentice, intern, civic service volunteer, or transferred employee.
The rules to know before considering it, again according to that page:
- Duration: minimum 1 month, maximum 10 months, not renewable. It can be changed only once by amendment, without exceeding 10 months in total. If the parties then sign a new lease for the same property, it will be a standard residential lease.
- Proof: the tenant must prove their situation (internship agreement, apprenticeship contract, employer certificate...) and the lease must state the reason, otherwise the mobility lease does not apply.
- No security deposit: the owner is forbidden to ask for one. They may ask for a guarantor, and the tenant may use the Visale guarantee.
- Rent: it cannot be revised during the lease; depending on the municipality, it may also be capped (the page notably mentions Paris, Lyon and Montpellier).
- Property: it must be decent and include the minimum furniture of a furnished rental (bedding, cooking hobs, dishes, light fittings...), with a signed inventory and check-in report.
- Insurance: the tenant must take out home insurance covering at least tenant risks.
A current-affairs point: the same page notes that the law of 26 November 2025 on simplifying planning and housing law provides for a mobility lease from one week to 18 months in "employment-oriented residences", but that a decree still has to be published to apply it. Do not consider it before it appears.
Warning: changing framework is not trivial. A mobility lease is not a tourist rental: neither the same declaration nor the same taxation. Service-public.gouv.fr distinguishes, for furnished rental income, long-term rental (the property is the tenant's main residence) from short-term rental (tourist rental). Before moving a property from one regime to the other during the year, check the consequences with your accountant; our guide to declaring furnished rental income gives the basics. If your property is your main residence, also reread our article on the Le Meur law.
What should you provide so a guest feels good in winter?
A winter guest judges your place on three things: warmth, light and clear instructions. That is where good reviews are won, and so are your next bookings; our article on 5-star reviews shows the effect of a badly explained detail.
Heating. A guest who does not turn the heating on because they do not understand the thermostat leaves a bad review. Photograph the thermostat, write in two lines the recommended temperature and what not to do (window open, radiator covered). If you provide a portable heater, say so.
Linen and comfort. An extra duvet and a blanket in the cupboard cost little. Say where they are rather than leaving them on the bed: a guest who is cold at 2 am looks for the information, they do not message you.
Night arrival. Provide an entrance light and a key box or a lock that is easy to spot. The message scheduled the day before arrival should contain the code, the floor and the latest arrival time; see our welcome message templates.
Cleaning between stays. In winter, damp sets in quickly in an empty place. Air it out, check the seals and do not switch the heating off completely between stays: see also our article on preventive maintenance of the property.
The welcome booklet. A booklet that can be read on a phone puts all these instructions in one place, in the guest's language. With Majordia, the booklet is created without signing up, exists in 6 languages, and is shared through a QR code to scan; you edit it without reprinting. The welcome booklet generator is part of the Essential offer (free, add-ons à la carte).
How do you keep a calendar readable when demand is low?
A winter calendar is managed by periods, not night by night. Start by noting the three weeks that matter for your city or region: school holidays, Christmas markets, local events. Our article on the 2026-2027 school holidays gives the dates by zone.
Then, for each quiet period:
- Keep the base price, then turn on a last-minute discount rather than lowering the rate for the whole month.
- Offer a monthly discount if your property is equipped for living in.
- Assess, with your accountant, a mobility lease for part of the winter if you have a guest who can prove their situation.
- Check your fixed costs: an empty night costs heating, a discounted night covers at least the cleaning.
Key takeaways
Information
- According to Insee, the 2026 winter season grew by 1.8% in hotels and collective accommodation, driven by non-resident visitors; the mountains stay flat. These figures do not measure Airbnb.
- Airbnb offers weekly (7 nights) and monthly (28 nights) discounts, as well as last-minute and early-bird discounts. Only one offer applies per booking, except the discount for highly rated guests.
- Length-of-stay discounts override Smart Pricing: set your minimum price.
- The mobility lease (1 to 10 months, no security deposit) is a different legal and tax framework: to be checked for your situation.
- In winter, heating, light and clear instructions, in the guest's language, make good reviews.
FAQ
Is it normal for my place to fill up less in winter?
Yes, for many destinations, but not everywhere. Insee observes that winter 2026 grew overall, with big differences: the increase is marked in Paris and intermediate cities, while the mountains are flat. Compare with your own calendar from previous winters.
What discount should I offer on a one-month stay?
No official source sets a percentage. Airbnb only states that discounts of 10% or more appear in search results, and that the price after discount must stay at least 10 dollars per day. Calculate based on your real costs.
Can I combine a last-minute discount and a monthly discount?
According to Airbnb's help page on discounts, only one offer from the list (new listing, custom promotion, length of stay, early bird, last minute) applies per booking. The discount for highly rated guests can be combined with one of them.
Does a mobility lease replace Airbnb rental in winter?
No, it is a different contract, reserved for certain tenants (students, interns, employees on assignment, etc.) who must prove their situation. It lasts from one to ten months and does not allow a security deposit. It also changes your taxation: ask for advice before switching.
Should I switch the heating off between stays?
Avoid switching it off completely: an empty place gets damp quickly. Keep a frost-protection setting and raise the temperature before arrival. This setting depends on your installation; ask a professional if in doubt.
Does the welcome booklet really make a difference in winter?
It puts the instructions that matter in winter (heating, night arrival, bins) in one place, in the guest's language. We do not measure a percentage gain: it is a support tool, not a guarantee of bookings.
A winter that is prepared now
Winter is prepared in autumn: setting your discounts, checking your heating instructions and translating your booklet takes less than an evening. Start by creating your free welcome booklet in 6 languages, without signing up, then review your calendar from December to March. Majordia helps you on the welcome side, not on taxation: for that, stick to the official sources cited above.
Image credits. Cover: photo "a living room filled with furniture and a fire place" by Annie Spratt, Unsplash, Unsplash license. Photos in the text: "Snow-covered houses in a quiet village during winter" by Dia Diamond, Unsplash, and "a lamp on a nightstand next to a bed" by Annie Le, Unsplash, Unsplash license.
