The investigation, for its part, is only just beginning. The house, which had been on the market for six months and on which a preliminary sale agreement was about to be signed, has been sealed off for the duration of the investigation, notably so the police can gather evidence.
Valentin Simonnet, the owner’s lawyer, talks of “a minimum of 6 months, or even 2 years, before [he can] access the property”26, and plans to seek compensation from the State and from Booking, arguing that the bank card used was not in the tenant’s name and that no checks had been carried out. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Booking executive told me the company would contest liability, that its legal department was already working on it, and that its insurer, Zurich Insurance Company Ltd, had been notified.
“In any event, the third-party liability insurance will not cover damage either to the owner or to the victim. As for the damage cover, it unambiguously excludes criminal activity, and the dispute will be between the owner and the tenant, who is fully identifiable.”
As for the owner, it is impossible at this stage to put a figure on his losses, between the damage caused by the GIGN operation (broken door, smashed windows, damaged furniture), months without upkeep, and lost income (around €2,500 a month).