02/01/2026
A Change of Chapter – and Looking Ahead 💙
After a great deal of thought, discussion, spreadsheets, cups of coffee (and the occasional head-in-hands moment), we’ve taken the decision to withdraw from and formally close our gîte rental business.
This hasn’t been an easy choice. We’ve loved welcoming guests, sharing our homes, and seeing people fall in love with the Mayenne in the same way we did. Many of you have become familiar names, returning faces, and friends.
So why step away?
Quite simply, the balance has shifted.
Over recent years, more and more people and organisations have wanted an increasingly larger share of a very finite pot:
• Booking platforms have steadily increased their commissions, reducing what owners actually receive from each stay.
• Double taxation at commune level (CFE and taxe d’habitation applied to the same properties) has added a significant and unavoidable cost.
• Upcoming platform rules, e-invoicing requirements and compliance changes increasingly push small operators towards using third-party intermediaries, adding layers of cost, administration and complexity that are difficult to justify at a small scale.
• At the same time, guest expectations continue to rise—more space, more facilities, more flexibility—while there is a clear resistance to paying higher nightly rates.
In short: what guests want keeps increasing, what they are willing to pay is under pressure, and what remains after everyone else has taken their percentage continues to shrink.
Running a gîte well means doing it properly—maintaining standards, investing in comfort, complying with regulations, and being present for guests. When the financial and administrative reality no longer supports that properly, it’s time to be honest and step back.
What isn’t changing
While the rental chapter is closing, Mayenne Holidays is not going anywhere.
Our holiday information service will continue and expand, including:
• Sharing ideas for exploring the Mayenne and surrounding regions
• Highlighting markets, towns, walks, food, history and hidden corners
• Offering inspiration, practical guides and local insight for visitors and second-home owners
• Expanding the website with more in-depth, practical features on finding, buying and renovating your dream home in rural France, based on real experience rather than sales pitches
The heart of what we do—promoting this beautiful, quietly special part of France—remains exactly the same.
We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has stayed with us, followed our journey, shared our posts, sent messages, and supported Mayenne Holidays over the years. This is not an ending, just a recalibration.
Thank you for being part of the story so far—and for staying with us as the next chapter unfolds.
J’❤️ La Mayenne
🌿 www.mayenneholidays.com
Unwind. Explore. Repeat.
