Renting in Paris

[Hubber]

Hello

I'm moving to Paris shortly and wanted to rent a furnished one bedroom flat.  I've previously lived in Paris before for six months so have a good idea of where i want to live (14th/15th/16th) but that was in a flat arranged by my company so I didn't have to find it myself.  Does anyone have any good websites they could suggest please? I know about pap.fr but was looking for something a bit more helpful ie with pictures.  Any useful advice about renting in Paris would also be much appreciated (eg current rental market, whether landlords mind renting to foreigners etc).

Thank you very much.

Hubber. 

[Missy]

[quote]Hello I'm moving to Paris shortly and wanted to rent a furnished one bedroom flat. I've previously lived in Paris before for six months so have a good idea of where i want to live (14th/15th/16th) b...[/quote]

Try or

They both have an english search engine.

I know someone in Paris who has a flat (2 bedrooms about 50 square meters) to rent. It is about 3 minutes walk from 'Pierre Curie' metro station on the south-east of the city.

Will ask them first if they need a tenant and will keep you posted.

Best of luck flat hunting otherwise!...

[Missy]

[quote]Hello I'm moving to Paris shortly and wanted to rent a furnished one bedroom flat. I've previously lived in Paris before for six months so have a good idea of where i want to live (14th/15th/16th) b...[/quote]

Sorry looking at my posting the 2 web addresses I quoted did not print

So put www. before and they are seloger.fr and century21.fr

Best of luck!

[letrangere]

Hi Hubber,

Having recently been looking to buy, can confirm that both buying and renting sector is buoyant at present.  There are plenty of places on the market though, I'd say even more to rent than when we last lived in Paris.

You asked whether Parisiens like renting to foreigners?  In our experience the simple answer is no.  There are exceptions obviously but listen to this.  One immobilier openly told me not to bring my swarthy looking husband out on viewing appointments as people in the best areas did not rent to pieds noirs.  She actually said that in so many words.  He's Welsh incidentally.  So on my own, I must have viewed 2 dozen places, each time via the "cattle market" system, ie you turn up at an appointed time with a couple of dozen other people (all French) and the landlord picks his tenant.  It's humiliating and frustrating in equal doses.  We were so lucky in the end, we found a landlord who was more foreign than us (Iranian exile)!

However, it took an American colleague of my husband's four months to find a landlord willing to rent them a flat.  To give you some indication of their budget, they "lived" at the Intercon whilst house hunting.   This was long before Iraq War but no one wanted to rent to Americans, even rich ones.

Bonne chance!

M

[Meo]

Fusac magazine (free in most english speaking bars/shops etc) has listings of available accommodation. Try their website.

[Hubber]

Thank you very much for all the replies.  MJW, do you think that there is anything I can do to improve my chances of renting if I go along to an "open house", eg bringing references from employer and previous landlady (translated into french)? Would it be better for me to use a relocation agent? I'm reluctant to pay for such a service if possible but if its going to make life a lot easier I'm definitely willing to consider it! I had been thinking that as I am a single, non smoking girl who looks reasonably presentable it would be relatively easy to find somewhere but your experiences suggest otherwise!

[letrangere]

Hi Hubber, sounds a good idea to bring everything possible to support your tenancy application (which is what it is in effect).  Re relocation agent, we used one initially but nothing came of it.  And I know the American couple used one throughout their search (neither had a word of French) and it didn't improve their chances much either.  I'd be tempted to say, don't waste your money.  Find a friendly immobilier, get him/her on your side, and just go for it. 

It's an idea perhaps to dress up when you go to a viewing for I clearly remember a couple of places in the 16th & 17th that were more like fashion parades than an open house show.  I'd be fine now but being newly arrived in the city I found all that understated glamour and French female aloofness very intimidating. 

Oh, something else we found and that was that Parisien landlords assume their tenants are going to arrive with everything including, on one occasion, a kitchen sink.  I don't know what your previous experience was like but out of perhaps 20+ places I viewed, only a handful had even a basic kitchen.

Good luck and keep us posted as to how it goes.

Margaret

[Missy]

[quote]Thank you very much for all the replies. MJW, do you think that there is anything I can do to improve my chances of renting if I go along to an "open house", eg bringing references from employer and ...[/quote]

Hello Hubber!

I said I would ask my friends if they needed a tenant for their flat near Pierre Curie metro.

I did ask and Sorry to report that they have a tenant for the next 18 months, so no luck here...

Hope your search will be more fruitful...

Happy hunting!

[Pierre ZFP]

Hubber,   I've sent you an email of a possible renting in Paris which has come up at my workplace. 

Bon chance!!

[Lassie]

Hello

 

I live in Paris and am quite involved in the rental market.  if you want to call me its +33 142 22 61 32.  it will easy as you are a'foreigner'.  Everyone prefers renting to non-French because one day you will quit the flat and return to the UK. Have no fears.  Its a delightul place to be.

Bets wishes

Carole