How much does a short-term rental earn in Aix-en-Provence?
Published · 8 min read
In 2026, in the centre of Aix, our reference properties earned around €40,000 in gross income a year for a one-bedroom flat, €56,000 for a two-bedroom and €85,000 for a three-bedroom, before commissions and costs. Here, season by season, is what drives Airbnb returns in Aix-en-Provence and what remains once costs are deducted.
Airbnb returns in Aix: income in 2026
How much does a short-term rental earn in Aix-en-Provence? The question comes up at every first meeting, and it deserves better than a flattering estimate. Here we publish the gross income observed in 2026 across our reference panel: a selection of representative apartments in the centre of Aix, chosen from the many properties we have looked after as a concierge service since 2024. These are real figures, never a promise.
This income counts nights only. It is calculated before the booking platforms' commission, 18.6% on Airbnb and 18.4% on Booking.com, and excludes cleaning fees, which guests pay separately. The winter months are still estimates: we will replace them with actual figures as the season goes on. Over a year, estimated winter included, the table below gives the order of magnitude by type of property.
The gap between a two-bedroom and a three-bedroom flat often comes as a surprise. It comes down to scarcity: few renovated three-bedroom flats are available in the centre, while families and groups of friends look for them. In summer, a three-bedroom flat in the panel reached an average rate of €487 a night. Our record of the year, in fact, goes to a three-bedroom flat in the historic centre: €18,200 in July, with 90% occupancy and €651 a night.
| Type of property | Observed annual gross income (2026) |
|---|---|
| Studio | around €31,000 |
| One-bedroom | around €40,000 |
| Two-bedroom | around €56,000 |
| Three-bedroom | around €85,000 |
Season by season
The annual average hides real differences between seasons. May is very good, June excellent, July and August very good, and September is among the best months of the year, buoyed by the new academic year and by guests avoiding the summer heat and crowds. October slows down, November is weak, and Christmas rescues December with rates close to those of June. January, February and early March are quiet, then demand picks up again from mid-March.
In early July, the Rencontres économiques d'Aix are the best moment of the year: we have seen a three-bedroom flat let for up to €800 a night and a two-bedroom for €450 or €500. The Festival d'Aix opera festival extends this period through July. August stays slightly behind, at around 70% occupancy for a two-bedroom flat. Over the year, the occupancy rate is most often between 75 and 85% from April to October, a little lower in winter.
The average nightly rate varies mainly with size: around €115 to €135 for a studio, €145 to €170 for a one-bedroom, €220 to €250 for a two-bedroom and up to €490 for a three-bedroom in summer. Among our records, a one-bedroom flat made €5,200 in September (87%), a studio €4,200 in June (93%) and a two-bedroom €7,160 in April (93%). These records are not the norm: the table gives monthly averages, in gross income from nights.
| Season | Studio | One-bedroom | Two-bedroom | Three-bedroom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring (April, May) | €2,850 | €3,200 | €5,600 | €6,800 |
| Summer (June to August) | €3,450 | €4,350 | €6,000 | €11,750 |
| Autumn (September, October) | €2,750 | €4,100 | €4,800 | €6,800 |
| Winter (November to March) | €1,950 | €2,450 | €3,500 | €4,500 |
What makes income vary
Location comes first: two apartments of the same size can show different results. The cours Mirabeau, the quartier Mazarin and the stretch linking place des Augustins to the law courts and place des Prêcheurs perform best, ahead of the upper part of the old town. Right in the centre, soundproofing matters, and a parking space, rare in listings, makes the difference.
Air conditioning is the clearest argument in our panel. In July 2026, an air-conditioned two-bedroom flat generated €9,400 with 97% occupancy, against €5,900 and 55% for a comparable two-bedroom flat without air conditioning. The difference over a single month often covers a good part of the installation. In the city centre, guests consider it essential equipment, just like the bedding.
Adding beds does not earn you more: an overcrowded property receives poorer reviews and wears out faster. Then there is pricing: eight times out of ten, the mistake made by owners who let on their own concerns the price. A property let at €300 a night in summer will not go at €250 in winter; sometimes you need to come down towards €150. And 70% occupancy at €200 is better than 100% at €110.
From gross to net income
The figures above are gross income. To estimate what the owner is left with, you first need to deduct the booking platforms' commission, 18.6% on Airbnb and 18.4% on Booking.com. Then comes the concierge service's commission, if you have one: at EmiRise, it is calculated on net income, after the platforms' commission, and the premium linen and supplies are provided by us, with no recharging.
Then there are the property's running costs: service charges, property tax, energy, internet, subscriptions, insurance suited to holiday letting, upkeep and replacement of furniture. On top of these come taxes and contributions: income tax, social charges and sometimes the business property tax (CFE). Cleaning fees are paid by the guest, as is the tourist tax, which the owner collects and pays over to the municipality, or which the platform pays over when it takes the payment. It therefore does not weigh on your income.
On tax, as of 24 October 2026, the micro-BIC regime for an unclassified furnished holiday let is capped at €15,000 in takings, with a 30% allowance, and the actual-expenses regime applies above that, with actual costs deductible. A classified furnished let benefits from a 50% allowance up to €83,600 in takings for 2026 income, declared in 2027. Above €23,000 in annual takings, the activity requires registration with Urssaf and social contributions. Most properties in Aix exceed €15,000 from the first year: the choice of tax regime and ownership structure should be prepared with an accountant, before letting.
Short-term or long-term letting?
