in which districts of Paris are unoccupied housing located?

The number of empty homes is clearly increasing in the capital. An increase largely driven by the growth of second homes.

In Parisian real estate agencies, advertisements are rare and properties are exchanged quickly. However, almost one in five homes in the capital is unoccupied, according to a study (PDF document) from the Atelier Parisien d’urbanisme (Apur) published Tuesday, December 5. According to the association, which studies urban developments in Paris and its metropolis, around 262,000 houses and apartments were not inhabited on a daily basis in 2020. This figure, calculated on the basis of the 2020 census, has increased significantly: in 2011, 14% of Parisian private rental stock was unoccupied, compared to almost 19% in 2020.

Of the 262,000 unoccupied homes, 134,000 are second homes or occasional homes, used for example for professional reasons. However, 128,000 others are said to be vacant, that is to say completely unoccupied.

The 8th arrondissement is the most affected

It is in the 8th arrondissement that the rate of vacant or occasionally used housing is highest: in this district, almost one in three housing units is not continuously inhabited. Conversely, the 20th arrondissement is the one with the fewest uninhabited housing units, because 91% of housing units are primary residences.

For around ten years, the number of apartments without any occupants has actually been quite stable. “Behind these empty homes is essentially ‘frictional vacancy’: when you sell a home, it may remain empty for some time. But this means that people are making their residential journey, and that is rather the sign of normal market functioning”, explains Stéphanie Jankel, study director at Apur. Of the 128,000 vacant housing units, three quarters are vacant because of this frictional vacancy. Ultimately, only 18,600 housing units have been empty for more than two years in Paris, which represents 1.3% of the stock.

In recent decades, these are in fact “secondary homes which mainly contribute to the increase in unoccupied housing”, notes the Apur report. In 2011, the Parisian private stock comprised 6.8% of second or occasional residences. In 2020, it had 9.6%. Housing which is mainly concentrated in the center and west of the capital. “These are the neighborhoods where there is little social housing and where prices are quite high. This corresponds to the standard of living of the owners and sometimes also to speculative logic”explains Corentin Ortais, author of the study.

A consequence of the rise in real estate prices

Indeed, the rise in property prices in recent years explains the growth in the number of second homes. “As long as the price of housing increases, owning a home in itself is profitable. It is an asset, not a good used for its purpose.”, adds the study director. Another factor noted by the association: the rise of rental platforms, such as Airbnb.

“It is estimated that behind these second homes lies some of the accommodation used throughout the year for furnished tourist rentals.”

Stéphanie Jankel, study director at Apur

at franceinfo

Exactly how many of these 134,000 apartments listed as second homes are actually dedicated to tourism? The phenomenon is difficult to quantify. “There is no INSEE category that allows them to be distinguished from other second homes”, summarizes Corentin Ortais. In 2023, the housing and habitat department of the City of Paris nevertheless estimated that the number of homes diverted from the traditional market to be rented on short-term rental platforms was around 25,000.