1 – G Card: what exactly are we talking about and why it concerns you
The G Card is a professional card issued by the CCI. It authorises its holder to manage real estate properties on behalf of third parties. Behind this administrative language lies a very concrete question for you: do you have the right to handle your owners' money?
1.1: What the Hoguet Law says, in brief
The 1970 Hoguet Law governs all real estate brokerage activities in France. It requires a professional license for anyone managing property on behalf of others and handling funds. The G license (for "Gestion" or "Management") is the one that applies to you if you collect rent from travelers, take your commission, and then remit the balance to the owners.
In practical terms, as soon as a traveler's money passes through your account before reaching the owner, you are performing real estate management under the law. It does not matter if you call yourself a "concierge service," "property manager," or "Airbnb manager." Your trade name does not change your legal obligations.
The G license is not a quality label or a competitive advantage. It is a legal prerequisite. And with the tightening of regulations brought about by the Le Meur law and its new requirements, the standards for manager compliance are only increasing.
1.2: Concierge service with G Card or without G Card — the dividing line
The application is submitted to the CCI of your registered office, via the online service or in person. The application file includes: Cerfa form no. 15312, proof of professional aptitude, the financial guarantee certificate, the professional liability insurance certificate, a criminal record extract (bulletin no. 2, requested directly by the CCI), and a Kbis extract less than three months old.
The cost of the card is €120 for a first application and €160 for a renewal (every three years). The card itself is not the expensive part. It is the financial guarantee: budget between €500 and €2,000 per year depending on the provider and your risk profile.
Real timeline: between three and six weeks if your file is complete. But if a document is missing or your qualification requires verification, easily add one to two months. Prepare everything before submitting. Chase the CCI after two weeks if you have not received a response. The administration will not come looking for you.
1.3: The concrete risks if you operate without a G Card
Not having your G card when you need it isn't just an administrative oversight. It’s a criminal offense. Article 14 of the Hoguet Law provides for up to six months of imprisonment and a 7,500 euro fine for the illegal practice of property management.
Beyond the criminal penalties, the practical consequences are immediate. An unhappy owner can challenge your management mandate. Without a valid G card, your contract can be declared void. You lose the property, the commission, and potentially your reputation across your entire portfolio.
There is also the commercial risk. The most serious owners—those who own multiple properties and represent the bulk of your revenue—are starting to ask questions. They want a property management service that is fully compliant, with professional liability insurance, a financial guarantee, and a G card. If you can’t say "yes" to all three, they will go elsewhere. And in a market that is becoming increasingly professional, as illustrated by the 2026 sector profitability analysis, this is no longer a minor detail.
2 – How to obtain the G Card: procedures, costs and real timelines
On paper, the procedure is clearly mapped out. In practice, it is the kind of application that drags on if you do not prepare everything in advance. Here is what you need to know to avoid losing three months going back and forth with the CCI.
2.1: Eligibility requirements, straight to the point
To obtain the G Card, you must meet four cumulative conditions.
First condition: professional aptitude. Three possible routes. A minimum bachelor's degree in law, economics or business. Or a BTS in real estate professions. Or, failing that, three years of professional experience (four years for non-executives) in a position related to property management, under the supervision of a card holder. This last route is the one used by many concierge service directors who come from other sectors.
Second condition: financial guarantee. Mandatory if you hold funds on behalf of your owners. The minimum amount is €30,000 for the first two years, then €110,000 thereafter. This guarantee is taken out with an approved body (bank, insurance company, mutual guarantee society).
Third condition: professional liability insurance.
Fourth condition: no criminal conviction incompatible with carrying out the activity.
2.2: The CCI application, step by step
The application is submitted to the CCI of your registered office, via the online service or in person. The application file includes: Cerfa form no. 15312, proof of professional aptitude, the financial guarantee certificate, the professional liability insurance certificate, a criminal record extract (bulletin no. 2, requested directly by the CCI), and a Kbis extract less than three months old.
The cost of the card is €120 for a first application and €160 for a renewal (every three years). The card itself is not the expensive part. It is the financial guarantee: budget between €500 and €2,000 per year depending on the provider and your risk profile.
Real timeline: between three and six weeks if your file is complete. But if a document is missing or your qualification requires verification, easily add one to two months. Prepare everything before submitting. Chase the CCI after two weeks if you have not received a response. The administration will not come looking for you.
2.3: What many people forget after obtaining the card
Having the G Card is not a one-off event. It is an ongoing commitment.
