If they are not obvious, the key boxes hung here and there, intrigue along the streets, from the district of the stations to that of the very popular old Lille. “We have been witnessing the merry-go-round of those looking for the code to retrieve keys for a while, laughs the server of a bar in old Lille (North). It’s true that there are a few more lately but that doesn’t bother us, they are potential customers. »
Hanging a key box on the bike rack or the sidewalk barrier at the bottom of your home is certainly practical for rental companies who are not present to welcome their guests. All they have to do is communicate the code that will unlock the famous box to deliver the keys. Except that on street furniture, it’s forbidden: “We don’t use the public good for our personal needs, preaches Jacques Richir, municipal deputy for public space and the living environment of the city of Lille. We spotted the first key boxes at the end of February and since then they have multiplied. This drift had to be stopped immediately. »
For a few weeks now, the town hall has been sticking stickers on the said boxes to inform the user that his box will be sawn within fifteen days. A good thirty have already jumped. “We warn because we do not want tourists to end up on the street, tempers the elected official. But we also don’t want holiday rental platforms to allow themselves everything. »
“We fully understand this decision, welcomes Dominique Debuire, president of the National Union for the Promotion of Holiday Rentals (UNPLV), which federates rental platforms including Airbnb. The use of the key box is allowed, and practical in the event of a delay during an arrival for example, but only on private property of course. We welcome the prevention put in place by the municipality. On all our platforms, there are regular reminders of the basic rules of civility. We are very vigilant in the fight against all nuisances and we are ready to send more frequent reminders to our hosts on this issue of key boxes. »
Because the municipality is determined to continue the hunt: “Our municipal agents are attentive, warns Jacques Richir. We have big events looming like the Tour de France cyclist on July 6 or the clearance sale on the first weekend of September, there is no question of letting the boxes multiply again. »
A strong message which more broadly calls into question the proliferation of tourist rentals: “We are lucky to have kept a lot of inhabitants in the heart of the city, underlines the deputy: 30,000 in the city center, 25,000 in the old-Lille. We want to protect them from excessive rental pressure which could drive them away. Two thousand five hundred dwellings are currently rented by platforms in the city. This system of boxes also hides a professionalism of the rental. This is exactly what we want to avoid. »