Management mandate or service contract: the first question
Before even looking at the commission, look at what kind of document you are signing. Two broad families exist on the Airbnb concierge market.
The management mandate
You give a professional the power to act in your name: letting your property, accepting bookings, handling guests and sometimes collecting rent. This is the tool provided by the Hoguet law (law no. 70-9 of 2 January 1970) for managing other people's property. It can only be signed with a holder of the property management licence, the carte G, and it follows precise rules: it must be in writing, limited in time, and state the remuneration and the conditions for handling funds.
The service contract
The provider carries out practical tasks (cleaning, linen, check-ins, minor maintenance) without representing you. This format suits an owner who keeps control of their listing, prices and bookings, and only buys in operational support.
The trap lies in between: a contract titled "service agreement" that in reality hands over full management of the listing, pricing and rent collection. The Hoguet law covers people who habitually assist in holiday lettings or in managing other people's property. The line between providing services and managing property is still debated, and we pass no judgement on any particular operator. But your interest is simple: if the contract describes management, it should come with the protections of management.
Carte G, financial guarantee and liability insurance: the three documents
To obtain the carte G, issued by the chamber of commerce and industry (CCI), a professional must prove their professional competence, hold a financial guarantee covering the repayment of funds held for clients, and hold insurance against the financial consequences of their professional civil liability. Carrying out an activity that requires the licence without holding it is punishable by six months' imprisonment and a €7,500 fine (Article 14 of the Hoguet law).
- Ask for the licence number, then check it yourself in the register of property professionals kept by CCI France (searchable by name, town, SIREN number or licence number).
- Ask for the name of the body providing the financial guarantee. It is what protects your money if the manager fails.
- Ask for a current certificate of professional civil liability insurance.
- Check that the mandate number appears on your copy: the decree of 20 July 1972 requires the manager to keep a register of mandates and to show the registration number on the client's copy.
If you are signing a simple service contract, the carte G is not in play, but insurance remains essential: a provider who leaves a tap running or loses a set of keys must be able to compensate for the damage. To go further: why choose a licensed Airbnb concierge in Nice.
How the commission is calculated: where it all happens
"20%" means nothing until you know "20% of what". Depending on the contract, the commission can be based on very different figures:
- The gross amount paid by the guest, including cleaning and platform fees.
- The net payout received after Airbnb's service fees.
- Nightly rates only, excluding cleaning fees.
- Nightly rates plus cleaning fees, with cleaning then also invoiced separately.
The gap is far from theoretical. Airbnb is currently moving home hosts onto a single service fee, paid entirely by the host, with a standard rate of 15.5% of the payout. A commission calculated on the gross amount, before those fees, therefore costs noticeably more than one calculated on the net. Add the question of cleaning, often recharged to guests, and two contracts at the same percentage can produce very different amounts.
Ask for a written simulation on a typical booking: for example four nights in May during the Monaco Grand Prix, with a cleaning fee. The contract should let you redo the calculation line by line. Our article on the price of an Airbnb concierge in Nice details the most common hidden costs, and our income estimator gives you a ballpark figure for your property.
Ask the question exactly like this: "On booking X, how much do I get, how much do you get, how much does Airbnb get, and how much does cleaning cost?" A vague answer is already an answer.
Extra costs, duration, notice and termination
List everything that is not included in the commission: set-up fees, photo shoot, linen, consumables, maintenance call-outs, travel, claims handling. Each item should have a price or a calculation rule. A contract that refers to "a price list to be provided later" without attaching it leaves you in the dark.
On duration, the Hoguet law voids agreements that do not limit their effects in time. A mandate must therefore have a term. Then check three points: renewal (automatic or not), the termination notice and how it must be given (recorded letter, email), and whether there are exit penalties or fees. Be wary of a long commitment period paired with a fee if you leave early.
Also look at what happens to stays already booked on the termination date. In Nice, notice given in April often affects summer bookings or the following Carnival. The contract should say who handles those stays and who gets paid what.
