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New classification system - 3* requirement to install landline in property


Babeth
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Please does anyone have suggestions of how to comply with new requirement for 3* properties to have a landline available (in the property) for guests (with ability to bill any calls) - mobile might be acceptable.

We have a property currently classified 3* which we want to retain but we are reluctant to have to go to the expense of installing and keeping a landline service going for minimum obvious return. Up to now I've costed a broadband/phone package that would cost 700 euros + per annum.

Any recommendations would be gratefully received!!

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I'm not sure why it should cost you that much. We have  phone/TV/internet with Free which is 35€ a month or 420€ per year and for that all calls to worldwide landlines are free, as are calls to French mobiles. You can always stress that they must not phone non-French mobiles or if they do the cost will be deducted from the security deposit.
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It'll cost because they'll have to put the actual line to the house for a landline. We had to pay a couple of thousand francs in 1983 so 700 odd euros doesn't sound out of the way 30 years later. Then they'll have to pay for their line each month.

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Crikey Babeth - no idea where you got his from! Please enlighten me....

We're registered with Clevacances, Gites de France and of course the prefecture and no mention of having to install landlines for our 3* gites for 2012.

We simply have to provide PAYG mobiles for each gite. We used old mobile phones - therefore zero cost. You can pick up new, unlocked mobiles for around 40-50€ at most of the large supermarkets / phone shops.

We popped in 5€ mobicartes (7€ ordered on line) - the numbers are valid a rolling 6 months from each recharge. The locatiares recharge them as and when. We simply had to provide the numbers to Clevacances and GDF.

We ask each locataire if they need a mobile phone and, if they do (although rarely!) we get them to sign a receipt for it with a 100€ charge is it's not returned at the end of their stay.

Hope this helps

Chiefluvvie.
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Thanks for info about Free... will look into that.  We're UK-resident property owners, so it's sometimes a bit harder to get things sorted at "arms length".  Unfortunately our agent who handles the bookings (eg, security deposits, keys etc) is not prepared to get involved in the billing of telephone calls etc as they're against the new classification process (or rather the new requirements)! 
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We're registered with the local tourist office and are promoted via their brochures and website (very effective for bookings) as well as a local agency which handles all the practical administrative side of bookings (deposits, keys etc) and which also "sells" us via their own rental website.

If we wish to retain our 3* classification currently awarded by the Mairie (and a pre-requisite if we want to continue as a 3* on the tourist office site), we have to get our property inspected.  The process requires a self-evaluation (auto-diagnostic) which includes some  new requirements, including the requirement of a landline.  The inspection costs 100 euros.

Actual wording: mise a disposition d'un telephone a l'interieur du logement avec, au besoin, un systeme de facturation correspondant a la periode de location. Precisions: telephone portable a carte mis a disposition dans le logement tolere. (sorry no accents... haven't worked out how to do that on this post!).

So we could possibly follow your example with mobiles and mobicartes - just need to find a way round the security deposit aspect, as our agent not keen to do this for us because they are against the new classification process.

We challenged this requirement with the tourist office but were told that it was an "incontournable" but that if we were awarded enough points through all the other criteria, then a mobile might be tolerated rather than us having to go down the landline route.  It would appear that a lot of property owners have also challenged the phone requirement with the TO but because it's a national initiative, there cannot be local differences.  Our tourist authorities are using the UDOTSI de Haute Savoie as the accredited inspection organisation (UDOTSI = Union Departementale d'Offices de Tourisme et de Syndicats d'Initiative).  For info, if you want to be 2* rated then you have to be 300 m away from a public phone box to get the rating and if you want to be 4* rated, then you have to offer WiFi.  There are other requirements, most of which we already have so not a problem, as well as a requirement to point out how guests can reduce their impact on the environment and a commitment to installing energy or water-saving devices where appropriate.

I presume that if you are marketed through Gites de France and Cle Vacances, you may have different criteria requirements, but this is for the official star rating as promoted by local and national tourism authorities.

It's just a pain really, as I would imagine that the majority of guests have their own (indeed several) mobiles and do not require something more permanent on-site, and it's an expense that will not necessarily bring us - or indeed our guests - any great benefit.  We're also concerned about the potential for abuse, although either a security deposit or the installation of a landline with FREE or similar provider offering free phone calls should reduce that.  Guess we have to start negotiating with our local agent OR look at other marketing such as Cle Vacances.

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Babeth - you're getting into a real pickle here! Maybe it's a translation issue - let me help.

To start with - ALL gites requiring a classification have to be registered with the local mairie, prefecture and tourist office - but there is absoloutely NO requirement for the provision of a landline. In our area the tourist office and prefecture make a joint inspection visit once every 5 years - although this changes from 2012 when private bodies will be taking over the classification mantle!

Furthermore, all properties registered with Clevacances and/or Gites de France require the mairie/prefecture/tourist office official star classification and registration as a matter of course. They need this before they can affiliate to Clevacances or GDeF.

