Renoir Museum Heist, Eiffel Tower Reopens and Property Tax Rises: News Digest

News from across France takes centre stage this week, with a dramatic art heist at the Renoir Museum on the Côte d’Azur making headlines, while property owners face rising taxe foncière bills in towns across the country. Meanwhile, the Eiffel Tower has reopened following a staff walkout, and France’s firefighters have begun a nationwide strike after a summer of record-breaking wildfires.

Elsewhere, changes to the DPE calculation coming in 2027 could affect the energy ratings of some electrically heated properties, potentially giving homeowners and landlords more flexibility when it comes to future renovation decisions.

€9 Million Renoir Museum Heist on the French Riviera

Two suspects broke into the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer in the early hours of Tuesday 8th September, attempting to steal four works of art from the former home of French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir: the alarm was triggered at 5:48 am and police arrived just five minutes later, but the suspects had already fled. Two of the stolen works were dropped during the getaway, leaving two others still missing, along with the suspects. The museum, founded in 1960 and renovated in the 2010s, is now the focus of a police investigation.

Cagnes-sur-Mer mayor, Bryan Masson, described the theft as an attack on the town’s history and heritage. Local reports have identified the four targeted works as Portrait de Madame Stephen Pichon (1895), Madame Colonna Romano (around 1910), Coco lisant (around 1905) and Jeune femme au puits (around 1886), all by Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

The heist comes less than a year after the high-profile Louvre robbery in Paris, when eight pieces of historic jewellery worth an estimated €88 million were stolen. Empress Eugénie’s crown, which was also taken during the raid, was dropped during the getaway and later recovered.

Taxe Foncière 2026: Where Property Tax Is Rising and Key Payment Deadlines

French property owners stay alert as property tax is on the rise in various towns, in several municipalities homeowners are facing significantly higher bills. In Île-de-France, increases range from 9% to 25%, with Montrouge seeing the largest rise at 25%, followed by Clamart at 16.9%, Drancy at 14.1% and Aulnay-sous-Bois at 9.18%. Nationally, 13.6% of communes have increased their taxe foncière rate this year, although nine in ten of these rises are below 3%.

For French property owners, the amount of taxe foncière varies depending on the municipality and the property’s cadastral rental value. The tax is paid by owners and usufructuaries, and the 2026 notices began arriving from late August. The payment deadline is 15 October for most non-online payments; check, bank transfer, or cash are only accepted if the amount is under 300 euros. While homeowners paying online have until 20 October.

Eiffel Tower Reopens Following Staff Walkout

Good news for Eiffel Tower visitors, the iconic Paris landmark has reopened following a one-day closure on Monday 7 September. The Eiffel Tower was closed after staff walked out during a dispute over arrangements for a private visit by a Hindu religious delegation on Saturday.

Around 100 people linked to the BAPS spiritual movement attended the visit. The tower’s operator, SETE, said the arrangements did not meet its usual standards, while BAPS later apologised for any inconvenience caused. The Eiffel Tower reopened to visitors on Tuesday 8 September.

French firefighters begin six-week strike after record wildfire summer

The devastating impact of this summer’s record high wildfires has led to increased pressures on France’s emergency services. Professional firefighters have begun a six-week nationwide strike as a result, due to lack of funding, staffing and resources. At least 120,000 hectares burned across France this summer, the highest figure since satellite imagery began being used to measure wildfires 20 years ago. Four firefighters died in July, while more than 100 were injured over the summer while responding to or travelling to fire incidents.

Eight unions are calling for more financial and material resources, as well as the mass recruitment of professional firefighters. The strike is due to run until 20 October, with further demonstrations planned in Paris later this month. Emergency services are expected to continue operating during the action, as France’s 44,300 professional firefighters can be ordered to work to ensure essential public services are maintained. Their campaign is due to end on 20 October when parliament begins examining France’s 2027 budget.

French DPE Changes 2027: What Property Owners Need to Know

From 1 January 2027, France will change the way electricity consumption is calculated in the DPE, with the conversion factor falling from 1.9 to 1.7. The change could improve the energy rating of some electrically heated properties, potentially giving owners and landlords more flexibility before carrying out costly renovations. If your property is close to a DPE rating threshold, it may be worth checking how the new calculation could affect its classification.

Lead photo credit : Shutterstock