Who owns the listing, the reviews and the account access
This is the most underestimated clause, even though reviews are an Airbnb's most valuable asset. There are two set-ups:
- The listing is on your Airbnb account and the concierge is added as a co-host. You remain the owner, with its history and reviews. When the contract ends, you remove the co-host and carry on.
- The listing is published from the concierge's account. When the contract ends, it stays with them. Airbnb states that listings and accounts cannot be transferred to another host: you start again from scratch, without reviews.
Insist that the contract states which account the listing is published on, who owns the photos and copy, and what is handed back to you on exit (photos, welcome guide, codes, supplier contacts). Also insist on permanent access to your account: with the co-host model, you see bookings, messages and earnings in real time. Our guide to Airbnb co-hosting in Nice explains the access levels Airbnb offers.
A contract that says nothing about who owns the listing leaves it, in practice, with whoever holds the account. Do not leave this to chance.
Paying out rent: dedicated account, timing and accounting
Who collects the guests' money? If Airbnb payouts go straight to your account, the risk is limited. If the concierge collects and then pays you, the contract must expressly allow it: the Hoguet law requires the mandate to state the conditions under which the manager may receive and pay out money, and how accounts are rendered to you.
With a carte G holder, these funds are covered by the financial guarantee. The decree of 20 July 1972 also requires a guaranteed professional to open a bank account used exclusively for these deposits, which cannot be merged or offset with their other accounts. This is often called an escrow or client account. Ask which bank holds it, and how often you are paid: after each stay, monthly or quarterly.
A provider without a carte G who collects your rent offers no such protection. It is one of the points to clarify before signing.
Reporting and trap clauses to spot
A good contract provides regular, detailed reporting: nights, gross revenue, platform fees, commission, deducted costs, net balance. Without these, you cannot check the commission or prepare your tax return. Think about insurance too: in a co-ownership building, every co-owner must hold civil liability insurance, and your insurer must know the property is used for short-term lets.
- A long exclusivity period with no precise commitment from the concierge (the Hoguet law requires an exclusivity clause to set out the actions the agent undertakes to carry out).
- A termination fee calculated on "estimated" future revenue.
- The right for the concierge to block dates or change minimum prices without your agreement.
- Cleaning fees charged twice: to the guest and to the owner.
- A limitation of liability so broad that it makes the insurance pointless.
- No clause at all on compliance: registration number, 120-day cap, change-of-use authorisation.
On that last point, remember that compliance remains your responsibility as the owner. In Nice, a second home let short term requires change-of-use authorisation, which is now temporary (five years at most, non-renewable) and limited by quotas in four zones. Letting without authorisation exposes you to a fine of up to €100,000 per property. A serious contract at least provides for the concierge to alert you. Check your position with our guide to change-of-use fines and penalties.
Where La Joyeuse Conciergerie's offer stands
Since we are asking you to check everything, here are our answers. La Joyeuse Conciergerie is an SAS holding the carte G (Hoguet law), based at 8 avenue Auber in Nice and a subsidiary of Cabinet Immobilier Nice. We work under a written management mandate, and we will show you our licence, insurance and mandate on request.
- Commission: 20% excl. VAT (24% incl. VAT) of revenue, all-inclusive. The calculation basis is written into the mandate, and you can check it every week.
- Commitment: no lock-in. You can take back control without penalty, subject to the notice period set out in the contract.
- Listing: published on Airbnb using the co-host system. You keep access to your listing, bookings, earnings and messages.
- Emergency fund: €250, which remains your money, for small everyday expenses, with the balance tracked to the cent.
- Reporting: a detailed report every Friday with net income, commission excl. and incl. VAT, guests and ratings.
- Mobility lease: if your property cannot be let short term, management under a bail mobilité at 15% excl. VAT (18% incl. VAT) with Cabinet Immobilier Nice.
Our clients give us a 4.9/5 Google rating. To discover the full service, visit our Airbnb concierge in Nice page. And whichever concierge you choose, keep this checklist to hand when it is time to sign.