Now onto the landline issue - if you read the French text that you have provided above you'll see that it simply states you need to make a telephone available inside the property(ies) with a method of billing during the period of stay. It then goes on to state (Précisions) that mobile phones are acceptable! Pretty straightforward as it's the client who recharges them!

Surely your agent can hand over and collect a mobile phone on arrival / departure (if the clients want one!)- along with the keys ?

It's really simple and straightforward - maybe you're a bit confused?

Chiefluvvie
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Not confused... had understood exactly what you've explained, just not happy to have to do this (as is the case with a number of other property owners of all nationalities in the same area!) and wanting to find the most cost-effective way round it.  The telephone issue is a new one - ie, when we were inspected the last time round, it was NOT a requirement to have either landline or mobile available for clients but now it is (for 3* properties).  You're right that a mobile telephone might be acceptable but when I went and talked to the local tourist office person responsible for this, I was told that the phone option was definitely not optional but that if the inspector decided our property fulfilled enough of the 3* criteria then a mobile (as you've described) might be allowed.

Unfortunately our local agent is not currently willing to be involved in providing the phone or billing after the stay - hence why we need to do some negotiating (or find another agent, which we don't really want to do).  However, your option of mobile phone and rechargeable card is probably the easiest to implement - so thank you for that recommendation!

I'll be interested to see how this reclassification process is rolled out nationally and also how Gites de France and CleVacances approach the matter, as it's been made clear to us that tourist offices/mairies/prefectures etc will be adopting the same criteria even though they might be using different private companies to carry out the inspections and classifications.  The reason why we're having to get this sorted now is that if we wait until nearer the July 2012 deadline we will probably not be able to arrange an inspection in time (and in particular to coincide with our own site visits).

However, I'd be interested to know for sure if you find that GDF and CleVacances have different requirements/criteria for the new classification as that's definitely not what is being "sold" to property owners (and agencies) in our locality.

 

 

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Babeth - let's put this to bed shall we ?..... there is NO REQUIREMENT to provide 'fixed' phone lines for any classification of Gites.

The classifications used by Clevacances (keys) and Gites de France (epis) are AT LEAST as stringent as the new prefecture / tourist authority requirements - they use that as their base requirement before awarding their own classification. Then on top of this, as with GDF, they ask you to provide various 'extras' e.g. welcome packs.

Again - it is a requirement of both GDF and Clevacances that you have your prefectoral 'star' rating before they will classify you under their brands. Oh and by the way - GDF and Clevacances have always (recent history!) required the provision of telephone facilities - by whatever method.

Using old mobiles (friends / relatives / neighbours....) and PAYG cards is simply the most cost effective and efficient way to go! Easy.....

Chiefluvvie

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This has been interesting for me, I will be operating apartments meublées de tourisme, I had looked at the prefectoral classification requirements which would be checked by the accreditation organism and from memory it said that their either had to be a fixed (I think) phone in each apartment or a public phone in the vicinity, the nearest to me is a couple of miles away according to France Telecom and I am not even sure that still exists.

I had been racking my brains as to how to get around this one, I knew that 99% of guests would have a mobile phone but hadnt considered making some available for their use.

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Thanks again, Chiefluvvie, you have indeed clarified the situation for me regarding the possibility of using a mobile with mobicarte (which is what we will pursue I think) but I'm just reporting what our local tourist office person told me for 3* rating in our area.  I did take a quick peak last night at Clevacances and GDF criteria and noted that they have much more flexible/logical wording of the requirement for a telephone (either fixed or mobile) and that in exceptional cases (GDF) a phone may not be provided but this will be advised to the client on booking.

Thanks for all your input... we'll see how it goes.

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[quote user="Chiefluvvie"]Do also remember - it's not compulsory to be classified. However, it is compulsory to declare your gite activity at your mairie.

Link :

http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F2043.xhtml[/quote]

Particularly if, like us, you target your accommodation at a specialised market.  Indeed, being part of a national scheme would be counterproductive.  For example let's say you aim at cyclists, naturists, anglers or some other specialised group - if you then get enquiries from someone not iinterested in those activities how do you remain targeted on your market?  It is for this reason that we only advertise within our defined market ensuring that the accommodation and facilities are tailored to that market's need.  We are therefore registered only with the Mairie (as required by law) but nowhere else.

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I totally agree. We are not with anyone, not even advertised with the local tourist board, and we have already 17 weeks booked for 2012. I like to choose who comes to the gite and I certainly do not want inspections. All this rating business seems more trouble than it's worth.
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[quote user="Chancer"]

But unless I misunderstood or the situation has changed without the classification you are not entitled to the same exoneration of social charges and impôts than with.

Or are you still getting the 70% without classification?

[/quote]

Still getting the 'ventes des merchandise' concession on the AE scheme.  I understood that registration alone was necessary and classification optional.  The Hotel des Impots (for now, at least) seem to agree.  But then we know that H-d-I are not always wholly accurate.

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[quote user="Chancer"]

But unless I misunderstood or the situation has changed without the classification you are not entitled to the same exoneration of social charges and impôts than with.

Or are you still getting the 70% without classification?

[/quote]

No, just 50%   But I still think it worth the extra to remain completely independent.

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