Apartments In Paris France

As is true in many places, especially the big cities around the world, to find a suitable apartment or even a less suitable apartment in Paris can be a time-consuming, frustrating nightmare. It can and often does take weeks and even months to stumble upon just the right apartment—the right size, the right location and the right price. Patience, patience, patience coupled with a healthy dose of persistence and you will survive it.
 
May through July is the best time for apartment hunting in Paris while August through October are the worst because people are in the vacation mode, either just going or just coming back. Around Christmas time and through the cold, precipitous winter is not a great time to search for apartments either.
Arranging for a good apartment at the right price before arriving to Paris is almost unheard of because landlords want to meet their prospective tenants before signing contracts. Besides, the phrase “good apartment” is so open to interpretation that you are really better off judging its goodness for yourself.

I would strongly advise that you buy a good pair of hiking shoes and walk through the various neighborhoods, get to know them, checkout the local public transportation, look into stores and shopping centers, stroll through the area parks and gardens, and talk to people who live in these areas before you decide where you want to live. Do not make the mistake of assuming that all Parisian neighborhoods are the same, they are not even closely resembled.
Once you have decided on the area that you want to settle down in, you need to know exactly what it is that you are looking for. A list of ‘must have’s and ‘would like’s will help you immensely. Knowing what you want is important but knowing how to convey it in a few concise sentences is even more important. Write those down as well, and you might even want to add a list of possible question that may or may not need to be asked. The French are notoriously impatient with foreigners and the Parisians are worse than anyone else. If your French is not up to par, take someone who can speak on your behalf when approaching a landlord. Believe me, you will be glad you did.

The following are a few helpful tips for successful apartment hunting in Paris.

1. Networking: The best places are not advertised but are recommended by word of mouth. Talk to everyone you encounter and let them know that you are in the market
2. Classifieds: Classified ads offer the most possibilities but the competition is fierce and you need to respond to them while they are still hot-off-the-press. Set appointments as soon as possible because even an hour or two can make the difference between getting the apartment or not and showing up with cash or a checkbook in hand can favorably impress the landlord. Additionally, prepare to bring your residence permit and passport, recent pay slips (preferably the last three months) or other proof of income, your last tax declaration (especially if you are self-employed), a certificate from your bank (not your account balance, but stating you are a ‘good’ client), a letter from your parents (if you are a student) or other guarantor.
3. Websites: There are many property websites and most allow you free searching. Some, however, require a fee to get the contact information.
4. Agencies: If you must have an apartment as soon as you get to Paris, there are rental services that will be happy to help you but be prepared to part with a hefty chunk of your change.

Hunting season is on. Best of luck and come back with a trophy.

Posted in France Vacation Guide