LEGAL - HOW MANY GUESTS? 10 OR 15?

[Yvonne]

Another legal issue that may effect many, I'm afraid.

We are in the process of setting up our cdh with clévacances. We plan 5 bedrooms en suite so a total capacity of 15 people in our 'private home' (as advised by both gdf and clévacances).

We have the architect plans, we've estimated our future turnover etc etc all based on what we've been told and given in writing, that we can accept up to 15 people in a private home.

So...in order to dot the i's and cross the t's we decided to make a courteous visit to the 'chef des pompiers' at our local prefecture to confirm all plans are correct and to make sure we'd covered any potential future changes (hinted at by our electrician who is also a pompier).

WRONG...He tells us (and gives us an extract from a book to confirm) that the maximum you can welcome into a cdh as a 'private home' is only10 people in 5 bedrooms, not in fact 15 as most seem to believe.  Once you accept that 11th person you instantly fall into hotel regulations for fire safety.

This little bombshell made us re-think so we thought we'd do the right thing and try to follow hotel regs ( as its an old hotel we are converting anyway so many items are already in place).

 Just to clarify again, we contacted the CCI to make sure that we could still use the label of cdh even if, for fire safety, we are hotel classified. They have no idea, neither does the Mairie, neither do Clévacances!!

Where did this 'magic' figure of  15 come from??

It is tempting now to do what other cdh owners in the area seem to do and just go ahead and accept 15 people and declare that we have 5 rooms. Has anyone else come across this issue, had to deal with it?? It is very frustrating to try and follow the letter of the law when nobody really seems to know what it is! Whats more worrying is that are possibly many many cdh's out there unwittingly breaking the law (apparently)!

HELP

Abi

[Miki]

[quote]Another legal issue that may effect many, I'm afraid. We are in the process of setting up our cdh with clévacances. We plan 5 bedrooms en suite so a total capacity of 15 people in our 'private home' ...[/quote]

As always in France, one section has views opposite to another section.

Talk to GDF, you can be 100% sure they will be up with the laws of CDH. We have max 15 places in 5 rooms and although we do have all the fire ext, smoke and fire alarms along with emergency exit lighting systems in place, none of our neighbouring CDH have, nor have several others we know. Our house and its conversion was started by the previous owner who had it built to Hotel standard then back tracked once he saw just how much more he had to do in comparison to CDH.

It has long been the case that 6 bedrooms bring in the inspectors, not 5 rooms nor the number but, just maybe there are brand new laws for new places ?

".......Where did this 'magic' figure of 15 come from??..."

On behalf of many, many GDF CdH people all over France, I would ask, where did the 'magic' figure of 10 suddenly arise from ? There will be an explanation I'm sure but you can be absolutely certain, that we would have been told by regional GDF or HQ that all those with 5 or 6 rooms and 15 bed spaces were possibly running illegally.

Check it with the local experts in the CDH business.

[Yvonne]

Miki,

Thanks for the reply. I have posed the question to clévacances head office (as that's whose label we will carry) but as yet have no reply.

The 'magic 10' comes from a book on security and fire safety in public buildings. It would appear that this guy is the only person in France with a copy!! I don't know if this is a new law  - I was too stunned in th emeeting to ask him.

We would be the same as you - fire ext, alarms, detectors, fire doors and exit signs. You are absolutely right - its all the extra bits that cost the earth and don't really help to give the place a 'homely' feel!

We will await replies from clévacances and gdf and then I think its likely that we'll pursue the 5 room option and not get into conversations about whether we accept 10 or 15 guests.

Thanks again,

Abi

[Miki]

Hi again,

I have spoken privately with a few people on here over the last year or two and if I may offer you some similar advice. One can ask sometimes too many questions to the wrong people. Here in France, the French (especially the fonctionaires) do not like to ever admit they do not know the answer to something and so because of this, will give you their own 'slant' on the question.

Yours is not a public place in the true sense of the word. Yours is a private home and it will be open for guests to stay with you.

I would be sorely tempted to ignore that meeting and only listen to clévances or GDF. Thye will guide you as to how they would like you to present the house to gain the max number of keys (or Epis).

Yes, I would say let them guide you and just see what aappens but as you say, having all the hotel security is not going to make the house very homely. There are certain things, like smoke alarms which are very beneficial of course.