Plagues of rats are blighting Paris, at a time middle class families are reportedly fleeing the so-called most romantic city in the world. In 2023, Paris was classified as the fourth most rat-infested city in the world.
The latest rat epidemic could not come at a worse time for City of Lights, as the middle class claim they are being pushed out by high property prices due to the rise in popularity of short-term rentals. 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 boom of holiday rentals in the country, as tourists gobble up all the flats and landlords are keener on turning their homes into more profitable holiday accommodation than long-term housing solutions.
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 middle class locals looking to either move out of their family home or move from one flat to another.
Dirt, rats, ugly urban architecture, rising local taxes and chaotic urban planning are also frequent complaints against Anne Hidalgo, the capital’s socialist mayor.
As a result of this reported exodus, Paris is now disproportionately composed of single-person households, older adults, and affluent professionals who can afford the sky-high rents.
Half of all households in Paris are now single person, a figure predicted to rise to 55% in 25 years.
Geofroy Boulard, Right-wing mayor of the 17th arrondissement and president of the opposition Union Capitale told The Telegraph that middle class families are fleeing due to a result of a “quarter-century of policies that have made life harder for families and the middle class”.
He added: “Construction work, difficult access to nurseries, skyrocketing rents, and social housing shortages have pushed Parisians to the suburbs or provinces.
“It is unacceptable to see families fleeing Paris because services are not adapted to all populations.”
Jacques Baudrier, Paris’s communist deputy mayor for housing, insisted that the city had not lost its appeal. “On the contrary, people want to live here more than ever”.
He highlights that Paris has seen a record number of applications for social housing as well as private rentals.