This common practice at home is prohibited under certain conditions. Be careful, the fine can be very steep!
Do we have the right to be naked at home or in our garden? This question may seem trivial, in the privacy of your home, shouldn’t you be able to do what you want? Good news, the answer is yes. Don’t worry, you can come out of the shower naked and walk around the living room, swim without a swimsuit in your pool or sunbathe in your Adam and Eve outfit on your deckchair in your garden. But be careful, there is still a condition, you must not impose it on your neighbors, and must not be seen by others.
This is what the penal code provides. Of course it can be easy at home to hide from the gaze of others, but can become more complicated on your balcony or in your garden, so be careful, because the almond can be salty. In France, for example, being naked at home can be considered an offense punishable by a fine of up to 15,000 euros. What the law says ?
In France, legislation regarding nudity at home falls under the Penal Code. According to article 222-32 of the Penal Code, “sexual exhibition imposed in view of others in a place accessible to public view is punishable by one year’s imprisonment and a fine of €15,000.” The law specifies that when “the acts are committed to the detriment of a minor under fifteen years of age, the penalties are increased to two years of imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 euros”. We can also read in the text of the Penal Code: “even in the absence of exposure of a bare part of the body, sexual exhibition is constituted if it is imposed in the view of others, in a place accessible to view of the public, the explicit commission of a sexual act, real or simulated”.
So being in Adam and Eve outfit at home is possible. It’s not the nudity that’s the problem, but being visible to other people. If you are visible from the street, the neighbors’ window, or the adjoining garden, you become an outlaw, and you risk a €15,000 fine and a year in prison.
Some tips to avoid the fine: avoid getting out of the shower and walking past your windows, in sight of your neighbors. In the garden, consider sheltering yourself from view, for example, with fences. Otherwise, cover up. If your neighborhood can see you, you are in violation. In the swimming pool, it’s the same, you can swim without a swimsuit, but always provided that no one sees you.
In the case of shared accommodation, the rule is the same. Ask permission from other people living in your home, as they have the right to file a complaint for indecent assault.