Renewal is required every three years. If your card expires, you are operating illegally from the very next day. Set a reminder six months before the expiry date.
Continuing professional development is mandatory: 42 hours over three years (an average of 14 hours per year), including at least 2 hours on ethics and 2 hours on non-discrimination. Training must be provided by a registered organization. Keep your certificates: the CCI requires them at renewal.
Mandatory disclosure: your card number, the name of the issuing CCI, the amount of the financial guarantee, and the contact details of the guarantor must appear on all your commercial documents, including your website.
Mandate register: each management mandate must be recorded in a chronological register. Whether in paper or digital format, it must exist and be kept up to date. On this point, a well-structured PMS that centralizes your mandates and owner contracts makes your life considerably easier. This is exactly the type of tracking that a real-time owner portal allows you to maintain without any extra effort.
3 – G Card and day-to-day management: structuring your concierge service to stay compliant
Obtaining the G Card is one thing. Organising your activity so that every financial flow, every contract and every owner interaction remains compliant on a daily basis is quite another. Here is how serious concierge services go about it.
3.1: Management mandates, escrow accounts and financial flows
The G Card requires you to sign a written management mandate with each owner. This mandate must specify: the duration, the remuneration, the scope of the powers granted, and the termination conditions. Not a "verbal agreement" or an email. A document compliant with the articles of the Hoguet Law.
Then there are the funds. If you hold funds on behalf of your owners (and you do if rents pass through your accounts), you must use a dedicated escrow account. This money does not belong to you: it must be kept separate from your operating cash flow. This is a requirement of the financial guarantee and a standard check in the event of an inspection.
The operational challenge is real. When you manage thirty or fifty properties, with bookings coming in every day from Airbnb, Booking and Abritel, manually tracking which euro goes where becomes a nightmare. That is why centralising financial flows in a single tool is not a comfort feature: it is a compliance requirement. A PMS that tracks every booking, every payment received and every owner transfer gives you the audit trail you need if the CCI or an owner asks for an account.
3.2: The alternative to the full G Card model: structuring without handling funds
Some property management companies make a deliberate choice: never to handle owners' money. They position themselves as service providers, invoice their services separately, and let the platforms or the owners manage the payments.
This model is viable. It avoids the need for a professional real estate license (carte G), a financial guarantee, and an escrow account. However, it comes with significant constraints. The owner must have their own accounts on the OTAs (or you must manage the listings from their account). The split payment features offered by some platforms can help, but they do not cover every scenario.
Above all, this model limits your perceived value. An owner who still has to manage their own payments, even partially, does not view you as a full-service manager. And when a competitor with a professional license offers them a turnkey service, the temptation to switch is strong.
If you choose this path, document everything. Your contracts must explicitly exclude the handling of funds. Your invoices must reflect service fees, not commissions on rent. And your tooling must be up to the task to prove that financial flows never pass through you.
3.3: How Biloki structures compliance on a daily basis
G Card compliance rests on three pillars: mandate traceability, financial flow transparency and owner communication. These are exactly the areas where manual management goes wrong.
A manager juggling spreadsheets, emails and manual bank transfers eventually loses track. A mandate not renewed due to an oversight, a delayed transfer, an owner without access to their statements: every gap is a risk.
Biloki centralises everything in one place. Every booking is linked to a property and an owner. Revenue, commissions and charges are calculated automatically. The owner portal provides real-time access to financial data. No more sending Excel spreadsheets every month: the owner can see their revenue, their bookings and their calendar whenever they want.
The channel manager, synchronised with more than 120 platforms, ensures that no booking slips through the net. And the complete history of every property, every stay and every payment is archived. If the CCI asks you to justify your mandate register or your financial flows, everything is right there.
Compliance is not a matter you settle once and for all. It is a daily process. You might as well let the tool handle it for you. Biloki offers a free 30-day trial, with no credit card required, so you can see for yourself.
The G Card is not a barrier — it is a filter
The short-term rental market is becoming more professional. The Le Meur law, the mandatory registration number, and municipal inspections: everything is pointing in the same direction. Managers who aren't compliant are going to get caught. Not in five years. Now.
The G-card separates concierges who are just tinkering from those building a real business. It reassures property owners, secures your contracts, and provides you with legal protection. Not having it when you need it is like building on sand.
Check your status. If you handle funds, start the process. If you also want to structure your operations so that compliance doesn't eat up your entire week, try Biloki free for 30 days. Everything in one place. Automated. Under control.
