Law Hoguet of January 2, 1970, governs real estate professions: transactions, rental management, and property management. It requires the holder to possess a professional license (G license for management) and a financial guarantee. Any activity involving rental management on behalf of a third party falls within its scope.

Why is this distinction critical?

Because it defines two different professions:

  • Real estate agent (G license): collects rent on behalf of the owner, signs leases, and handles disputes. Strictly regulated activity; mandatory financial guarantee (minimum ~€110,000).
  • Operational service provider: performs hands-on services (guest check-in, housekeeping, property management, communication, security). The owner remains the sole party to the contract with the guests.

Serenity Excellence’s positioning

Our core business is the provision of operational services. In practice:

  • Guest reception, key handover, linen management, and housekeeping are operational services that we bill to the owner
  • The rental contract remains between the owner (or the platform: Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo) and the guest
  • Rental payments do not pass through our accounts: each payment is collected into an account dedicated to the property, then distributed by Unlocker, an independent provider specialising in the financial flows of concierge services

For any matter falling under real estate management — a management mandate, collecting rents on behalf of a third party, issuing receipts — we refer the owner to a licensed professional. That is precisely the line the Hoguet law draws, and we stand on the services side of it.

Further Reading

Article published as part of our monthly legal update. The information provided is for informational purposes only and does not constitute personalized legal advice.