Let on a long-term basis, furnished and upmarket, the same apartment in central Aix earns, according to our knowledge of the market, €700 a month for a studio, €1,000 to €1,100 for a one-bedroom, €1,500 to €1,600 for a two-bedroom and €2,000 for a three-bedroom. As a short-term rental, the average monthly gross over the year reaches around €2,600 for a studio and €4,650 for a two-bedroom. The table in the last section sets these two columns side by side, property by property.
The comparison is not quite like for like, and that should be said. Short-term letting also bears the platforms' commission, the concierge service's commission and higher costs: energy, internet, subscriptions, upkeep of furniture. As an official benchmark, the local rent observatory puts median rents in Aix, all homes combined, between €12.90 and €15.90 per square metre per month in 2024.
In our experience, short-term letting always earns more in Aix for a well-located and well-equipped property, which also stays well maintained thanks to the teams' visits after each stay. But it costs more in commissions, running costs and time, and the regulations are stricter. It is an investor's choice, to be made with real figures and local rules in hand, rather than on a promise.
The conditions for it to work
The best figures are worthless if the property cannot be let. Before calculating a return, check these points.
Comparing with a long-term rent
The table below sets the long-term rent of an upmarket furnished flat in the centre, according to our knowledge of the market, against the average monthly gross of short-term letting, estimated winter included. The gap remains clear, commissions and costs aside, and it widens with the size of the property: a three-bedroom flat let long-term earns €2,000 a month, against around €7,100 gross as a short-term rental. This is where the scarcity of large renovated homes is felt.
| Property | Long-term let (per month) | Short-term let (average gross per month) |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | €700 | €2,600 |
| One-bedroom | €1,000 to €1,100 | €3,300 |
| Two-bedroom | €1,500 to €1,600 | €4,650 |
| Three-bedroom | €2,000 | €7,100 |
The co-ownership regulations
First check that they allow short-term letting. Some owners have had to give up their plans because of a clause that prohibited it. Read the minutes of the last general meeting too: since the Act of 19 November 2024, a general meeting can, in some cases, ban furnished holiday lets by a two-thirds majority. Better to know this before buying or furnishing the property than to find out afterwards.
Formalities at the town hall
The registration number is compulsory on every listing, as is change-of-use authorisation where it is required. The city of Aix's page details the formalities. In our experience, the number is obtained quickly in Aix, more simply than in other large cities. Still, allow for it in your schedule: without it, booking platforms simply will not publish the listing.
A property suited to demand
Air conditioning, queen-size beds, good soundproofing and generous spaces are the expected basics of an upmarket property in Aix. A parking space right in the centre is rare in listings, and guests travelling by car look for it. The number of guests should remain suited to the floor area: it is better to welcome two people in good conditions than four in cramped ones.
Aix, a stopover city
Guests often stop over between the Luberon and the Côte d'Azur: stays last a little under 3 nights on average, nearly 5 for family-sized two-bedroom flats. In our panel, nearly one booking in two comes in less than a week before the stay. A calendar still empty in early June for July is therefore nothing to worry about, provided prices follow demand day after day.
A second home rather than a main residence
We advise letting a second home or an investment property. Letting a main residence is limited by law to 120 days a year, a cap that a municipality can lower to as little as 90 days, which puts the figures in this article out of reach. For a second home, the change-of-use regime applies: a point to check with the town hall before making any projection.
What EmiRise does
EmiRise is an upmarket concierge service founded in Aix-en-Provence in 2024 by two Aix natives. We look after a selection of apartments in the centre and villas across the Pays d'Aix: presentation, prices adjusted every week with a dynamic pricing tool and market monitoring, guest welcome, cleaning, linen and follow-up. As a co-host arrangement, you remain the holder of your listings and receive your income directly, with no joining fee.
The figures in this article come from our own properties, rated on average 4.94 out of 5 by their guests. For yours, we visit the property, carry out an audit and give you an estimate based on these real figures: our Owners page presents our services.
And if you have the slightest question about your project, write to us.
Fancy a stay in Aix? Discover our homes
Frequently asked questions
How much does a one-bedroom flat earn as a short-term rental in Aix-en-Provence?
In our reference panel, a one-bedroom flat in central Aix generated around €40,000 in gross income from nights over 2026, before platform commissions. Our best month for a one-bedroom flat reached €5,200 in September, with 87% occupancy.
Are the income figures net?
No, they are gross income from nights observed in 2026, before the booking platforms' commission (18.6% on Airbnb, 18.4% on Booking.com), the concierge service's commission, property costs and tax. Cleaning fees are paid separately by the guest.
Does short-term letting earn more than a traditional let in Aix?
In our experience, yes, for a well-located and well-equipped property: an upmarket furnished two-bedroom flat in the centre lets on a long-term basis for around €1,500 to €1,600 a month, whereas short-term letting brings it an average of around €4,650 gross a month. It does, however, require more work, involve higher costs and come with stricter regulations.
Which tax regime applies to a short-term rental earning more than €15,000?
For an unclassified furnished holiday let, the micro-BIC regime is capped at €15,000 in takings and the actual-expenses regime applies automatically above that, whereas a classified furnished let can stay under micro-BIC up to €83,600 in takings for 2026 income. Talk it through with your accountant before letting.
What are our sources?
- Rent observatories: rent levels in Aix-en-Provence (2024 data, in French)
- Service-public.gouv.fr: letting your home, the rules changed in 2026 (27 July 2026, in French)
- Economie.gouv.fr: furnished holiday lets, rules and taxation (4 March 2026, in French)
- Service-public.gouv.fr: renting out your second home as furnished holiday accommodation (in French)
- City of Aix-en-Provence: holiday lettings, the formalities (in French)
