Parts of France are facing a huge crisis as tourists take over so many flats that some residents are struggling to find somewhere to live, reports suggest.

       France has always been a popular place for tourists from around the world to travel to. However, the issue of overtourism has reportedly been exacerbated by the arrival of Airbnb in the country.

       According to reports, nearly a million - 850,000 - Airbnb adverts based in France were posted on the platform in 2023.

       Although this is great for tourists because it gives them many options of places to stay, it has caused a nightmare for locals looking to either move out of home or move from one flat to another.

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       The reason for this is that some landlords see Airbnbs as more profitable and thus are more likely to prefer them as a way to make money.

       According to RTBF Actus, some landlords try to get their tenants to sign up for short-term rentals that last until June before forcing them out.

       One tenant, Megane Leveque, told the publication: “From June 30, we know that either we'll have a solution, or we'll have to pay a lot more to be able to stay, because during the summer, the rent is paid weekly, and obviously the prices aren't the same. What I pay for a month won't even be the price for a week.”

       The mother of three currently lives in a mobile home and has to find a solution to her housing problem before the deadline at the end of June.

       Ms Leveque is one of thousands of tenants facing this issue. Last year, a tenant from the Basque Country called Antoine said they were forced to move out of their flat because their landlord wanted to rent it out to tourists.

       In other regions of France, residents have reportedly complained to landlords about the repeated sounds of suitcases being wheeled in and out as tourist after tourist after tourist comes in to rent a flat for a couple of nights.

       What makes the situation more complicated is the fact that regulations vary greatly between different parts of France, meaning there are different rules for landlords to follow.

       In Paris for example, host of this year’s Olympic Games, there are strict rules on flats that say landlords have to let them out for a maximum of 120 days every year as long as they declare it.

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       Under this scheme, the landlord has to create three units for long-term letting with 35 officers checking to make sure not all flats are being converted to Airbnbs.

       Should a landlord not follow the rules they could be given a fine of up to 50,000 euros (￡42,831).

       Express.co.uk has reached out to Airbnb for comment.