What should you do if you encounter a problem with your vacation rental?

Publication date: June 18, 2026 | Last updated: June 18, 2026

For several years now, and particularly in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, the seasonal rental of luxury villas, accompanied by services provided by concierge companies, has been growing rapidly. These rentals can also be arranged through online platforms such as Booking or Airbnb.

The stakes are particularly high, and our firm has developed extensive experience in this area, whether at the stage of entering into the lease agreement or during its execution.

At HELLEBOID & ASSOCIÉS, we assist the parties in drafting or finalizing the lease agreement; we also handle out-of-court or legal proceedings when difficulties arise, such as:

• cancellation of the stay before taking possession of the premises;
• compensation in the event of services that fall short of the contractual terms;
• assistance in the event of an incident during the stay, particularly in the event of theft of valuables from the property (or even the hotel);
• refund of the security deposit.

It is important to note that, to date, there is no unified legal framework for this type of rental, and the involvement of an attorney is therefore recommended to determine the law applicable to the specific case.

In fact, in addition to the general provisions of the French Civil Code, the mandatory rules of the Hoguet Act or the French Tourism Code may also apply.

In the event of a breach by the parties or their intermediary, the penalties can be severe: nullity of the contract, civil or criminal liability of the intermediary, etc.

In the event of a dispute, it is essential to act quickly (filing a complaint, obtaining a bailiff’s report, etc.) because you will need to build a solid case based on specific evidence.

The law firm HELLEBOID & ASSOCIÉS has developed expertise in this area and is well-equipped to advise and assist you.

The firm is fluent in English and can assist and guide you in that language.

To that end, you may contact Valérie HELLEBOID or Thomas APÉRY, partners at HELLEBOID & ASSOCIÉS in Saint-Tropez, at 04 94 97 05 44 or via email at the following address: contact@helleboid-avocat.fr.