Annecy: short-term or long-term rental?
Annecy is one of the French cities where this question is most acute. Strong summer tourist demand, increasingly strict regulation, high property prices: here is how to choose the right strategy for your property.
Annecy's tourist market: exceptional summer revenue
With 3 million visitors per year, its lake, its old town and its festivals (including the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June), the city attracts intense tourist rental demand from May to September. In July–August, apartments with lake views or close to the old town easily reach €200–400/night. A well-positioned one-bedroom can generate €20,000–35,000 in the summer season alone.
Regulation in Annecy: constraints to know
Annecy is classified as a high-demand zone. Letting a primary residence is capped at 90 nights per year. For a secondary residence, a change-of-use planning consent is compulsory, and the municipality can refuse or attach conditions to it. These constraints mechanically reduce the annual potential, but the intensity of summer demand largely compensates for the limitation.
Net yield comparison
On a long-term lease, a 45 m² one-bedroom apartment in Annecy generates around €780–950 net per month (€9,400–11,400/year). On short-term letting over 90 authorised nights, the same property can generate €15,000–22,000 gross per year, or €11,000–16,000 net after concierge costs. The net advantage of short-term letting is 20–40 % depending on the property's positioning.
Our recommendation for Annecy
For secondary residences with an authorised change of use, summer short-term letting is almost always more profitable. For primary residences, the optimal combination is often: tourist letting from May to September (4–5 months), then personal use or non-tourist furnished short-let for the rest of the year. SmartStay manages both configurations and helps you stay compliant.
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