These Airbnb key boxes that the City of Sète no longer wants to see on its public property

L’installation de ces boîtiers est interdite sur le mobilier urbain. – V. G.

The City is launching a campaign to combat the hanging of these boxes on street furniture. The municipal police, who are patrolling the streets to warn owners, can go so far as to remove them by force.

In Sète, the hunt for key boxes installed throughout the city has begun. In mid-January, the City launched a campaign to combat the anarchic hanging of these boxes on street furniture. We are talking about benches, bins, bicycle racks, safety ramps, barriers and even city road signs.

Key boxes installed on street furniture and public roads are illegal

These boxes, protected by a code, generally contain the keys to a nearby accommodation, offered for rental on platforms such as Airbnb, Booking or Le Bon Coin. They allow tenants to retrieve the keys to a furnished apartment instantly, without contacting the owner or a real estate agency.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

“City agents, accompanied by the municipal police, therefore place a sticker on the boxes, warning the owners that they have 15 days to dismantle the device, informs the municipality. After this period, the boxes will be removed by the community and deposited at the municipal police station to be collected by their owner.”

Symbols of the development of furnished rentals in Sète

Having become the symbol of the development of short-term rentals in Sète, these key boxes, the number of which is still difficult to quantify, are proliferating in the city center. However, a municipal decree prohibits the installation of key boxes on street furniture or public buildings. “We have issued a framework decree at the request of the City, confirms the head of the Sète municipal police, Eric Peyriguey. We prohibit any installation of anti-theft devices on street furniture, with the exception of those that protect a two-wheeler.”

If the device is still there after two weeks, the City's technical services will intervene with heavy use of angle grinders or crowbars to break the padlock and recover the objects inside. They will then be deposited at the lost property office, in the municipal police premises. “The container will be returned to the owner, subject to presentation of an identity document and a corresponding title deed”, specifies the municipal police.

Particularly tight real estate market

In addition, failure to comply with the municipal decree, a second-class violation, may result in a fine of up to €150. “The goal is not to fine people, it's to make sure they stop dumping their personal items for profit on street furniture”, adds Eric Peyriguey, a teacher.

A tightening of the screw that allows the City to send a message to Airbnb renters, a platform on which the offer in Sète has exploded in recent years, in a particularly difficult real estate market. The singular island is even identified as a “tense zone” in this area. Renters are also required to declare themselves on a dedicated platform.

I subscribe to read the rest